two hatched day 19, today is 21 and nothing

[dpenning]

So I have a Brinsea that I loaded up with 24 eggs 3 weeks ago. Two of them hatched what seemed to be very early, on Day 19 and are doing well, today is day 21 and there is nothing. No pips, no chirps, no rocking. What in the environment causes the birds to hatch early and is it possible for them to be this far apart? I'll wait till Monday before I start worrying too much but was wondering what others experience is on the "normal" span between first hatch and last.

Thanks!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So I have a Brinsea that I loaded up with 24 eggs 3 weeks ago. Two of them hatched what seemed to be very early, on Day 19 and are doing well, today is day 21 and there is nothing. No pips, no chirps, no rocking.  What in the environment causes the birds to hatch early and is it possible for them to be this far apart? I'll wait till Monday before I start worrying too much but was wondering what others experience is on the "normal" span between first hatch and last.


Thanks!

Warm spots in the bator or preincubation by broody can cause early developers. Brinsea are one of the best most reliable bators. Also smaller breeds, bantams are known to hatch a day or two early, but it does not mean they necessarily will. I have never had eggs hatch more than 48 hours between. Usually what's going to hatch hatches within 48 hours. Of course there are always exceptions, but lower probability.

What humidity levels did you use the first 17 days?

 

[dpenning]

This is the eco version so doesn't have the humidity gauge. I did weigh the eggs when I put them in and made the graph they show in the instructions, when I weighed them again they had lost too much weight so I filled the second channel. For lockdown I put a paper towel in as I didn't think the humidity high enough.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

This is the eco version so doesn't have the humidity gauge.  I did weigh the eggs when I put them in and made the graph they show in the instructions, when I weighed them again they had lost too much weight so I filled the second channel.  For lockdown I put a paper towel in as I didn't think the humidity high enough. 

So, you don't have a hygrometer in the incubator? I don't weigh. I monitor air cells. I keep a hygrometer in my incubator for a guide, but I let the air cells guide me when and if I need to adjust. I use this method: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity. And I run high humidity at hatch.

 

[dpenning]

No, this was my first try at incubating. I'm going to do an eggtopsy today to see when I lost them if I can tell.

 

[dpenning]

Nothing else hatched. So I ordered the auto turner and I got a gizmo to measure the humidity. It also has a temp reading on it. I set another batch of eggs on Monday. The humidity reading is right in the range it is supposed to be but the temp reading is reading 103!! The bulb thermo in the Brinsea only shows a smidge over 99.

This could be why they hatched early? I cracked a couple of the other ones, one was an early quitter and one was fully developed. Should I trust the cheap digital thermometer over the glass one in the incubator and turn the temp down? The ones that hatched did hatch a couple of days early.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Nothing else hatched.  So I ordered the auto turner and I got a gizmo to measure the humidity.  It also has a temp reading on it.  I set another batch of eggs on Monday.  The humidity reading is right in the range it is supposed to be but the temp reading is reading 103!!  The bulb thermo in the Brinsea only shows a smidge over 99.  

This could be why they hatched early?  I cracked a couple of the other ones, one was an early quitter and one was fully developed.  Should I trust the cheap digital thermometer over the glass one in the incubator and turn the temp down?  The ones that hatched did hatch a couple of days early.

2 days early is definitely a sign of high temps. If you have a glass thermometer that goes down to 32 you can test it with the ice water test and find out it's accuracy. Then you can test it against the rest and that will give you an idea of accuracy.
When you count your days, you don't count the day you set right?

 

[dpenning]

Hmm, interesting about calibrating with ice. It is built into the unit though so I don't eat to take it apart. It is mounted in the top kind of suspended in air so I tend to think it is more accurate than the one resting on the eggs.

The cheap digital one I set on top of the eggs and spending how the unit is rotating it is reading between 99 and 103 if it is leaning agains the plastic lid or the eggs. I set on a Saturday and was expecting them to hatch 3 Saturdays from set date but they hatched the Thursday before.

I think I'll lower it just a smidge.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hmm, interesting about calibrating with ice. It is built into the unit though so I don't eat to take it apart. It is mounted in the top kind of suspended in air so I tend to think it is more accurate than the one resting on the eggs.

The cheap digital one I set on top of the eggs and spending how the unit is rotating it is reading between 99 and 103 if it is leaning agains the plastic lid or the eggs.  I set on a Saturday and was expecting them to hatch 3 Saturdays from set date but they hatched the Thursday before.


I think I'll lower it just a smidge.

Yup, Definitely sounds a tad high.