Unsuccessful hatch what did i do wrong?

[pips&peeps]

If it is still air then you need to up your temp to 100.5.

 

[reereechickens]

You may also need more oxygen in your incubator. Like drill 2 holes on each side 3/8" wide about 2-3" from the bottom. I was plugging my holes with duct tape, and was having bad hatches now I plug with medical gauze. Get your temp and humidity right for a few days with eggs from the grocery store. Keep the lid closed. I would raise temp to 101 degrees or 38.

 

[jasonslater]

Thanks to everyone who has made suggestions, i am going to wait until the new year before trying again. And will certainly make some changes.

 

[reereechickens]

The reason for the holes 2-3" from bottom is for the eggs to get the oxygen, at their level. Also how does your turner work?

 

[ILOVELEGHORNS]

I have a still air Lg Incubator and have absolutely great luck every time with temp set at 101.3 and I have always done staggard daily hatches in the same incubator. Keeping things sanitized is quite important including your hands when you go to rotate the eggs. If you handle them too much, u can actually clog the eggs pores as well as force bacteria, mold and etc into those pores as well.

Im not sure how you obtained the eggs and what their temp was prior to setting, how long they were or were not stored, , but pre incubation teqniques can also play a huge factor in the hatch rate as well.

Certain chicken breeds can also prove more difficult in the incubation process. There are a whole array of factors that can contribute to low hatch, high mortality. Just need to investigate the problem(s) with perhaps various control methods and Im sure you will find the solution. Practice makes perfect! Dont give up! Its very rewarding to help bring new life into this world! Thats one of the main reasons I incubate. Makes my day to see new life, enter this world....and I know it couldnt have been done without my assistance. Its also very rewarding to raise them to beautiful tame adults.

 

[ILOVELEGHORNS]

Ok, here is a technical site that may prove VERY helpful to you. It did for me when I was new to the process.

http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8127.pdf

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

To me, it sounds as if the humidity is too high. If it's too high, they drown in the shell. For the first 18 days, don't let the humidity get above 40%. At lockdown, raise it to about 65%.

 

[silkymom1986]

So sorry you had a bad hatch, I just went threw the same thing, I had a succesful hatch last month, 6 of 11 welsummer chiks now 1 month old, that was my second hatch, my third not so succesful, 0 of my 21 silkie eggs hatched, so many factors can effect it, I don't know if they were shipped, but you never know what the PO doesn with them, I always have more success with my own eggs. I have been using a LG, which is so hard to keep temp stable, I am saving for a new incubator now that will hold temp better and more accurately, hopefully a brinsea! Don't give up! Good luck!