URGENT Hatching help please - what happened?

[Duck Breeder]

I was told not to open the incubator during lockdown, except very quickly to remove those that hatch before the others and are running around once they are fully dried.

How do you candle six times a day during lockdown and not affect temperature and humidity to the point it would damage the hatch rate?

My understanding is this is the most sensitive time and the incubator should not be opened unless absolutely necessary.

Can you explain how you candle them six times a day during lockdown, what you're looking for, and how you manage to do it without a temperature or humidity change? Thank you

The hens rolls the eggs six times a day. We watch them very closely so if the hens is doing it I feel like I can too. We tapp on the shells very lightly and try to imitate the the sound they make. We try to recreate the most natural experience for them as we can. I think one of the reasons they have trouble hatching in an incubator is the hen is not sitting on them I think her weight holds the egg in place and gives them more punch when there pecking out.

 

[Duck Breeder]

The hens rolls the eggs six times a day. We watch them very closely so if the hens is doing it I feel like I can too. We tapp on the shells very lightly and try to imitate the the sound they make. We try to recreate the most natural experience for them as we can. I think one of the reasons they have trouble hatching in an incubator is the hen is not sitting on them I think her weight holds the egg in place and gives them more punch when there pecking out.

I have fan powered incubators they catch up quick also when they are getting close to lockdown we don't pick them up we candle them in place. We can go through the whole bunch in 60 seconds. Not candling when in lockdown can be deadly you can't see if they have broken into the air sack. Any time they do I add a air hole.

 

[Duck Breeder]

I did a quick candle before work and I found a bird had broken into the air sac between 10 the night before and 7 AM and I was in a hurry to get to work and thought it would be fine until I got home. When I got home it was dead so now any time I see one break through I put a tack hole in the shell. That's 25 to 50$ down the drain depending on witch color it would have been

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

I'm so sorry for your loss!

 

[MyNYfarm]

This wasn't your fault. It's genetics or bad nutrition of the parent flock.
Deformations do not come from the egg turned upside down.

Good Reputation can be bought, bad Reputation can be buried.
This farm very clearly has an inbreeding issue.

This is a well known, certified organic, PIP certified farm. They focus on rare breed preservation. Their flock records are impeccable. It was an error me or my husband made. It would be easy to blame the breeder, but it's not him or from his actions. I visited him TWICE since mine died and all the eggs he had in incubators at the time, hatched, 99% hatch rate and are thriving. I joined his FB group and people that bought eggs the same day and within a week of my purchase have healthy, happy birds with a near 100% hatch rate.
He has replaced the eggs for free and lent me a new incubator to use as there may be an issue with mine

As for inbreeding, it's not something I know much about. However, growing up we had hundreds of chickens on our property and they inbred for decades. I was a child and didn't understand or get involved with the genetics, but the deeply inbred chickens were quite healthy and happy.


There are several farms near me that have chickens roaming, mating, hatching at will (lots of inbreeding) without issue. Again, I'm not a geneticist, but inbreeding doesn't appear to affect hatch rate.