Venting about my incubator. LOL

[Jferlisi]

So i have a hovabator that im about to smash to pieces. I have tried about 6 hatches with it, 4 bought, 2 of them i picked up and 2 of my own eggs. Each hatch has had a few of my own eggs in them too. I have gotten 1 chick out of both shipped and one was 24 the other was 12. The eggs i picked up i got 4 chicks out of 15 and alot of my own eggs with almost all but maybe 10 not developing. So i have had alot of quiters. I have tried only have the humidity at 40% then bringing it to 60%, i have also done 45% to 65%, i have done no water at all, and humidity also at 25% then taking it up to 55-60%.The drie hatch they all developed but never made it past day 16 so im trying it again. I have had my temp at about 100.3-100.9 and after the first 3 i moved it down to 99.5-100.1. I have a auto turner so i dont get whats going wrong. All my eggs have been silkies and out of mine i have been setting eggs from a pair. I tried eggs from one pair and played musical chairs with my hens and roosters so that both roo's have been with both hens and that didn't do anything. Im going insane with these bad hatches. I have been pulling out my hair.

 

[nivtup]

Does it have a fan?

Where are you measuring temperature?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know which Hoivabator you have. In the forced air models, you need the temperature to be about 99.5 degrees. With the still air models, the temperature needs to be about 101.5 degrees at the top of the eggs. Since warm air rises, where you measure in a still air is very important. These temperatrues can be off a little bit without a huge problem. With the temperatures you mentioned, you should be OK.

So that brings up a very basic question. How do you know that the temperature you are measuring is right? Did you calibrate your thermometer? Many thermometers can be off due to manufacturing tolerances. Unless I calibrate it, I don't trust it.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

Rebel’s Hygrometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/HygrometerCalibration.html

Another basic question. Are you setting them pointy side down? Even if this was wrong, I'd still expect you to get a lit ore to develop, even if they did not hatch.

Forgive me for asking the basic questions. I'm not trying to insult you. When my wife was working at a school, she helped with computer problems. You'd be surprised how many she solved by checking to see if the computer was plugged in and turned on.

With shipped eggs all bets are off, but with your own and picking up some, you should be getting more of those to develop, even if they don't hatch. Is it maybe something to do with how you are storing them before incubation? Have you looked for the bull's eye in your own eggs to assure that they are fertile? With those temperatures and humidities, I'd think you would at least get some to develop, so I'd think maybe it has something to to do with them before you start them in the incubator.

I know I'm not much help, but it has to be something pretty basic to be that consistent. That's why I really wonder about how accurate the thermometer really is.