What am I doing wrong? 2nd hatch wasn't much better...

[quiltnchik]

My first hatch - 7 eggs - I ended up with one chick, a Bantam of some type - no turner, just turned by hand.

My second hatch - 8 shipped Dominique eggs - the eggs stayed in the turner 'til day 18, and temp and humidity were great. I candled on day 8 and had to toss 3 eggs - one was clear and 2 had blood rings. On day 14 and day 18 I had, what appeared to be, viable, healthy chicks. Day 20 came around and chick #1 hatched fine and another egg pipped. On day 21, I had to help the second chick out of the egg (it couldn't zip, but humidity was still between 70-72%). I checked the remaining 3 eggs quickly, and at least 2 of them had live chicks (one even fussed at me). However, I checked again tonight and the chicks were dead inside the eggs. What on earth am I doing wrong? I hate feeling like I'm doing something that's causing these chicks to die

 

[jessica117]

I'm sorry, I know how discouraging it can be till you get the hang of it. We are still figuring things out but are getting much better. I don't know for sure but there is a possibility that your humidity was too high. I have read that too much can cause fully developed chicks to die without pipping. What were your humidity levels during the first part of incubation?

I'm sure someone else with more experience will have more insight and maybe be able to narrow it down some more.

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
I do dry incubation and usually keep the humidity right around 40%.

 

[Scraps]

Maybe the humidity is too high, I try and keep mine around 65%....

 

[insiderart]

Let me guess... LG? What brand of incubator do you have? Still air?

Oh and dry hatching was a death sentence for my eggs. Just didn't work for me. I think it depends upon your area, your individual incubator, the phase of the moon, how you hold your mouth....

I would advise you to give up dry hatching. I tried it, and tried it. It just didn't work for me. I got the same results you did. I could grow the heck out of chicks in eggs... but they were all shrink wrapped come hatching time. Didn't matter what humidity the hatcher was... chicks just peeped and died in the egg. I did manage a few very sticky chicks.. but that was out of probably over 100 eggs.....

 

[quiltnchik]

Quote:
LG still air. I'd love to have one of the more "modern" types, but due to $$, that's out of the question, so I HAVE to make this work...

If I'm not using dry hatching, what is the correct humidity for the first 18 days? What about day 19-21?

 

[insiderart]

Try 40-50% the first 18 days, and 60-70% for days 19-21.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
It does depend a lot on your area. I'm in KY, way more humid than Arkansas. I grew up in OK, I know I'd need to add water if I was there, the summers there are usually dry as dust.

Here, in sticky, humid, KY, with no water added to the 'bator, the humidity is 40-50%. Mostly around 45%. That turns out to be perfect, here. Then I increase to 55% at day 18, and they hatch great. No shrink wrap, no sticky chickies, and no assistance needed.

When they begin hatching, the humidity goes up, so I put a q-tip stick sideways in two corners of the lid, to increase air flow a little. The reason is that as humidity increases, less oxygen is available in the air. I have a theory that this reduced oxygen is the real reason chicks die when the humidity is too high. They don't drown, they suffocate! I found that if I didn't prop those corners a bit, (it just barely opens a little gap) the humidity would go over 70%, just from those damp little chicks. The added air gap brings it back down to around 60%, and the temp stays at or near 100F.

I have a forced air LG, w/turner. Dinosaur model, with the wafer, not digital, and the separately purchased turner has the old style turner cups. It leaks, so I can't use the water wells. I have to use a jar lid or whatever's handy.

It hold temps pretty well, I got 17 hatched out of 23 earlier this week, and now have 11 more due to hatch on the 27th.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't incubate so I don't have the experience to help you but you might find this site helpful.

Mississippi State - Troubleshooting Incubation
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/troubleshooting_incubation.pdf

 

[matthew1985]

i think its in ur humid.play wit it a lil get it right good luck.