- Aug 28, 2012
- 29
- 0
- 22
hello, i am new to chickens and new to this forum, and trying desperately to figure out what i am doing wrong or if it is a problem with the birds.... ???? we bought a black silkie pair two months ago, they came with 12 eggs that the hen was broody on, we decided to put the eggs in the bator to get her out of brood mode and back into production, we successfully hatched 4 out of 12 eggs, not too successful i suppose, the RH was about 65-70. since then i have found that my hygrometer is WAY off and so i believe RH for this first batch was approximately 55. we then got a flock of white silkies, who were already laying so we put those eggs in the bator, RH approx. 55 still. got a 2nd bator to be used as a hatch box since we now have staggered hatches. so the hatch box i had at approx. RH70.... had about a 75% hatch rate over the following two weeks, then i cleaned the hatch box (water and vinegar, sun dry) and set it back up, and have been failing miserably since.i had about two more chicks hatch (out of 12) and they both were super tiny and only lived for two weeks before giving up, they would chirp endlessly and wouldn't eat, but would look like they were gasping for air???....
since then i have read about dry hatching (although the problem seems to be in the hatcher.) i have had the incubator (little giant forced air) at rh35, 99.5 degrees (trying dry hatch) and the hatch box (hova 1602n still air) at RH 60-65, 101 degrees (but it flexes from 99.4-101.9..... and i have not had ONE egg hatch in over two weeks, i am so discouraged right now. how am i failing so miserably?
the incubator eggs are now quitting by day 14-18 and look great up until then, when i candle at 18 to transfer to the hatch box, i see movement in some, but they don't pip externally, upon doing an eggtopsy, they don't look drowned... i experienced that one too ;(..... they look fine, maybe a little under-developed, but otherwise i cannot figure out why they are not making it now. i am in southern california, if anyone is near me and can help as far as what their RH is, and we have been experiencing some HOT, humid and sometimes plain wacky weather....
could it be something with the birds? they are not that old, the black pair is about 2 and the white flock is (roo is about 2) 1-2 with a couple 6-9 month old pullet show girls mixed in. they are also seperate flocks.
any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you all.
since then i have read about dry hatching (although the problem seems to be in the hatcher.) i have had the incubator (little giant forced air) at rh35, 99.5 degrees (trying dry hatch) and the hatch box (hova 1602n still air) at RH 60-65, 101 degrees (but it flexes from 99.4-101.9..... and i have not had ONE egg hatch in over two weeks, i am so discouraged right now. how am i failing so miserably?
the incubator eggs are now quitting by day 14-18 and look great up until then, when i candle at 18 to transfer to the hatch box, i see movement in some, but they don't pip externally, upon doing an eggtopsy, they don't look drowned... i experienced that one too ;(..... they look fine, maybe a little under-developed, but otherwise i cannot figure out why they are not making it now. i am in southern california, if anyone is near me and can help as far as what their RH is, and we have been experiencing some HOT, humid and sometimes plain wacky weather....
could it be something with the birds? they are not that old, the black pair is about 2 and the white flock is (roo is about 2) 1-2 with a couple 6-9 month old pullet show girls mixed in. they are also seperate flocks.
any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you all.
