I have hatched two batches of my own eggs. Hens are established and the roos are, too.
I have a LG still air bator with auto turner. I checked my temp. and hygrometer and the humidity is 4% off. I have two EE hens, three JG hens, and two Turken hens. The eggs are fresh when they go into the bator. Bator has been cleaned with soap and water and Oxine AH prior to incubating new eggs. The first batch, two EE babies hatched on day 14 and 15. I have NO idea why... I was looking into the bator to check on the temp. and humidity and there was a chick looking at me. The next day, being paranoid, I checked the bator again, and there was another chick. These eggs were all placed in the bator at the same time. I had seven other EE eggs along with some others. Some of the others hatched, but on day 21 when they were supposed to. None of the other EE eggs hatched. After I made sure nothing else was gonna hatch (several days later), I broke the eggs and all had fully formed chicks in them. Temp. was about 102 and humidity around 35-40% until last three days, and upped to 60%. Most of my other types of chicks hatched, but not the EE.
Okay.... now for the second attempt. All fresh eggs. From my own girls... None shipped... I put 12 EE eggs, 12 JG eggs, 6 NN eggs, and 6 serama eggs in the bator. This time I had my husband install a PC fan to see if that would help. Bator was cleaned before eggs went in, same scenario. Kept temp. about 100 with the fan, and humidity about40%. Eggs came out of the turner on day 18. I had candled the eggs a couple of times at different times, and lost 2 serama eggs, 2 JG eggs, and 1 NN egg prior to eggs coming out of the turner.
7 JG eggs hatched and three EE eggs hatched. On day 20/21 like they were supposed to. I left the rest of the eggs in the bator for an extended time to make sure I didn't have any late hatchers. I broke the eggs open this afternoon, and all 9 EE eggs had fully formed chicks, some had even almost completely absorbed the yolk sac. All dead. I lost three JG chicks, but that didn't really surprise me. I had about 99% fertility on the 36 eggs I placed in the bator, but about 30% hatch rate. WHAT am I doing wrong???
I have a LG still air bator with auto turner. I checked my temp. and hygrometer and the humidity is 4% off. I have two EE hens, three JG hens, and two Turken hens. The eggs are fresh when they go into the bator. Bator has been cleaned with soap and water and Oxine AH prior to incubating new eggs. The first batch, two EE babies hatched on day 14 and 15. I have NO idea why... I was looking into the bator to check on the temp. and humidity and there was a chick looking at me. The next day, being paranoid, I checked the bator again, and there was another chick. These eggs were all placed in the bator at the same time. I had seven other EE eggs along with some others. Some of the others hatched, but on day 21 when they were supposed to. None of the other EE eggs hatched. After I made sure nothing else was gonna hatch (several days later), I broke the eggs and all had fully formed chicks in them. Temp. was about 102 and humidity around 35-40% until last three days, and upped to 60%. Most of my other types of chicks hatched, but not the EE.
Okay.... now for the second attempt. All fresh eggs. From my own girls... None shipped... I put 12 EE eggs, 12 JG eggs, 6 NN eggs, and 6 serama eggs in the bator. This time I had my husband install a PC fan to see if that would help. Bator was cleaned before eggs went in, same scenario. Kept temp. about 100 with the fan, and humidity about40%. Eggs came out of the turner on day 18. I had candled the eggs a couple of times at different times, and lost 2 serama eggs, 2 JG eggs, and 1 NN egg prior to eggs coming out of the turner.
7 JG eggs hatched and three EE eggs hatched. On day 20/21 like they were supposed to. I left the rest of the eggs in the bator for an extended time to make sure I didn't have any late hatchers. I broke the eggs open this afternoon, and all 9 EE eggs had fully formed chicks, some had even almost completely absorbed the yolk sac. All dead. I lost three JG chicks, but that didn't really surprise me. I had about 99% fertility on the 36 eggs I placed in the bator, but about 30% hatch rate. WHAT am I doing wrong???
