What am I doing wrong???

[Three Cedars Silkies]

So I borrowed this fantastic Brinsea Octagon 20 EX Advanced incubator from a friend and set silkie eggs 21 days ago. It is just fool proof. Temp. never varies more than 0.2 degrees and humidity never more than 1%. Temp has been 99.7 - 99.9 the entire time. Humidity was at 35% to day 18 then upped to 55%. Candled at 14 days and tossed the clears. Candled a few of the remaining 11 eggs at day 18 and they all had movement.

Today is day 21...and not even a pip!!

I know, I know...they could still hatch, the temp might have been just a tiny bit lower than it showed and they might be a day late, etc, etc, etc....but I'm starting to get "that sinking feeling" in my gut. Usually...long ago when I could actually hatch eggs instead of kill chicks...I always had pips by the morning of day 21 and usually one or two hatching.

I used to have great hatches when I used my old homemade cooler incubator with it's wild temp swings.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Anyone that uses a Brinsea...any advice or suggestions??

 

[horsewzl]

never used one but I do feel your pain I am trying a new incubator and so far no luck

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

On the other hand...same shipped eggs...I put some under my broody silkie hen and she has already hatched 1 out of 2 this morning. Just found it!!

 

[thespinningcottage]

Hey - I found you! That's great news about the chick though, right? I understand your frustration, incubating (or as one of my first graders says, "incutating") just isn't an exact science. All you can do is the best you can based on what you know. The school hatch started with 16, one was clear and one was an early quitter. We're going into lockdown with 14, all of which have kickin' chickins' in them. Now getting them out of the egg safely is the next stage of the game, and I have 22 7-year olds with VERY high expectations! Good luck with the rest of yours. I'll keep checking in!

 

[Penturner]

from what I understand, you have had everything the way it should be. today is still day 21 though so maybe they are just late risers. Remember egg quality plays it's part as well so even with perfect incubation nutrition may cause them to be delayed. And then they may just be lazy about making their way out. Settle in it will happen. Whatever it turns out to be.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Quote:
That's what I'm afraid of

 

[Cornychick]

Stay positive and good luck to you. I feel your frustration on poor hatches. I feel I am getting worse too!!!

 

[chkinut]

i'm watching your post! can't wait to hear some good news!!! keep us updated!

 

[PandoraTaylor]

I am not sure you are doing anything wrong.
here are a few questions though:
did you calibrate the humidity reader?
did you calibrate or check the thermometer?

sometimes in moving my brinsea (burned up in a house fire 4 years ago) I noticed the temps would be alittle off. So I had to recalibrate everything. I used to have 2 brinsea octagon 20 and a Brinsea brooder (hospital cage).

Now all I have is the old style LG's and old galvanized Brower's.

I would suggest Patience with this batch, and then check all out after the hatch is completed.