What are we doing wrong?

[Coops Dad]

My wife wanted to have some more hens for the coming spring and summer, so she chose 12 colorful eggs from the day's yield and put them in the Nurture Right 360. She kept the humidity @50% until day 18 when she bumped it to 65-70%. She had four hatch and 8 duds. Some had no development, a couple had a little development- like the size of a cashew, some just blood rings, and two looked like the conked out @14 days+/-.

She ended up with 4 little gray and black fuzzballs that look just like their daddy, the black Jersey Giant/blue Andalusian.

Was is something she did?

 

[Chookchicken]

No, sometimes chicks don’t develop right. We ordered 12 polish chicks and got 1 healthy beautiful chick named Wednesday and one chick with a deformed leg named April. Chicks not hatching isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault. If you had done something wrong most likely none of them would’ve made it.

 

[Willow2253]

The ones with no development likely weren’t fertile. Some chicks just don’t develop all the way to hatch. My last hatch had 6 that started and never made it all the way. It happens. There’s lots of factors that can lead to a chick not making it to hatch like genetics, egg shell quality, bacteria, etc. I do have to ask, are your thermometer and hygrometer calibrated? The ones that come in the nr360s are usually pretty accurate but can still be slightly off, which could effect your hatch if it’s too far off.

 

[Coops Dad]

Thanks, Willow. Yes, I checked the temp and humidity against calibrated instruments and both were within tenths of a degree and within 3% humidity.

I guess we'll chalk the losses up as the angel's share.

 

[Tonyroo]

Do your rooster have proper nutritional diet?
Are your birds older?
How old were the eggs when you placed it in the incubator?
These are the questions that would come to mind, considering it's your own flock and the inconsistent development.
People who hatch regularly keep the humidity 30 to 45 from day 1 to 18.

 

[aart]

Do your rooster have proper nutritional diet?
Are your birds older?
How old were the eggs when you placed it in the incubator?
These are the questions that would come to mind, considering it's your own flock and the inconsistent development.
People who hatch regularly keep the humidity 30 to 45 from day 1 to 18.

Good questions.
How old are birds you get eggs from?
....and....do you live in the northern hemisphere?
Fertility can be low during winter break.

 

[Coops Dad]

The rooster and hens have 6 acres of tall pasture grass plus about a half acre is marsh to free range on, and they have access to an 18% all flock feed, and a pile of ground oyster shell. The rooster is about 16 months old and the hens range from 12 months to 18 months.

The eggs were from that day and the day before.

We're just south of Waco, TX.

As a side note, these four chicks are the most skittish I've ever had. They're handled several times every day when their brooder is cleaned or my wife or son needs a chickie fix, always by approaching with their hand low, and usually offering a treat. Doesn't matter- they act like beelzebub popped up amongst them.

 

[Tonyroo]

Where are you keeping the chicks? I have mine in my living room where they hear noise from the TV, dogs barking, sometimes my vacuum cleaner and its the warmest part of the house.. I've done this before to get them use to varying noises. And it does help to decrease them from being scared. Just one observation noted.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Was is something she did?

Hope you are enjoying BYC, congrats on your little's!

Word to the wise.. drop your humidity colored eggs evaporate less than white.. and MAYBE store your eggs a little longer. I usually set eggs at 7 days.. but the day they are laid is difficult for me to make out the blastodisk/blastoderm.. practice seeing if your eating eggs are fertile.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...h-eggs-using-the-dry-incubation-method.47694/


I personally bought the 360.. incubated once and now it's sold. Not the machine for me.. I don't like how it rolls the eggs the same direction all the time.

As others have stated.. it could be time of year effecting fertility. My following resource is bookmark worthy.. cause for hatch failure starts around page 52..
Incubation guide

Pics of your chicks or it didn't happen!

 

[Coops Dad]

Thanks for the replies and info!

I think this is one from the latest hatch- the dad is a massive and tall black over gray Blue Andalusian/black Jersey Giant, and all his progeny seem to be either black or gray... so I have a million pics of black or gray chicks on my phone.