What did I do wrong? This isn't fun anymore!

[Annie75]

Hi everyone. I haven't been on this site in a while because I hatched my own chick. She was a miracle IVF with many losses so I have a long history of meddling with eggs

Anywho I recently bought an 'affordable' incubator from ebay as my little Silkie went clucky and I've had stressful times in the past leaving it all up to my hen.

So meddling me gave her two fertile eggs and myself 18 eggs for the incubator. Everything seemed to go perfectly and when I candled at day 10, 15 were alive and kicking. Fast forward to the last 3 days, today being day 21. Two eggs pipped day 19 and stayed that way for 36 hours but I was brave and restrained and let them alone.

Then finally yesterday after 36 hours I saw another one I had previously not noticed was half zipped but silent. I sneakily put my hand in to get it and found it was dead, (a little silkie bantam). As I did this I noticed the Plymouth Rock beside it had pipped a reasonable hole but was also still...grabbed it too and it was also dead

.

I did some research and decided I had to help the two little guys that pipped. One popped out with my surgeon like precision with no blood or leftover yolk so was definitely ready. The other I think I was too late and it expired

With two healthy chicks lying dead in their shells, one not making the hatch and one barely surviving....I....well....put the rest of the eggs under my silkie. I figured she knows what she's doing, she's warm, one of hers hatched uneventfully and well I couldn't stand by and watch the rest of the chicks die through the lid of the incubator if the atmosphere was so lethal, I just can't do it.

So please don't yell at me, I followed my instinct. My question is this. What happened??? Was my incubator too humid? My research seems to fit with that. I can't believe they were all doing fine til now. It didn't come with a hygrometer so I've purchased one yesterday (see I'm subconsciously already planning for next time in spite of my heartache).

 

[nettifer]

hi, im having a similar problem! my incy dropped its temp on day 19 to 35c i helped 1 on day 24 he is huge! and wouldnt have got out, 1 pipped and hatched in 2 hrs same day and on day 25 we helped another that was stuck! 3 live and healthy chicks day 27 and 7 eggs still in incy temp back up to 37.6 candled last night air sacks look good cant see movement but didnt wait put them back in warm , did float test and all floated correctly so go figure!!!

 

[phoenix912]

This is what works for me where I live. I do dry incubation. That means I don't add water for the first 18 days. Where I live even a little water is to much. On lockdown I raise humidity up to 65. If you're humidity is to high first 18 days they don't lose enough moisture and drown. If humidity isn't high enough on lockdown which is the last 3days. The membrane dries up and sticks to them. When they get stuck from dry membrane they can't turn to zip the egg. Also if to dry the membrane will incase them and suffocate them. Hope this helps. Keep trying and see what works for you.

 

[Annie75]

Thanks so much. I read an article about incubating this very way. I think you're spot on. It's a pity I had to learn the hard way.

 

[Annie75]

Update: 1 little chick has hatched under Ebony. Goodie good good. Fingers crossed for more!

 

[Knittycat]

What kind of "affordable" incubator did you get. That could be a part of the problem too. Did you calibrate your thermometer? How responsive was your thermostat?

 

[bugkiller]

I know some one that works at a commercial hatchery that hatches hundreds of thousand birds per day and they set there humidity at about 85 % right through. Why is it different in a small incubator

 

[Annie75]

I think my problems are these:

Lack of experience
I'm too emotionally involved once I even see the little blood vessels form when candling
I didn't have a hygrometer
I expected too much
Cried

What I did right:

Checked with bulb thermometer that temps were spot on
Added water exactly as directed by instructions with incubator
Turned as instructed and didn't handle eggs too much

I have a gut instinct that the dry incubation method is right for my climate.

 

[cmfarm]

I know some one that works at a commercial hatchery that hatches hundreds of thousand birds per day and they set there humidity at about 85 % right through. Why is it different in a small incubator

That is pretty high humidity. Maybe it is a dry bulb reading?

 

[phoenix912]

Don't be so hard on yourself. I've been doing it for 2 years now and still cry when one dies. When I first started it was bad took lots of mistakes and changes to get it right. Sometimes I still have bad hatches. It's a matter of trial and error. Lots of tears and frustration. Then when they start hatching it lot's of waiting and worry then excitement. Just keep trying its worth it when you have new babies.