what happened?? **graphic** pic of opened eggs

[sunket77]

I have a digital hydrometer/thermometer The reason I believe it was off is it wasn't lining up with the bulb therm. I had in the bator prior to getting it. The bulb therm. read 99.5-100 degrees and it read 97.5. so thinking that if the thermometer part was off then they hydrometer part must be as well? I need to get this sorted before I put in my other eggs which will be chickens and ducks.

I really appreciate everyones advice!! I am trying to calibrate it right now with salt water and a ziplock to see what it reads, I don't think there is a way to adjust it, but if I can get an idea how much off it is then I will know what to keep it at. Someone posted a link on another post about what temp/humidity to keep what kind of eggs at but the link didn't work does anyone else know of one? Thanks to everyone for their kind words about bad hatches it really makes me feel better!

 

[babsbag]

Those little football players are amazing with those unhatched cell mates. Next time I am going to get or make a plastic divider that gives each egg its own cubby during lockdown. I am hoping that will help with the rolley polley games they play. I guess they get bored and have to have some entertainment, at the expense of their buddies.

 

[rancher hicks]

Here's a website I found that may help..

INCUBATION PROBLEMS..

animalscienceuddavis.edu/avian/pfs33.htm

 

[TriciaHowe]

Quote:
Bulb thermometers are terribly inaccurate. Also your digital thermometer is probably more accurate than your hygrometer part of it. I would go by the digital thermometer and not the bulb. I can almost guarantee you this was your problem. You also said I believe that you have a still air? Your temps should be closer to 101.5 at egg level.... If you have a forced air (fan) then you drop your temps to 99.5.

 

[isabrowneyedsue]

i'm sorry for your loss as well, i am incubating for the first time too, i have read so many articles on incubation that it makes my head spin...but there is one [https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html] here that i am following. i also read that a still air incubator can be kept at around 101 to 102 degrees. i have been using a vaporizer in my room to keep the humidity up, and so far out of thirty eggs set, i have only had 4 duds, when i broke them open there was just nothing, like they were just infertile to start with. i have a few white eggs going, and they are easy to see through, but the tan are more difficult, the brown almost impossible. i have a high power led flashlight that i use, i have been candling every couple days, because i was also told that it won't hurt the egg as long as you move fast. a mother hen gets off of her eggs once and a while too. the progress has been amazing to watch,day five i could see a heart beating and the chick moving all around! i know that there is a long way from day 7 to day 21 so i'm not counting any eggs before they hatch. i also have been keeping an incubation diary, i write down everything i do, just in case on day 16 all the eggs die, i can look back and read what i did, or didn't do. i have a horrible memory and that helps too....

byc has an amazing knowledge base, this is a wonderful website! i have learned so much from this community!

keep reading, keep trying, don't give up, incubating is scary i am so worried that something will go wrong, but, sometimes things do even when i lose sleep over it. i set 30 eggs, and i am hoping to get a couple successful hatch-ers out of that. if i get more i will be thrilled, if i get less, i will try again. totally a learning process.

 

[babsbag]

You can test the accuracy of the hygrometer. There are directions on BYC on how to do it. You put it in a bag with some moist salt for 12 or 24 hours, don't remember which. I believe the reading should be 75%. Mine was off by 8% so I just adjusted the humidity accordingly.

I wish there was a test like that for the thermometer, other than boiling water at sea level. Couldn't put my digital one in the water anyways.

I had three thermometers in mine, and they were within a degree or 2. And even with 2 fans in the incubator, it did matter where I put the probe, I would get different readings so I just took the average and tried to not go above 102 anywhere at anytime, and tried to not go below 98.5. I trusted the reptile one I bought the most, and set the probe on the eggs. Another one I put on the screened bottom and that was the one I wouldn't let go above 102, preferred 101 as the max. I don't think I ever had any readings that I saw above 102.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
about all you can do with the cheap springfeild thermometers is compare them to a thermometer of known accuracy I use ice water to calibrate / check all mine the medical termometers from the drug stores seem more accurite then most

 

[sunket77]

I did use an oral digital thermometer and it gave me different temps as well within the incubator... at the top through an air hole (close to the heating element) it read 103 on the side just below the eggs it read like 94 and when I set it on the eggs it read 98 so then I got really worried. The thing was when I would take an egg out to candle it it wouldn't feel warm enough. Like when I take a fresh egg out from under a hen or a broody it feels and stays much warmer for much longer. I did have success with this incubator once before so I just am so confused!!

I really appreciate everyone taking the time to respond!!

I calibrated my hydrometer/ thermometer over night and it is reading 65% does that mean it's of by 10% the thermometer is reading the same as our other indoor-outdoor therm. so I am thinking that must be what happened the temps where just to low and should have been higher..... although they developed that far and I didn't get the new digital until a week until hatch day or so arg! maybe I should get one of those wigglers and us a oral thermometer to check the temps??

I need to get these eggs in before they go past the 10 day mark!

this is quite nerve racking I just wish one of my hens would go broody!!!

 

[janieschicks]

How old is your incubator? maybe you need a new heating wafer? I read that after a year or so the wafers will not hold a steady temperature, you can get a new wafer for 10.00 but I'm not sure how much shipping would be? I have 2 incubators going and a 3rd on the way. I don't want to put all of my chickens in one basket! Why is it on your day off the post office never calls! Tomorrow when I'm at work they will call saying I have eggs and chickens! LOL

 

[TriciaHowe]

The temp you are after is at egg level. You can even tape a couple of plastic easter eggs together to set your thermometer on top of that. That is the only temp I would go by.