what keeps going wrong?

[txmel]

i have a brinsea octagon 20 advanced with a humidity pump. my last couple of hatches have been very bad. this last hatch was suppose to be show girls but today is day 22 so i opened the big end of the eggs just a tiny bit so i could see in, to see if they were alive, since candleing didn't show me any movement. when i was able to see in the egg the chicks were shrink wrapped but still alive so i moistened the membrane and put the eggs back in the incubator. out of the 6 eggs the made it to lockdown 2 are still alive the others ended up dieing. these 2 eggs still haven't internally pipped and aren't making any attempt to hatch. my dates are correct i write down the dates on the calendar and count out on the calendar to hatch day. i ran humidity at 43 % for the days 1 -18 and raised it to 73 days 19-21. why would the eggs shrink wrap like that ? 2 had pipped internally but none of the others had. this happened with the hatch before this as well, i just don't know what would cause this. with the humidity pump i didn't open the incubator during incubation but to candled 3 times and growth was as expected. the turner was used as well till day 18 so?... any ideas what i am doing wrong? any ideas what i could do with the 2 eggs still in the incubator alive but not trying to hatch? i have a moistened napkin over the opened end to keep the membrane moist but other than that i don't know what to do? thanks for any ideas

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

What temp are you running, is it near a window, are these shipped eggs?

 

[seminolewind]

There's just too many reasons, I'll just pick a few. Are the eggs being shipped properly or are they yours? I do not trust ANY thermometer or humidistat. So aside from my auto bator, I have another thermometer and humidistat to make sure all systems are working.

I use about 25-28% humidity for the first 18 days, then 70% for the lockdown. Could be your temp is too low or your humidity is too high for the first 18 days, because the egg have to lose a percentage of weight by water loss or the chick will be too big, and be scrunched in the shell. If your eggs are hatching late, like they are, your temp is probably too low.

I have a bator like yours and I did have to calibrate it, the temp was wrong.

So if your chicks are too big, and not developing on time, I would slowly chip away at the shells, starting with the air pocket. You do not want to see blood. The moist towel is good, but those chicks might be too big to get out.

I more or less try to follow the dry hatch method. One of my best hatches was when I kept 2 tablespoons of water in the bator until lockdown.

 

[txmel]

yes these were shipped eggs i was running the temp 99.5 to 100 the whole time. the air cell seems right like the egg lost the right amount of weight during incubation. so i don't think the chicks are too big if anything they seem a little on the small side. why would they shrink wrap before pipping? there's moisture drops on the edges of the incubator so i know that the humidity was high enough during lockdown they shouldn't have shrink wrapped right? i guess the temp could be wrong i will get another thermometer or 2 and see whats what with those. its all very frustrating and disappointing to wait and hope only to end in tragedy

 

[Lacrystol]

Yes it is very frustrating to wait so long and then when the time comes, to have to wait some more for them to come out then losing everyone.. I have heard a lot of people setting there humidity at 40% the first 18 eggs and raising it after that. I however do not set mine that low. I set mine between 50 to 55 and come lockdown it will be up to 65 -70. It sounds like your temp is Ok but I would verify it, it sounds like your humidity is ok but again reverify all of this but what about oxygen? I am not familiar with that particular type incubator but I would check the air ventilation. Perhaps they aren't getting enough air, do you have the air vent shut all the way down to mini? Because they need to be able to breath.. Sorry I couldn't be of more help...

 

[seminolewind]

My r-com read 100.5 for a week before I realized it was off. It was running 99 degrees. I calibrated it, and have a back up thermometer now.
My hatch rate doubled when I went to the "dry incubation" method.

 

[Gypsy07]

Your whole answer could probably just be - they were shipped eggs...

I have the same Brinsea setup as you and it really is excellent. I just had a 100% hatch on some eggs of my own, and in the bator at the same time, a 16% hatch on eggs that were sent to me for free by a friend whose information I trust when he tells me his eggs are developing fine in his own bator. That's just the way it goes.

Yes, calibrate your bator. Check it with a few different thermometers. Think a bit about your humidity. Perhaps weigh your next eggs to make sure you're getting your humidity right. Nobody else can tell you for sure what your humidity should be, so don't lower it or raise it without first having a good solid REASON to do either. Check that you have your air vent open wider for the last few days of incubation and open fully for lockdown. Make sure your incubator is thoroughly sanitised between hatches, and make sure you scrub your hands with antibacterial soap every time you have to handle the eggs.

And if all that doesn't improve your hatches, get hold of some eggs locally to try. Any kind of eggs. If you're not wanting to end up keeping a pile of random chickens you could offer to incubate them for free and say you'll give the chicks back. It's just to give your incubating skills a fair test with eggs that have not been through the mail system. You should manage to get a good hatch on day 21-22. If you don't, perhaps it's not the shipping factor after all.

But it's what I'd be suspecting first and foremost...

 

[txmel]

thank you all for your replies i will be double checking temps and humidity before i try any more eggs and see how that does. i wont be trying any more shipped eggs for awhile with the temps over 100 here with no relief in sight i dont think they would survive the trip. might have to see about some local egg since i dont have a roo

 

[seminolewind]

I had bought a Brinsea glass thermometer, and I love it. I do trust it. I did want something other than a digital. If it broke, I would buy another.