What went wrong? 40 viable eggs going into lockdown, only 14 hatched!

[A-Texas-Man]

Eggtopsy done! They drowned. The Maran eggs were especially full of water. I think I will have to incubate them separately and run the bator really dry. I think keeping the humidity at 50% for the first 18 days was also a contributing factor, but that really high humidity spike overnight probably was the thing that was the death knell. The ones that got out early on day 19 and 20 before the humidity spike (they caused it), were the lucky ones.

 

[Finnie]

Eggtopsy done! They drowned. The Maran eggs were especially full of water. I think I will have to incubate them separately and run the bator really dry. I think keeping the humidity at 50% for the first 18 days was also a contributing factor, but that really high humidity spike overnight probably was the thing that was the death knell. The ones that got out early on day 19 and 20 before the humidity spike (they caused it), were the lucky ones.

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the high spike in the humidity. It’s more probable that because of the relatively high humidity throughout the first 18 days, that there was just a lot of fluid in the eggs that didn’t get a chance to evaporate out. So when the chicks did their internal pip, they drowned. This would have happened with or without the spike.

Plus, that spike happens with each chick that busts out of its shell all sopping wet. It’s normal and not a problem.

The accepted advice is to incubate at 50% humidity, but in my experience, that is incorrect. I had a lot of “pip and drowns” when I was new and followed that advice. I especially noticed the pattern when I was incubating out in my garage, and as the season (spring to summer) progressed and my garage got more and more humid, the drown toll increased. So I stopped adding water during the first 18 days, and the problem immediately got solved.

I would venture that your survivors were simply lucky that they didn’t drown too. Not because they were first, but because they just luckily didn’t have too much fluid. And the later ones didn’t die because they were late, but rather they were “late” because they drowned (right on time).

I’m sorry for your bad experience. I know the frustration of seeing perfectly good chicks dead in their shells. The successes are what keeps us going, huh?

 

[A-Texas-Man]

I wouldn’t be so quick to blame the high spike in the humidity. It’s more probable that because of the relatively high humidity throughout the first 18 days, that there was just a lot of fluid in the eggs that didn’t get a chance to evaporate out. So when the chicks did their internal pip, they drowned. This would have happened with or without the spike.

Plus, that spike happens with each chick that busts out of its shell all sopping wet. It’s normal and not a problem.

The accepted advice is to incubate at 50% humidity, but in my experience, that is incorrect. I had a lot of “pip and drowns” when I was new and followed that advice. I especially noticed the pattern when I was incubating out in my garage, and as the season (spring to summer) progressed and my garage got more and more humid, the drown toll increased. So I stopped adding water during the first 18 days, and the problem immediately got solved.

I would venture that your survivors were simply lucky that they didn’t drown too. Not because they were first, but because they just luckily didn’t have too much fluid. And the later ones didn’t die because they were late, but rather they were “late” because they drowned (right on time).

I’m sorry for your bad experience. I know the frustration of seeing perfectly good chicks dead in their shells. The successes are what keeps us going, huh?

I will agree with you. Thanks for the great advice. I will definitely use it when I try again.

 

[Debbie292d]

I hatched over 500 silkies last year, all at 50% humidity until lockdown, then 70%.

It will literally rain in the incubator when dozens are hatching at once. Sometimes I'll lift a side for a few seconds and grab some empty shells. Then I do the other side, same thing. Other times, I wasn't around when they started hatching, and they made it fine without me doing that.

Your next hatch should go better. At least you have some chicks though so not a total loss!

 

[McChooky]

I plan on using the dry hatch method when I hatch my own chicks (not sure when that will be) Raising the humidity the last couple days comes with fewer risks supposedly! WV averages around 50% so adding water is very risky here. Wishing you the best!

 

[A-Texas-Man]

I plan on using the dry hatch method when I hatch my own chicks (not sure when that will be) Raising the humidity the last couple days comes with fewer risks supposedly! WV averages around 50% so adding water is very risky here. Wishing you the best!

One factor many people fail to take into account is the ambient humidity of the region you live. Where I live the humidity can fluctuate radically day to day. From 10% to 90% depending on the conditions. As a result, I have always had better lucky with a full incubator of eggs over just a few, because the ggs themselves can stabilize the environment in the incubator. This is especially true when using the Dry incubation technique. With a full incubator of eggs, they can generally provide enough humidity themselves. If you try to do dry incubation with just a half dozen eggs, it will not work very well, unless you live in an environment that has generally high humidity.

There are a lot of factors to consider. It fascinates me that a good hen can do this at all.

 

[Debbie292d]

One factor many people fail to take into account is the ambient humidity of the region you live. Where I live the humidity can fluctuate radically day to day. From 10% to 90% depending on the conditions. As a result, I have always had better lucky with a full incubator of eggs over just a few, because the ggs themselves can stabilize the environment in the incubator. This is especially true when using the Dry incubation technique. With a full incubator of eggs, they can generally provide enough humidity themselves. If you try to do dry incubation with just a half dozen eggs, it will not work very well, unless you live in an environment that has generally high humidity.

There are a lot of factors to consider. It fascinates me that a good hen can do this at all.

Here the humidity averages 70%, but our house is always around 40%. There's some system on our furnace that keeps it down in the house, so the outdoor temp doesn't impact the eggs other than the day I brought them in.

That makes sense what you said about dry hatching probably wouldn't work as well if just a few eggs.

I've thought of trying dry hatching, but I'd read a long time ago that silkies and perhaps other breeds need more humidity due to thicker shells. The smart thing would be if I would measure it in the eggs, but I just don't get into it. I put them in, and 20-21 days later, they hatch. So for me, if it's not broken, don't fix it. I'll just keep doing it the traditional way, but surely don't knock anyone who finds a different way that works for them!

 

[A-Texas-Man]

Here the humidity averages 70%, but our house is always around 40%. There's some system on our furnace that keeps it down in the house, so the outdoor temp doesn't impact the eggs other than the day I brought them in.

That makes sense what you said about dry hatching probably wouldn't work as well if just a few eggs.

I've thought of trying dry hatching, but I'd read a long time ago that silkies and perhaps other breeds need more humidity due to thicker shells. The smart thing would be if I would measure it in the eggs, but I just don't get into it. I put them in, and 20-21 days later, they hatch. So for me, if it's not broken, don't fix it. I'll just keep doing it the traditional way, but surely don't knock anyone who finds a different way that works for them!

You are absolutely right, if it works, don't mess with it.
Different breeds require different incubating tactics. In my experience, the darker the egg color, the less humpty you need. Dark egg colors are dark because of the coating on the egg which reduces the rate at which the internal moisture escapes.

I knew that I had lost my dark Maran eggs going into lock down on this last batch, because the air pockets were half the size of the other eggs in the incubator, when I candled them. This means they had not lost enough moisture. Maran eggs have to incubated by themselves at a lower humidity level because thick coating on their shells make it harder for moisture to escape.

I have never tried silkies, but from what you are saying, it appears that they lose moisture at a pretty good rate.

 

[McChooky]

Most hens do a great job of incubating eggs, raising the chicks and integrating them into the flock. My broody hen didn't lose a one

 

[A-Texas-Man]

Most hens do a great job of incubating eggs, raising the chicks and integrating them into the flock. My broody hen didn't lose a one

A good broody hen is worth her weight in gold. I have had some superstars in my chicken raising history. Had one hen that I witnessed tank down two different hawks that were after her chicks. She could hatch 12 for 12 and raise them all.