I had a batch of eggs from Chelsea (Sundownwaterfowl). I had 3 babies hatch out, one died when it pipped and the others were fully formed but never pipped the air sac... Out of 13 eggs 13 developed. Was my humidity or temp off? Temp was 96 at the bottom of the eggs and humidity was between 60 and 70.
What kind of incubator do you have? Temps should be 99.5-101 at egg level depending on if it's still air or has a fan. Were your humidities that high throughout or just the last three days?
If your humidity was that high throughout the incubation, I would say that's where your problem was. It should be 40-45 percent.
Hi Jennette! I read temps at egg height (top of the egg) and not bottom of egg, but 96. - 97. degrees is my reading on the wire when air temperature in still-air incubator is 101.5 at egg height. If the chicks were fully developed on Day 21, I'd be questioning humidity and not temps. My first guess would be humidity was too high. 45% - 50% is for for the first 18 days. 65% - 70% is good for Day 18 - hatch. Sorry for the bad hatch, good luck next time. Lisa
I'm thinking humidity too... the temps were taken at the bottom since that's where my heavy oregon scientific reader sits... but when I have measured temps at the top they were at 100 with the 96 at the bottom. I have an LG still air. I normally have super high humidity and have great hatches (well for shipped eggs) so I'm thinking the humitidy needs to be near 80% like my last sucessful hatches... I now have turkey eggs in the bator how high does their humitiy have to be?
A still air should be at 102 at the level of the eggs. 80% humidity during incubation in way too high. The eggs have to lose about 14% of their weight from water during incubation or the chicks will drown.