I have to ask y'all what kind of hatch rates you get on average. I have the best hatch rates with broody hens, usually 80% or better. My last 3 incubator hatches were really low. The last one produced 0 babies (out of 20 eggs), and the one before that only produced 2 (out of 32 eggs). My first hatch was about 60%, second hatch about the same, third hatch only 4 out of 16 hatched (25%). We've had 5 hatches in the past year with 3 of them being duds/25% or less. I have eggs that I set this last Wednesday to hatch on January 3rd/4th. I will candle and cull on day 10 and again on day 18 at lockdown. Some of them are shipped eggs--if any hatch, it will be the first time I've ever gotten shipped eggs to hatch so I'll be doing the happy dance!
If you are using a good incubator you should get good hatches. 95%+ If you are not getting good hatches of fertile eggs something is wrong. Thermometer,hygrometer, not turning eggs etc.
It also depends on eggs for me, as well. If I use my own eggs or eggs from a friend's yard or locally purchased eggs (i.e., not shipped eggs), I have great hatches. I'll get 100% under a broody with those, better than 80% from the incubator. My last 3 hatches, though, were mostly shipped eggs & I got basically nuttin' for my troubles. Of the 3 bators we've had, this one (the Reptipro 5000) seems to hold temp and humidity the best of all of them. The LG was pretty good, but we moved to a dry climate & I just couldn't maintain humidity after we moved here, no matter what I tried. Then, when we had the LG outside "airing out", the stupid chickens ate the styrofoam anyway, so we are going to take the parts (which work perfectly fine) and put them in one of those Kansas City Steaks styrofoam shipping cartons and see how that works out for us. In the meantime, we have eggs in the Reptipro on day 4 right now.
I agree it really depends on the eggs. Last year I had a few hatches of 100% when I use my own or my friend's eggs. I bought some eggs locally from other breeders and had 50% hatch rates on eggs from a couple of different people. But I have no way of knowing if it was a fertility issue or if the eggs were not as fresh as they should have been. On shipped eggs I tended to range from 30 to 50%. Our regional sorting center appears to be very hard on eggs. They tend to come in with a lot of really messed up air cells. Last year I was just starting my flock by hatching eggs. This year I am so glad to get to hatch my own eggs for the most part instead of hatching shipped eggs.
Wow! Now I'm depressed. I had a 95% on my own guinea & chicken eggs in my Hovabator. But just spent a decent amount of money on shipped eggs. I had such high hopes on getting at least a 33% hatch rate.
While everyone's experience is different, I've never been able to get a shipped egg to hatch. I spent $90 on shipped eggs earlier this year & n'ary a one hatched, plus I was gifted 2 dozen hatching eggs from Jim Bell for my birthday....those didn't hatch, either. They make it about half way through, but the air sacs are always irregular/misshapen & the chicks die between days 10 and 15. The last two hatches, I didn't even have anything go into lockdown. Both of those hatches were shipped eggs. I don't buy eggs through the mail anymore. Linda (gryeyes) has had great hatches with shipped eggs, though, so I snagged a few of her shipped eggs and set them with this group to see if I'll have better luck with them. Will let y'all know how it turns out.
I agree with the other posts. When I first started hatching my hatches were around 60%. Now they are 95% to 100%. Also it depends on the eggs if they are from your own flock or shipped eggs. I don't do shipped eggs any more as that was my lower hatch rates. Shipping is hard on eggs. I have read where some people say they have great hatches with shipped eggs but for me I haven't.
110% of course... Just kidding. I've had two times where every egg I set hatched. They were all from my own flock. I've had a few really good shipped egg experiences, too. 11/13 and 12/14.
