When to throw in the towel? Help Needed.

[9Catsz]

All summer my eggs have been developing well and then quitting at about day 18 or so. I've hatched literally hundreds of chicks in that incubator and I was scratching my head as to what I was doing wrong. Three finally managed to hatch, but they hatched 4 days late! So I knew I had a thermometer problem. I bought a second thermometer and lo and behold the thermometer I've been using is off by 8 degrees! Instead of 99-100 degrees they've been incubating at around 91-92 degrees. It's a wonder I hatched any at all.

I'd check your thermometer to see if it's showing the correct temperature.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll let them go another day or two then throw in the towel. I still hope they suprise me but it's not looking good. Incubating is a lot more finicky than I expected. So much can go wrong. Of course, I'm sure a lot depends on the quality of your incubator and mines pretty basic and requires a lot more human intervention. Probably not the best for a beginner.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Quote:
I feel dense asking this but what's the best way to check a thermometer for accuracy if you don't have one that you know is accurate?

 

[Melissa Rose]

pack a glass with ice really packed then add water. It should be real close to 32* if not you'll know your temp is off

 

[cmom]

Quote:
Maybe your broody killed them. Sometimes I think they can sense when something isn't quite right and sometimes they just aren't meant to be. At least that is how I have come to see it. I have had chicks die too for no apparent reason and some have quit while hatching. It's a mystery...

 

[9Catsz]

Quote:
I feel dense asking this but what's the best way to check a thermometer for accuracy if you don't have one that you know is accurate?

Don't feel dense, I feel dense after I read the post suggesting putting it in a glass of ice water....I didn't even think of that. I went to Wal-Mart and bought 2 (planning on setting up a hatching-only incubator and needed a thermo for it too) digital thermometer/hygrometers, around $8 each, and put both of them in my 'bator and they both showed 91 degrees whereas my mercury thermo that came w/my 'bator showed 99.5 degrees. Since then I've had nearly 100% hatch of eggs that were fertile....one died after it pipped at the wrong end of the shell.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Well, I figured out my problem. The thermometer that came with my egg turner was reading high by 4 degrees. So, I thought I was incubating at 99.5 when in actuality it was only 95.5. That would explain a lot. Unfortunately, I adjusted the temp. early Sunday morning hoping maybe there was a chance and it seemed to stabilize at 99.5 with two new (calibrated) thermometers. We went to church and out to lunch. When we returned the temp. was 109.

Needless to say, I was pretty upset as was my 7 year old. I knew they wouldn't have survived that temp. for that long if they were even still alive so I cracked them open. They were all dead but they were close to term with their little heads tucked under their wing like they were supposed to be.

They were beautiful and it was very heartbreaking. I was initially pretty discouraged but decided to start over from scratch with 20 eggs I set aside that were within the two week window after my rooster had been killed in hopes that we may get lucky and have a few that are still good. They've been dormant for up to two weeks so I don't have high expectations. I stripped down the incubator, sanitized it, and set it back up and got the temp. and humidity perfect and stabilized with thermometers that work accurately. This has been quite a hard lesson but a good learning experience.

I wanted to post this update in hopes that others can learn from my mistake.

 

[Hoosierchickens]

Oh, and a quick question for you experienced hatchers:

When I opened the eggs, the chicks all still had an external yolk sac on day 24. Does that mean that they were still under-developed or that they possibly died earlier than I orignially thought?

 

[babigyrl22]

I hatched out this fall and they all hatched out at 24+ days. I think my incubator was too cool but I got 5 babies out of 8 and they are all doing great. I would give them some time unless you think they've all perished.

I mean they hatched on day 23 & 24.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Hoosierchickens I'm so sorry.

I hope the eggs you have stored will hatch for you now you have a thermometer reading right.

Quote:
What's happened here is your hen had started sitting and other hens were still laying in her nest. I have that problem cooking up now under a broody but I'm going to remove the eggs that are behind and put them in my incubator. Since she is still sitting she's not recognizing the already hatched chicks are hers, she may have accidentally or deliberately killed the two you found dead in the nest. Since the others are doing well you can probably just let her sit and see what else hatches out soon.

Do you know how to candle? It would be worth checking the remaining eggs to be sure they are viable. Hopefully they aren't too far behind the other eggs.
This should help Egg Candling Pics: Progression Though Incubation .