Why why why??? ANGRY, SAD, and NEED ANSWER!!

[wolftracks]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

Quote:
Thanks for this! I will go to walmart (

I hate walmart but this would be worth it) tomorrow and pick up a few of the aquarium thermometers. I will follow this advice to the letter coming up as I have another lockdown next week... I have two LGs and so I will have a little time to try this stuff out as the hatcher will be empty until next week...I assume all the recommendations would work for the hatcher as opposed to incubator?

ETA: do you think it matters if I don't use a turner? I turn mine by hand because the last time I used a turner the motor overheated and it cooked my chickies...

I don't think it matters.

I spend a whole lots of money on eggs over the months and went from great hatches to hatches like the NYD hatch. Zero out of 82 eggs.

Chookschick posted this link and told me she had had enough. LOL

Funny thing is I had bought 3 of those thermometers that day at Walmart, so I was at least headed in the right direction after words.

I don't know how many I'll get from what's happening with my hatch today, one out 2 pipped, but I had a 108 degree spike and a 96 degree drop. Both during lockdown. I may have fried most, but won't know till I know. Still, every egg that makes it to lockdown has hatched. Hard to tell till later with Marnas eggs, but I check afterwards and if they were at the 18 day stage they all made it.

OH BTW I got mine for $1.67!! hehe​

 

[RareBreedFancier]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

The only thing I can think of is that maybe I moved them too much? I forgot about lockdown until day 19...the live ones didn't pip until early day 21 but maybe...who knows...

Nope, I doubt it's that. I was away and locked down late on day 19. Early day 20 I had my first pip and I have more than 1/2 out already. Everyone is piping where they should, only 3 unpipped at this point.

I'm so sorry I can't help, it's so sad to lose chicks that close to hatching.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Thanks everyone. I have some more eggs going into lockdown next week so I am going to devote my entire weekend to getting this incubator stabilized. Going to pick up the thermometers when I go to get my kids today... thanks again everyone for your advice! Does walmart sell aquarium tubing too?

 

[chickpeaz]

FWIW, I have no idea what might be going wrong with your setup...I'm just telling you what works for me.

I have a low-tech homemade incubator, but I've had really good hatch rates. It sounds like you have temp and humidity well under control, so I'm wondering if it's a position/turning issue? I put my eggs in flat and turn them flat -- I know a lot of the commercial 'bators have end-up turners but having watched the hatch process, it seems to me like it would be a more awkward way to hatch. You can see in this pic what I mean by flat:

I wasn't kidding about low-tech. The turner is a series of wires that poke through those side pieces, with a string attached to a piece of cardboard below. The ends of the string feed out through the sides of the bator box. You pull one end of the string to turn the eggs one direction (the cardboard rolls the eggs while the wires keep them in place), then pull the other end to turn them the opposite way. I pull out the turner, put down a dishtowel, lay the eggs flat like this and lock down at day 18. They roll and knock around a bit while the babies are getting on their feet, but they've always been very successful at making it out of the shells.

I've had 100% hatches before, and anytime I've had a largely unsucessful hatch it's been with eggs that candled poorly that I left in anyway, "just in case." I've only had one or two fully developed chicks that didn't make it out. So perhaps it's your turning position or mechanism? Again, just my 2cents worth -- I'm certainly not an expert!

 

[Chikndinner]

Great turner idea. I was going to make a rack and push it and the eggs back and forth but I think I like your method better with the rack stationary. I'll have more room that way.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Quote:
Thanks so much for that! After a day or so of research, I've concluded that ventilation and yes, turning may be factors. I finished the "egg topsies" today and had one chick still barely alive with brain exposed (read it could be oxygen issue), 2 more dead in shell without pip, so that left me with a total hatch of 5 out of 9...while that may not seem so low, I had to help the last one out because it was wedged in tight and was not going anywhere. It was half dry still in the shell! Not shrink wrapped, but it was again in the wrong position well past when it should have hatched. I am going to take all of your suggestions to heart and try to make the next lockdown more successful. Thanks to everyone for your help! I am much calmer today...