Why Won’t My Chicks Hatch?!

[101atworld]

Hello everyone. I’m having some serious hatching issues and was hoping I could get some advice. I put 24 eggs in my incubator over 23 days ago and not a single one hatched. 3 or 4 days after their intended hatch day I opened the eggs and about half were almost completely developed but not alive. I even had some turkey eggs in their that died . Does anybody know what could have cause this? The humidity was too high (about 62%) for the first 10 days, but I didn’t want to open the incubator to get the water out. Would high humidity cause them all to die? Here is a couple pictures of the chicks that were almost developed.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Did you flip the eggs?

 

[101atworld]

Did you flip the eggs?

Yes, the incubator had an automatic turner.

 

[mdees88]

Still air or forced air incubator?

Opening the incubator before lockdown won't hurt anything. You just don't want to open the incubator after the eggs start pipping.

Do you have an external thermometer/hygrometer? If not, I would get one and verify the actual temp and humidity inside the incubator....

Did you stop turning during lockdown?

 

[101atworld]

Still air or forced air incubator?

Opening the incubator before lockdown won't hurt anything. You just don't want to open the incubator after the eggs start pipping.

Do you have an external thermometer/hygrometer? If not, I would get one and verify the actual temp and humidity inside the incubator....

Did you stop turning during lockdown?

It is a forced air. The incubator has a thermometer/hygrometer on the outside, but I ordered one to make sure.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I open my incubator every day to turn the eggs or candle, why would you think that you shouldn't open it?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Too much humidity makes the chicks too big and the air cells too small.

 

[Uff Da]

Would high humidity cause them all to die?

Yes. Sorry.
Remember that mother hens get up off the nest for up to an hour every day until the eggs are close to hatching. You won't hurt your hatch by opening the incubator before lockdown.

 

[101atworld]

Thanks so much for the help everybody. I was told by somebody that opening it for more than a few minutes will kill them.

 

[FortCluck]

The humidity seems too high and the chicks most likely drowned.

I would learn your incubator and research on humidity for your location. Don't take everyone else's humidity into consideration because we all live in different areas.

The humidity should be under 45% for the first 18 days so that the air cells can get to the size that they need to be. Where under 45% you need to be is up to you to decide by learning your incubator.

My first hatch I had 9 chicks fully formed and dead in the shell. My humidity was too high, but I chalked it up as a lesson learned.

Dust yourself off and try again. You will soon be a hatching pro. Check out the hatch a longs next time you hatch because there are a lot of people that can help you along the way.

I'm sorry you experienced these loses, but we all have gone through it at one point. You're not alone