Why won't they hatch?

[skarpetorp]

I've just finished my first hatching period in a janoel 24 but only 8 (!) hatched... I've had some trouble keeping the humidity steady since there's only two different "settings" where to fill up the water level. When I checked the eggs at 10 days they where all alive but now some are still lumpy "fluid" in the eggs and some looks ready to hatch but nothing happens (only checked with light haven't cracked them open yet). I've put the temp on a steady 38 degrees (maybe you are counting in Fahrenheit..) and I've placed an extra thermometer and humidity controller inside (That thermometer is showing 37 degrees at the level of the eggs). I've read that when they are starting to hatch the humidity should be as high as 65-75% but to keep this I had to put in extra bowls with water in the incubator. Is that to high? I'm collecting new eggs now to try again but I'm not sure what went wrong the first time.. Can anyone please help me?

 

[GAQuail]

I suspect your incubator temperature is lower than your thermometers indicate. I would purchase a thermometer you can depend on. A Brinsea Spot Check is a good one.

 

[skarpetorp]

Could be. I've also purchased a new hygrometer for my next try. I've cracked all the remaining eggs open now to see at what stage they died. All but two had feathers but where not filling up the egg properly. I'm guessing they died at 15-16 days perhaps? I never opened the extra air hole since I thought the humidity dropped way to much when I did but maybe that was a big mistake. I'm gonna put wet sponges in the last days for my next try and keep the air hole open... Does anyone have any other great ideas how not to kill my chicks at the next hatching?