Why would I have 100% FAIL??? Experianced advice please!!!

[JustMandy]

I set 18 BLRW and 16 Blue Marans on the same day in the same incubator. They were both shipped, both packed similarly and well, no cracks etc. I let them sit over night to let them settle. I candled a the first time, around day 10, I threw out 4 clear BLRW. Day 17, I threw out 5 more quitters (all BLRW) The blue marans were either doing very well or I could not see into the dark shells.

Hatch started late, I figured that would happen since my tems had been a little wonky 2 times. I would have days of steady thems then it would run a little high or a little low and it would take me a day or so to straighten it out. No big swings ever. Humidity ran about the same.

I locked down on day 18. Temp wavered some and it was all I could do to keep the humidity at 65% it liked to dip down to 60% and I'd work on it. The incubator is on my kitchen counter and I stay at home so no incorrect temp or humidity lasted very long. An hour tops.

Day 21 we got 2 BMs, Day 22 we got 4, Day 23 we got 2 more. So for my blue marans, that's 50% hatch. For shipped eggs, that's average, right?

Not one BLRW pipped.

I candled them on day 17 and 5 were moving and looking good. I float tested on day 22 and 3 hours and all but one passed as viable.

Why would I not get any?

It's day 24 should I keep waiting or give up?

 

[galanie]

Keep waiting at least another day.

 

[midget_farms]

It is not possible to know for sure why. But you can make some educated guesses.

1) since you had another breed of bird hatch (50% is just right for shippers) you know the incubation process was correct.
2) My first guess is a genetic issue with the eggs. If the stock is too inbred it could have very low hatch rates. That's not to say it is the breeders fault - just a guess.
3) are there hot or cold spots in the incubator? Were the bad eggs under the heat source? its possible they got too hot if they are very close to the source. I doubt this is your issue though.
4) air flow. You set a ton of eggs. Each viable egg on the last day needs as much air as the live chick. If your bator has too little air flow they could fail to pip. I thought I had this issue with my own incubator - but I found it takes surprisingly little air flow to be OK.


I hope this help - I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Cass]

Not overly experienced here, but avid reader. Waiting til past day 25 to call it quits is usually recommended. That's only 24 more hours. *Sending you good hatching vibes for the last of your eggs*

 

[nivtup]

When we had BLRW they were always slow to hatch.

 

[speckledhen]

Have you tested the instruments you're using for accuracy? Most household thermometers are not accurate enough for incubating since they can fluctuate by 2 degrees or more sometimes. Hygrometers must be calibrated to see how much they're off, and not just once, but probably every couple of hatches. Humidity can vary much more than temperature and have a successful hatch.

 

[redhd077]

Quote:
Maybe airflow is my problem! I keep having problems keeping my humidity up so someone said put my vent plugs back in, so i only had 1 plug half unplug until i got my humidty up and then i had only 1 out. Could that be why mine didn't make it?

 

[JustMandy]

I think there was plenty of air flow. I have a fan that blows over the light toward the thermostat and the incubator is never really sealed. It's styrofoam and has a few of little holes in it from moving equiptment and some holes with corks. This is the second "successful" hatch in it. (The first I cooked after adjusting the thermostat and leaving for the day

lesson learned)

The eggs were mixed up so both breeds were all over. There could have been hot spots, but the 8 hatchers were from all over.

I had up to 4 thermometers in the incbator to insure correct temps (I'm a little over the top, that way) two different brand digital with humidity readings, one that my dh had (he's in HVAC so he has lots of thermomethers) and a candy thermometer. The digital thermomethers ran the same as the others so I used those throughout and had one away form the heat source and one right below it to make sure there wasn't a hot spot (it was never more then a degree higher).

I really think it's a problem with the eggs. I don't have the heart/stomach to open them.

My goal is to learn from this (expencive

) experiance, not get an exact cause of death.

 

[midget_farms]

Airflow is a possibility - but it sounds like you have a very large incubator so its probably not the cause. I have 4 - 1" holes in the front of my bator & when I take out the turner 2 - 3/4 inch holes one on each side. My first hatch I could not get the humidity up. I realized (too late) that I had WAY to much air flowing. I now run it during lock down with only 2 holes open - the rest are taped over.

I'd bet what ever incubator you have has plenty of air if you needed to plug vents to get the humidity up.

Maybe they are just slower? I'm not sure.

 

[JustMandy]

Would it be worth it to float test them again?