will low humidity...

[Ab1010]

during the day my humidity drops quite a bit while I'm away. I have been trying to keep it at 30-40 closer to 40 but i will come back and it will be at 27 or sometimes less. I have the vent closed.. i put water in it every day some times twice a day. I had three eggs die and possibly two more.. i spent a little too much on the eggs and really don't want to loose any more.. is it the humidity or just the eggs? What is your advice for hatching? These are bantam calico cochin eggs and 1 blue EE egg. The two Ameraucana eggs died and 1 standard sized cochin egg.

 

[Chookwagn]

I take the approach that as long as your average humidity is around 40 it should be pretty ok..
a few hours under or over shouldn't have a major impact on hatchability.

 

[Kiki]

27 is not really that low.
I incubate lower than that.
They will be fine.


HAS YOUR HUMIDITY GAUGE BEEN SALT TESTED?

 

[Ab1010]

27 is not really that low.
I incubate lower than that.
They will be fine.


HAS YOUR HUMIDITY GAUGE BEEN SALT TESTED?

What is a salt test???

 

[JaeG]

You will need to make a plan for lockdown if the humidity is difficult to keep elevated because the vents must be fully open at lockdown to provide sufficient fresh air for the hatching chicks.

This article explains how to calibrate your thermometer and hygrometer:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

If the eggs were shipped then it can be very hit and miss as to how many chicks end up hatching. I've had nothing hatch from shipped eggs (the one that made it to lockdown was malpositioned and didn't make it) all the way up to 75% hatching out of a different batch. It's often how rough their ride was to you and how well they were packaged than anything else.

 

[Ab1010]

You will need to make a plan for lockdown if the humidity is difficult to keep elevated because the vents must be fully open at lockdown to provide sufficient fresh air for the hatching chicks.

This article explains how to calibrate your thermometer and hygrometer:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

If the eggs were shipped then it can be very hit and miss as to how many chicks end up hatching. I've had nothing hatch from shipped eggs (the one that made it to lockdown was malpositioned and didn't make it) all the way up to 75% hatching out of a different batch. It's often how rough their ride was to you and how well they were packaged than anything else.

I drove and got these eggs about 4 hours driving. I then had the power go out week 1 and I had to transport them to my parents house where they have stayed since. But they were all growing for the past two weeks and then started dying.. i havent changed anything..

 

[JaeG]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Here's are a couple of links to 'Incubation Troubleshooting' pages which are quite detailed. You can try and figure out what's going on using their information. Certain stages of incubation where you lose eggs point to certain reasons for those losses.

http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation#ED
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/eggs/res24-00.html

At the end of the day it may not be something you've done but the health or genetics of the breeders flock and the nutrition (or lack thereof) they are receiving that's the cause, especially considering these are eggs you picked up rather than had shipped.

 

[Ab1010]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Here's are a couple of links to 'Incubation Troubleshooting' pages which are quite detailed. You can try and figure out what's going on using their information. Certain stages of incubation where you lose eggs point to certain reasons for those losses.

http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation#ED
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/eggs/res24-00.html

At the end of the day it may not be something you've done but the health or genetics of the breeders flock and the nutrition (or lack thereof) they are receiving that's the cause, especially considering these are eggs you picked up rather than had shipped.

That could be. I was shocked when I arrived and saw the eggs. A few were misshapen and after a week I was positive two weren't even fertile. Which is shocking since she says she breeds show chickens. I would think the genetics would be better. But shes the only one near by that i could get these eggs. I will have to look into that in the morning and see what I can figure out!! Thanks