Farm Hatching-Epic Fail

[Border Collie Dad]

Just tried to hatch 22 eggs from my slow whites.
Only one hatched (two days ago) and I'm on day 22.

Eggs were not refrigerated but left on the counter.
They were anywhere from a week old (give or take) to same day.

I use a Little Giant Still Air Incubator with the egg rollers.
Used 2 different thermometers and 2 hygrometers.
They had slightly different readings.
The one that came with the incubator registered 99.5 and the other around 101

I have used this incubator a number of times in the past but not recently.
I'm giving the Lone Ranger away and trying to gather enough eggs to try again.

After the peep leaves I will try to candle the duds

My four Slow White hens are only giving me a couple eggs a day.

Any thoughts on this are appreciated

 

[Freeholder]

I have several thoughts. One is that it's possible that roosters lose fertility in really hot weather, like many other animals do (sperm are very temperature-sensitive). Commercial hatcheries, I think, keep their flocks in climate-controlled conditions so they can hatch all summer.

It could be an incubator issue -- do you have a separate digital thermometer that you can put in the incubator, to have a better handle on the actual temperatures?

It could be that they are missing something in their feed -- what the chickens are eating strongly affects the health of the germ-cell inside the egg (which ought to put paid to the notion that what the chickens are eating doesn't affect the nutritional benefits of eggs for human consumption).

Kathleen

 

[slbmatt]

My neighbor tried to hatch a dozen eggs and only got five. Said the others formed good
but where not strong enough to brake the shell. Two she help still died. The others were
dead before she could help them.

 

[Freeholder]

My neighbor tried to hatch a dozen eggs and only got five. Said the others formed good
but where not strong enough to brake the shell. Two she help still died. The others were
dead before she could help them.

I don't generally help chicks that aren't getting out of the shell on their own. That usually means they are weak, and I don't want them in my flock if they are weak. This can be affected by the nutritional value of the diet the hens have been getting, among other things.

My friend and I were both having good hatches early in the year, but they got worse as time went on. I only had about a 30% hatch from the last batch of eggs, and decided to hang it up for the year.

Kathleen

 

[Border Collie Dad]

Kathleen, thanks for your input.
Until several weeks ago, the chickens were free ranged.
Then something (coon or fox) got two hens and a rooster.

I started confining to a chicken yard and supplementing their layer pellets with scratch
I had two thermometers in the incubator.
One was 99.5 and the other was @101.

It's a puzzle to me

 

[summerthyme]

What are your humidity levels in the incubator?

Summerthyme

 

[Border Collie Dad]

What are your humidity levels in the incubator?

45-55

 

[phloydius]

Eggs were not refrigerated but left on the counter.
They were anywhere from a week old (give or take) to same day.

While your eggs were on the counter, did you: (1) Keep them laying horizontally (not vertically like they would be in an egg carton)? (2) rotate them about 1/4 of a turn every day?

 

[Freeholder]

If your hens are getting scratch, that could be the problem. It's not as high in protein, usually, as layer feed. Up their protein, and give them a little bit of green stuff, too.

Kathleen

 

[summerthyme]

It's pretty late to candle them... when I get duds in hatching, I take them away from the buildings and toss them into a rock to break them... "clears" (unfertilized eggs) are pretty simple to see... no blood or lumps in the yolk. Fully developed chicks who didn't manage to pip or fully emerge are also simple... those are the ones which may have needed higher humidity the last 3 days.

I candle at 1 week, and toss any clear eggs then. Heat definitely can be a factor in fertility, as can age of the hens.

I'd try again, making sure the eggs are fresh (if they are laying poorly and you have to store eggs for several days, put them someplace as close to 50 degrees (but NOT the fridge) as you can get... I used to use our cool (around 60 degrees) basement, and could stretch their hatchable life to about 10 days that way)

Candle them around 5-7 days, and see if you at least have fertile eggs. Then go from there...

(And get another thermometer and double check temps!)

Summerthyme

 

[Seeker22]

My incubator needs water and I have learned distilled works better. Even a small drop in proper humidity level is disasterous. I don't trust digital.

 

[Countrymouse]

we had threads here recently about the negative affects of current chicken feed / scratch.

It would NOT surprise me AT ALL to learn that feed manufacturers are going the route of Monsanto (maybe same?) in producing something that limits fertility---after all, you can't buy seeds this year and try to plant them next year--they won't sprout.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

While your eggs were on the counter, did you: (1) Keep them laying horizontally (not vertically like they would be in an egg carton)? (2) rotate them about 1/4 of a turn every day?

I kept them on the counter pointy side down.
Not sure that matters until they are incubated and start to grow.
I could be wrong.

we had threads here recently about the negative affects of current chicken feed / scratch.

It would NOT surprise me AT ALL to learn that feed manufacturers are going the route of Monsanto (maybe same?) in producing something that limits fertility---after all, you can't buy seeds this year and try to plant them next year--they won't sprout.

I buy non-GMO feed and scratch.
Scratch is just a treat.
I am feeding Kalmbach (sp?) non-GMO layer pellets

 

[WalknTrot]

You don't say where you live, but my guess it's the heat. The Slow Whites can struggle in it more than standard layers anyway, and fertility will surely wane in both rooster and hen when they are stressed...obvious by your diminished egg production lately. Personally, I'd wait until egg production comes back up to par and the weather cools off a bit.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

You don't say where you live, but my guess it's the heat. The Slow Whites can struggle in it more than standard layers anyway, and fertility will surely wane in both rooster and hen when they are stressed...obvious by your diminished egg production lately. Personally, I'd wait until egg production comes back up to par and the weather cools off a bit.

I'm in western Pa, north of Pittsburgh.
You may be right about temps.
I tried to get a hatch so I could butcher around October.

His fertility may be down but his horniness level is still up there.
None of the hens have any feathers on their backs

I was going to get rid of him after my hatch with a new rooster
That plan is on hold

 

[phloydius]

While your eggs were on the counter, did you: (1) Keep them laying horizontally (not vertically like they would be in an egg carton)? (2) rotate them about 1/4 of a turn every day?

I kept them on the counter pointy side down.
Not sure that matters until they are incubated and start to grow.

I never thought it mattered... But with this mix-heritage-breed I have now, I was having chronically bad hatch rates, even after switching out Roos, and buying a new incubator, etc. One of the old timers I was talking with told me to keep them flat on the side, and rotate them every day (from day of gathering).

I almost did not do it, but figured I did not have anything to loose -- and it worked. I went from hatch rates of under 10% where they would hatch staggered over about 48 hours to better than 70% hatch rate all on the same "day". Same breeding stock, same incubator, etc. I was quite surprised.

 

[turtlegent]

Just tried to hatch 22 eggs from my slow whites.
Only one hatched (two days ago) and I'm on day 22.

Eggs were not refrigerated but left on the counter.
They were anywhere from a week old (give or take) to same day.

I use a Little Giant Still Air Incubator with the egg rollers.
Used 2 different thermometers and 2 hygrometers.
They had slightly different readings.
The one that came with the incubator registered 99.5 and the other around 101

I have used this incubator a number of times in the past but not recently.
I'm giving the Lone Ranger away and trying to gather enough eggs to try again.

After the peep leaves I will try to candle the duds

My four Slow White hens are only giving me a couple eggs a day.

Any thoughts on this are appreciated

This year same as always, I tried to hatch some duck eggs to replace those lost to predatation.
4 loads of eggs, two different incubators, 40 eggs, some of mine, and some from a purchase to keep the flock bloodline varied. Worst hatch ever, 3 out of 40. So many did not even start at all. Most years I get a 60 % success. I just knew my eggs were fertile. I have 5 males to a flock of 12 hens. Is it something in the feed?

 

[summerthyme]

I never thought it mattered. But with this mix-heritage-breed I have now, I was having chronically bad hatch rates, even after switching out Roos, and buying a new incubator, etc. One of the old timers I was talking with told me to keep them flat on the side, and rotate them every day (from day of gathering).

I almost did not do it, but figured I did not have anything to loose -- and it worked. I went from hatch rates of under 10% where they would hatch staggered over about 48 hours to better than 70% hatch rate all on the same "day". Same breeding stock, same incubator, etc. I was quite surprised.

Yes, it does matter.. the longer between laying and starting to incubate, the more important it is. I just stored mine in cardboard egg cartons in our cool basement... but I put the cartonsvwith one end about 4" higher than the other. Once a day, I'd switch them. This helps prevent the yolks from sticking to the shell, from what I've read.

Summerthyme

 

[Luke]

Yes, it does matter.. the longer between laying and starting to incubate, the more important it is. I just stored mine in cardboard egg cartons in our cool basement... but I put the cartonsvwith one end about 4" higher than the other. Once a day, I'd switch them. This helps prevent the yolks from sticking to the shell, from what I've read.

Summerthyme

This I also did, changing the orientation two times each day. From 10 eggs I got 7 birds. Ten weeks old now and still healthy.

After 23 days (two days after no hatching) and the three remaining unhatched, I did the float test described here:

Learn Everything About Checking Hatching Egg Viability and found they were not viable.

Regarding humidity: I've read in several places (including my incubator instructions) that humidity should be raised at three days to hatch day, up to 70%.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

Regarding humidity: I've read in several places (including my incubator instructions) that humidity should be raised at three days to hatch day, up to 70%.

Not sure how I do that with my incubator

 

[phloydius]

Not sure how I do that with my incubator

Mine has two reservoirs for water. On it, you fill the first one for the first 18 days, and then fill the second one for the last 3 days. Every incubator is different, but it probably has a method to increase it. If you can't find out how, post your model number here, and maybe someone will know.

 

[Tonic]

Humidity is cumulative, inside + outside incubator, 50%. Summer humidity is much higher so you must adjust inside accordingly. Our best birds are hatched in March or September in NY, could be January or November if you live in TX. Large Fowl grow bigger and faster in cooler temperatures. They tend to stop growing in the summer months. I have hatched a lot of eggs that were stored in the refrigerator for weeks. Fertility will be low in heat but mostly because the birds are starting to molt.

 

[Tonic]

Mine has two reservoirs for water. On it, you fill the first one for the first 18 days, and then fill the second one for the last 3 days. Every incubator is different, but it probably has a method to increase it. If you can't find out how, post your model number here, and maybe someone will know.

You need 2 hygrometers. One for the inside and one for the outside. 50% cumulative. If the humidity is 50% where you are incubating, you won’t need to add water. In the winter, with a wood stove, you will keep your reservoir full. the last three days you’ll have to add a sponge to increase to 70%.

 

[Wildwood]

Not sure how I do that with my incubator

This exactly. I prefer a much higher humidity the last few days before hatch. Your chicks might not have been able to break the shell.

Also, I've had eggs hatch a couple days late for no apparent reason. Have you tried listening to see if there are any peeps? I will tap on mine a little and move the egg around and hold it up to my ear.

As a last resort, drop your eggs one at a time in a glass of cold water. If there is a live chick, they will often get very upset. I've even heard one peeping at the bottom of the glass of water...couldn't get that egg out of the water fast enough!

Slightly low incubator temps can cause a delay in hatching.

I will help my chicks every time if there is something I can do. It's not always the health of the chick that causes hatching problems. I don't want to lose a whole batch because the temp or humidity gauge on my incubator is off.

 

[summerthyme]

The easiest way to increase humidity the last three days is to fill all your water reservoirs, and then add a very damp sponge... soak it,, then squeeze just enough water put so it's not dripping.. set it between eggs when you removed your egg turner..

Summerthyme

 

[Seeker22]

Not sure how I do that with my incubator

I put a wet sponge in the bottom of mine (where the water goes) and it seems to even out the jumps in humidity I had without it. Distilled water.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I use a Brinsea incubator.

They are very pricey, but when it comes to incubators, you get what you pay for.

The Brinsea incubators do everything except go to the bathroom for you.

they are super easy to learn to use, and give you a much better chance of healthy chicks hatching under iffy circumstances.

of course, right now, I don’t need any incubator.

I have two black copper maran ladies brooding together on the same nest. Together, they are sitting on seven eggs.

In the other henhouse, a little white easter egger sits alone with her clutch of six dark brown maran eggs.

 

[Border Collie Dad]

I just ran two different tests on the unhatched eggs.
Candled them all.
About half showed nothing.
Infertile.

The other half showed development.

Then I did the water float test mentioned above.
All of the ones that showed development floated.

Then we tried one of the infertile eggs.
It floated, too.


Doesn't seem that this was a good test
Since this is day 23, I put them back in the incubator for another day or two

 

[summerthyme]

No, the float test is useless for incubated eggs. It simply indicates a large air pocket, which is normal in developing (or rotting!) eggs. At day 23, especially since you've opened the incubator and the humidity has likely dropped, the chances of them developing further is pretty much nil.

At "ready to hatch" stage, you shouldn't see anything except a solid black mass filling the entire egg. You *may* see it moving slightly, but if you are seeing veins and anything smaller, they died awhile ago.

Summerthyme

 

[Border Collie Dad]

I have a handful on the counter that are only a couple days old.
Would the float test tell me now before I start incubating?

The author of the article mentioned:

Learn Everything About Checking Hatching Egg Viability

Checking hatching egg viability has become an easier feat with the introduction of the float test that enables you to know if the egg is viable.

thechickenhub.com

Seems to imply that they use it on incubated eggs.
I'm not disputing you, BTW

 

[Freeholder]

I have a handful on the counter that are only a couple days old.
Would the float test tell me now before I start incubating?

The author of the article mentioned:

Learn Everything About Checking Hatching Egg Viability

Checking hatching egg viability has become an easier feat with the introduction of the float test that enables you to know if the egg is viable.

thechickenhub.com

Seems to imply that they use it on incubated eggs.
I'm not disputing you, BTW

Not really, if you know how old they are. Fresh eggs have small air spaces. What the float test is for, is when you find a clutch of eggs out in the yard or hidden in the barn and you don't know how old they are. Then you do the float test, and if they sink, they are still fresh. If they float, they are no good. And if they kind of halfway try to float, break a couple and look at them, and smell them. If they still look and smell fine, they are good.

Kathleen

ETA: If you think a hen has been setting on the eggs you found, you might want to candle them before doing the float test.

 

[summerthyme]

Freeholder is correct. The only way to know if a fresh egg is fertile *without breaking it*, is to incubate it for 5 days,mand then candle it.

Here is a YouTube that shows candling on the first day. BTW, in live eggs, from about 10 days, you can see the embryo moving when you candle them. My granddaughters love that stage! If you *aren't * seeing any movement, it may have died... mark that egg and check it again in a day or two.

https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DB0d87g8buQo&ved=2ahUKEwicrdmk64z5AhURD1kFHfa7CosQFnoECBEQBQ&usg=AOvVaw0QiQZuNyYKnZLo0i1dfUII

Here's one that shows the development stages

View: https://youtu.be/3YqAReDxQAM


Summerthyme

 

[WalknTrot]

The author of the article mentioned:

Learn Everything About Checking Hatching Egg Viability

Checking hatching egg viability has become an easier feat with the introduction of the float test that enables you to know if the egg is viable.

thechickenhub.com

I see no point to all this mucking around. Just leave the unhatched ones in the incubator for a couple days past 21.

 

[summerthyme]

I see no point to all this mucking around. Just leave the unhatched ones in the incubator for a couple days past 21.

I agree... *unless* you are having hatching issues. Then it makes sense to candle at intervals, to see if they aren't veing fertilized or if they are dying at a specific stage. I like candling at least once to remove clears and early dead ones... it keeps the odor down a lot!

Summerthyme

 

[Border Collie Dad]

I have a dozen in the incubator and lockdown is 8/11, Thursday.
Candled them a few days ago and a few seemed vital.

Measuring humidity is frustrating.
I bought 2 hygrometers from Amazon; one was @$7 and the other @$25.
Neither of them are worth a nickel.
The expensive one always reads @15 and the cheap one in the 40s.
I've replaced them both once already

Each also has a thermometer.,
They don't work either
I put them in ice water and the best I could get was @45 F.
The cheapie that came with the incubator was close

It's just guesswork

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

If your hens are getting scratch, that could be the problem. It's not as high in protein, usually, as layer feed. Up their protein, and give them a little bit of green stuff, too.

Kathleen

My chickens would attack me if I came into their area with a romaine lettuce or a cabbage. I would just heave it and back off.

 

[Firebird]

We gave up on the incubator, nothing beats a good broody hen

 

[Tessa]

Mist your eggs a couple of times a day. That should improve your hatch.
My nephew was raising Emu years ago. He kept having a poor hatch. I told him to mist the eggs and he wouldn't listen to me. My sister and I misted the eggs twice a day and the hatch improved. We never told him what we were doing.

 

[workhorse]

My chickens would attack me if I came into their area with a romaine lettuce or a cabbage. I would just heave it and back off.

We used to hang a head of cabbage with a eye hook a string about 4 inches off the floor. Then wait till one pecks it and it started moving. Stand back as they try to peck it as it’s moving the more they peck the more it moves.

 

[Walrus Whisperer]

I used an open hanger wire for cabbages. Open it up cut off the ziggity part. I would stab the cabbage all the way thru before poking the hanger thru it. Bend parts so you can hang it on fence. make it low enough they can reach it without jumping up to get it. My dozen girls could have it 3/4 pecked away by the end of the day. Just try to make sure they can't get themselves entangled in it- low enough to get at it without having to jump up to get at it. It also gives them something to do!