Incubator Problems For Hatching Eggs
Hatching eggs in an incubator is not always easy as there are many variables that can affect the hatch.
I recently had 38 duck eggs in my incubator but have only 7 ducklings and only one hatched out without any help. I am not alone in finding hatching eggs in an incubator difficult.
My incubator is an ecostat incubator. The thing is i have never hatch any eggs yet i have put about 50 eggs in it. This is the second time this has happened. The eggs are fertile yet they do not hatch. I have cracked the eggs open and there are chicks fully developed. I opened the eggs a 5 days after the 3 weeks in incubation as there was no sigh of them hatching.
I don’t know what is wrong but it is really annoying me.
Anyone know what might be the matter ?
Conor
Erin left a reply comment:
Why don’t you let the hen sit on the eggs? I’ve just had a batch of lil us today to our surprise!! Our hen has been broody for a while and very angry towards to rooster. We let nature take over and sure enough the hen knew what to do. Lovely waking up and hearing little cheeps! Erin
I think that Erin is right in that a broody hen is often more successful than the incubator at hatching eggs, as nature should be!
But some of us do use an incubator to hatch eggs and it is useful to try to find out the reason why hatching is not successful so that incubation conditions can be improved and a successful hatch achieved.
Hi Conor,
I am sorry that you are having problems with your incubator. I know exactly how you feel. I had 38 duck eggs in mine and now have only 7 ducklings. Infact if I had not intervened I would only have 1 duckling.
There are many reasons why the chicks do not hatch:
Improper storage of eggs whereby the eggs become too cold.
Eggs not turned correctly.
Temperature incorrect - too low or too high.
Humidity incorrect - too low throughout incubation.
Improper ventilation.
Infection or disease.
Poor diet or poorly conditioned breeding stock.Click on this link for more information. http://www.farmingfriends.com/reasons-why-fully-formed-chicks-may-not-hatch-out/
If you do have a broody hen or know someone who has and is willing to let their hen sit on your eggs then this is the best way to hatch eggs.
Hope this information is useful. Thanks for commenting. I hope you get the incubation sorted.
Sara @ farmingfriends
If you have any advice about using an incubator for hatching eggs then please leave a comment.
Hatching Hatching Eggs Incubation Incubator
Hi again,i hope you remember me i asked your advice on my pet call duck daisy?.Well i no now that putting the rolled out egg back in the nest was like you said the right thing to do,as she warmed it back up again on her return to her nest.Moving on 2 others were out yesterday morning,yet again i dont now how long they were out,but i placed them back again as before,well this evening when she was out her nest for a bite to eat i candled them all.and all but one was moving around really well,and i think?,being no egg spert lol!,they have pipped the air space which is huge,looked like a little beak i think? and sure i could hear one cheep,Well now for some advice,i think there due to hatch anytime now now,even tonight maybe,the thing is daisy has spent her life living in a house with her male companion and 2 female khaki`s and a hen,for the past 3 1/2 yrs,now are her brood going to be ok with them,or do i have to take them from her and place in my brooder,or put her and her brood together away from the others,im really very very worried for them,please could you anvise me again,thankyou again Sara,Sandy in cornwall.
Comment by sandy — June 11, 2008 @ 9:22 pm
Hi Sandy,
I hope the hatching is going well. I think that I would move the other ducks and hen away from Daisy and her hatching ducklings. I would do this sooner rather than later if it was me. I would try to locate the others close by so that they can still see Daisy and get used to seeing the ducklings so that when you reunite them all, it will be less stressful for them all as they will be used to each other.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for commenting again. I wish Daisy and her ducklings well. Let me know how you get on.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends
Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends — June 12, 2008 @ 7:28 am
I have lost 3 peachicks so faor. They are pecking out but they seems so weak. They have never stood and they just die. They are fully developed but I much be doing something wrong. Could someone help me?
Comment by sylvia harris — June 13, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Hi Sylvia,
Thanks for visiting my site and leaving this comment. I am sorry to hear about your peachicks. it is terrible when you see the chicks have hatched and gone to all that effort of piiping the egg shell and then they don’t make it. You are certainly not alone in experiencing this as I have experienced this with guinea fowl and ducks.
I don’t have much experience myself with peachicks but I can say that there are a number of reasons why chicks hatch and then die if they have hatched in an incubator.
Temperature incorrect - check the correct temperature for different birds and at different stages of incubation.
Humidity incorrect - check the correct humidity for different birds and at different stages of incubation.
Improper ventilation - make sure incubator is positioned carefully.
Infection or disease - disease may come from the breeding stock so check that the breeding stock are healthy. Ensure that the incubator is thoroughly cleaned before each use.
Sylvia you do not say if the eggs are in an incubator, if they are it sounds like they are struggling to get out and then are too weak to survive. Are they hatching early, late or on time as this could affect why they are not surviving.
If you peachicks are hatching under a hen then ensure that the chicks have access to food and water, although chicks can survive over 24 hours without food and water as they still have their food sac from inside the egg, the sooner they get food and water the stronger they will get. If you do have access to the peachicks then you may want to try to get them to drink something by holding them to the water and food if they are too waek to stand themselves.
I hope this information is useful. Good luck with the rest of the hatch. Let me know how you get on.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends
Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends — June 15, 2008 @ 9:07 pm