Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Ok, need some help here. I put 11 eggs into lockdown for my silkies and showgirls at the end of day 17.

These are my eggs, not shipped, and collected over 9 days. I labeled each egg when I collected so I would know which ones hatched. Collection and storage were fine, the egg I labeled #1 hatched.

Temperature and humidity for days 0 to 18 were 99.5-99.9 and 35 to 55%

Day 18 to hatch 99.5 to 100.0 and 65%

I had 3 at the wrong end of the egg. 2 pipped one made it out of the shell, the other I helped. And a one didn't pip at all and died in the shell at day 20 or 21 based on development.

Just trying to figure out why I would have 3 out of 11 at the wrong end.

I'm using an Incuview incubator. I set the turner at 4x throughout the hatch.

Any thoughts as to why i woild have some many at the wrong end?

Has anyone dry incubated? If so, how?

Should I just try another incubator?

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers Karen and thanks!

The only thing I see different from my notes.
Day 18 to hatch,.... mine is 98 to 99 degrees, which makes yours a bit on the high side.
The high temperature might have affected the embryo preparing for hatch, perhaps too big to turn in to the right position.

When did you STOP turning the eggs?

Stopped turning day 18. And the incubator went up too 100.0 and back down it didn't stay there. I did turn down the temp control when i noticed the increase. I also don't put the ready to hstch eggs directly under the heater and fan. I have 2 other temperature and humidity gauges in at egg level......not that I'm OCD or anything

I've seen them hatch under a hen at the wrong end, doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. I would just try again. Sometimes its true if the humidity is a bit too high chicks are too big and can't turn

yep anything i've had that has pipped at the wrong end were just too big to get turned. maybe a shade high on the temp made them grow a tad faster....

I like the idea of trying again...lol it's so hard to figure out why something when wrong. I didn't think the chicks were that big, but heck...silkies are small...lol.

Thanks for the input. I'll watch the temperature at lockdown a little more closely.

I keep the temperature at about 99.9 during incubation, then at lockdown I lower it to 99.4 or 99.5 to compensate for the increased humidity. It was recommended in one of my books. I'm not an expert by any means.