Incubator problem - NONE of our 2nd batch of guine eggs are hatching!

[MossflowerWoods]

Guys & Gals,

Our 1st batch of 32 Guinea eggs we did not pay close attention to, we did not roll the eggs often enough, and we had 16 fertile eggs out of 32, and only 9 hatched, and 5 had a birth defect on their legs like hip displacia (we called them swimmers) in the end 4 weeks later we have only got 3 left (the last 2 "semi-swimmers" which only had 1 bad leg each) died Monday. First batch was 32 eggs and we got 3 guineas.

Over 4 weeks ago I put 22 eggs into the incubator. I've monitored them and logged in a notebook every time I rolled them, added water for humidity, etc. I candled them at 1 week and 20 were fertile, of those at the 2 week point I had 12 that were clearly growing nicely. I've followed the guidelines and done everything I could as close to the book as possible this time, hoping for better results.

Nope... They should have started hatching Monday night, and here it is Thursday and still nothing is hatching.

22 eggs and ZERO keets. This is stinking big time, and I have NO IDEA why... :thumbdown:

Worse yet, we ae down to 1 female and 2 male adults, and we've only collected 4 eggs in the last 4 weeks for the 3rd batch!!!

I have the styro still air incubator from TSC.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[seymojo536]

Ditch the still air plastic POS and get yourself a real incubator. Or buy a couple of silkies and they will hatch out rocks for ya.
Those styrofoam boxes are hard to keep at the correct temp and the lack of a fan and a turner is hurting your hatch rate.
Are you using a good digital thermometer inside the box? Is the incubator in a relatively stable temperature room free of drafts?

 

[Western]

Ditch the still air plastic POS and get yourself a real incubator. Or buy a couple of silkies and they will hatch out rocks for ya.
Those styrofoam boxes are hard to keep at the correct temp and the lack of a fan and a turner is hurting your hatch rate.
Are you using a good digital thermometer inside the box? Is the incubator in a relatively stable temperature room free of drafts?

The reply screen is messed up so hope my post comes through, I agree with Smojo, When I 1st read our post, I was thinking temp issues as well.

I used large commercial "Buckeye" incubators and Hatchers and temp is critical for proper growth (from my experience)

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Guys,

The styrofoam incubator is in the basement, no drafts, steady temp. I have been personally monitoring it multiple times per day, and regularly candling the eggs to watch growth.

Temp has been VERY consistent, far more consistent than from a bird who has to leave to eat at least once per day.

I've kept the humidity up also.

AND, this is the second batch. my daughters did a terrible job, very inconsistent care, and they hatched 9 eggs.

I've got NOTHING...

David

 

[Soundguy]

i hava styro one i got from a farm store.. had a rotator and fan, plus temp gauge and control.. plus well for humidity... it hatched out dozens of turkey and assorted chicken for me over the years. once i got some silkies and other small banty breeds.. i've found they will hatch out about anything..

 

[MossflowerWoods]

i hava styro one i got from a farm store.. had a rotator and fan, plus temp gauge and control.. plus well for humidity... it hatched out dozens of turkey and assorted chicken for me over the years. once i got some silkies and other small banty breeds.. i've found they will hatch out about anything..

Long term, My one winged Muscovy duck will brood even large batches of eggs, but she is still under 3 months old and recovering from having her wing ripped off by a racoon, and then the stump amputated... I can't post pix from work, so I will some later when I get home.

I also have a fluffy banty hen with featherd feet and twice the plumage as normal who is 1 week younger who I will remember as good for brooding small batches of eggs.

Do you use a different coop for brooding? Just curious.

David

 

[Soundguy]

i have about 4 coops, and I usually let whoever is the borrdiest do their thing. the chickens seem to run 'community' more or less. one day 3 chickens will have bitties under them.. the next day one mother banty will be spread out near flat setting on all of them.

heck.. I have one old .. say.. 10 yer old tom royal palm turkey that has lost his mat a year or 2 ago.. and he's real broody. in that pen I have a rooster, 2 hens, and 3 juveliles.. has 3-4 bittis in it right now. all the chicken ar banty, thus small.. I've walked out ther eon colder morning and seen nothing but him setting and EVERYBODY else nestledupunder him or under wings...

 

[Western]

David it could be a host of different things, from the breeders genes to bacteria.

My experience was with Ostrich eggs, which where notoriously hard at times . I have tons of notes at home, but I am on the road for 3 weeks. I did take short courses for avian medicine at U. of Georgia and bio control at the CDC, but it has been some time and I know it isn't always what it's "cracked up to be" sorry couldn't resist that one. My incubators did move air, sometimes there can be hot or dry spots (larger incubators) which can give spotty results. the controlled moving air kept the interior of mine constant through- out. Most birds will lay their eggs over a period of a few days to a week, then sit on them to get a nearly same day hatch, they also know when it's best and for how long to leave the eggs unattended, but I know you already are aware of that. Heat and humidity where just my 1st thoughts. I know people have had luck hatching chickens with nothing more than a towel and light bulb.

My eggs where never rotated more than a few degrees and that was automated, maybe 5* left and 5* right. That said I have had turkeys and chickens that roll their eggs all over the place, sometimes like they are obsessed. I probably am no help since I was 100% focused on Ostrich hatching at the time since that was my $$ and at the time it was a new interest in the Ag industry.

 

[nybirdman]

I hatch about 1500 pheasant per year.....the best advice you got here was to get some silky chickens.On a small scale they will hatch all you need.

 

[Soundguy]

the funny thing is to see a silky setting on a clutch of turkey eggs.. now that's darn funny!