Our Chick Hatching Went Terribly Wrong...

[@theprairiehomestead]

Thanks for watching-- here's the story of why we started incubating our own eggs this year-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWqTq2SBicZggbs

[@thesmiths629]

I've had great success with the same incubator many times. I candle at night on day 10 or 11. I leave them in the incubator to do this, by turning out all the lights, and shinning a flash light on them. If there are blood vessels I leave them. The towel looks like your chick killer....absorbed humidity 😔 I keep 1 water tray full and my vent at half open till day 18. Then I close the vent all the way and fill both water trays. I also keep a spray bottle of water nearby, so that past day 18 when I need to open it to check water, or removed fluffy chicks (because once they hatch and are dry, they will reduce the humidity levels too) I can spritz the eggs briefly to restore humidity quickly. And after about 10 have hatched I'll (as quick as possible) remove the egg tray, wipe clean the surface of the water reservoirs (because a layer of broken shell, and fluffy dander keeps it from evaporating) then I return the egg tray, spritz well any remaining eggs, and close the lid. In the past when I needed a space filler to balance eggs I used 1 inch cut rounds off of toilet paper rolls laying hole side up. That won't absorb all your air moisture like the towel did. Also 99.5 degrees farenheight is your ideal temperature. I have helped a few chicks hatch with my spray bottle. If after 24 hrs of pipping they haven't emerged I will spritz that membrane directly to keep it from shrinking, like dry leather onto the chick, then I remove the shell carefully in pieces under my brooder heatlamp while keeping the membrane moist and on to keep from rippjng out feathers. Once all shell is removed I put the wet critter back in the incubator and let it finish getting out of the membrane, and fluffing up in there. Due to temperature fluctuations I've had chicks hatch on day 18 and on day 26. Hope you try again and have success. It's super exciting when it works out. I've hatched several sets of chickens, quail, and ducks in that same incubator, just hand turning 3 times a day. The towel was your problem.

[@nancynellis6510]

@@thesmiths629 Thank you for telling us "how" you candle your eggs, what a perfect way to do it, so you don't handle them. I am getting ready to "set" another 2 dozen, so I will be trying your methods of candling AND spacing technique with toilet paper rolls.

[@merritpeterson2863]

I don’t think your humidity was high enough, for the last 3 days it needs to be between 60-80%, your incubator does not look like a good incubator I would buy one that is bigger and has a temp and humidity gauge, I have hatched many chicks and so far they have all started hatching around day 19 and don’t stop till about day 25 sorry you had to go through this its tough hope this helped

[@nancynellis6510]

@@thesmiths629 I have the same incubator and have had good success with it, but there is a learning curve. You must keep the humidity high during the whole process. The instructions state: During Incubation 40%-50% RH; and Hatching 65% or more. We live in a low humidity area, so I try and keep the humidity at 50% at all times. Once you get the new temperature/humidity gauge, you will be a lot better off, and your eggs will hatch.

[@sergiovaladez6342]

You sould try this incubator nurture right 360 harris farms

[@WhitetailHollowFarms]

I am so sorry you had this experience, although it was educational. We are an NPIP certified hatchery located in the Panhandle of FL and this makes me so sad that you lost so many potentially viable chicks. After years and years of hatching probably thousands of chicks now, from what I saw your humidity was way too high and the chicks looked like they drowned. I would also guess that your temp was on the low side because they looked like they needed a few more days to absorb their yolk sacs and hadn't fully developed. If you decide to upgrade your incubator, we HIGHLY recommend the R-Com Max 20 incubators that are fully digital as a tabletop investment -- we rarely have less than a 90% hatch rate from them. We candle on Day 10 and pull any unfertilized eggs and again at lockdown on Day 18. I'll be looking forward to watching your next hatching adventure - I am certain it will be a successful one after this. And thank you for being brave enough to share this disappointing experience - we thoroughly enjoy your channel and content 💗Gigi

[@nancynellis6510]

Gigi - what percentage is your humidity? I am sure Florida has high humidity to start with. I am in Montana, where we have low humidity as a rule unless it is raining or snowing. I try to keep my humidity percentage at 50% for the full 21 days. Of course, during the hatch, the humidity level gets up to the 60% or so. Just wondering - I know Jill is in Wyoming, where humidity probably is low, compared to where you are.

[@WhitetailHollowFarms]

@@nancynellis6510 we typically run our incubators at 35-40% humidity until lockdown and then hatch at 55% humidity. We have a climate controlled hatchery.

[@nancynellis6510]

@@WhitetailHollowFarms That makes it nice that your hatchery is climate controlled, not having to worry about that is huge. Like right now our indoor (in the house) humidity is 32% and that is with an indoor humidifier running 24/7. So, that is why I try to keep my incubator at 45-50% humidity during development of chicks. I have to add water to the incubator every evening because if I don't - by morning it is in the 20% range, which is not good. The instruction booklet recommends during incubation for poultry at 40-50% RH, and for hatching to be 65% RH or more. I rarely make the 65% range, but I try. :)

[@WindsofChange]

When there is too much humidity they die from drowning when they pip and try to breathe air from the air cell, it runs into the air cell through the pip they make into the air cell and ends up drowning them. How do you not know that??? That didn't occur here, so I doubt it was humidity, it was almost certainly too low of temperature for too long during incubation.

[@WhitetailHollowFarms]

@Winds of Change You should study up a little more. Been doing this for many years now. They don't need to pip to drown. Egg membranes are semipermeable, which means air and moisture can pass through its pores. A simple internet search will show you that science. And I don't argue on social media especially with folks I don't know. So have a great day! 😉

[@ElliottRodgers]

Sad but learning opportunity. Lot of respect for you sharing stuff when it goes wrong.

[@traceydurant817]

Definitely get a thermometer in your incubator to check if it is accurate. I have been raising chickens for 25 years, and this is an indication that your temperature was too low which means your incubation took too long. That's why you still had a live chick. Keeping them out during candling is not harmful to the eggs, a mother hen will get off the nest several times during the day to eat and drink.

[@WindsofChange]

yep

[@jonathanljohnson]

Those little incubators are very sensitive to problems like humidity and air flow. I'd say that the towel you put in to take up space disrupted both humidity and air flow. If you think it's necessary to put in some kind of spacer, you should make sure that the air flow isn't disrupted by the spacer.

[@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123]

That sounds very logical, good call !!!

[@backwooddesignco]

I think both the water wells should be filled up for the hatch as well to raise the humidity. Too bad, but it’s all a learning curve when you start hatching for sure. As sad as it is, it’s always nice that people share their fails as it can help others to learn. They definitely made the right call by adding some thermometers in the future ❤️ It’s especially sad for these guys because it’s so exciting and the anticipation over the 21 days is so high for hatch day

[@TeetarKing]

I think your right. I use some cardboard from used toilet rolls and that works fine.

[@horticultureandhomes]

The towel looks like it prevented the eggs from turning too.

[@ChickensForEggs]

Any Styrofoam incubator is MUCH worse - but with this model, it's good to have the added humidly control that you can purchase. My hatch rates in this same model are 90-95%. The thing I noticed in the vlog - several eggs were on their sides in the tray (instead of up-right), and - when you candle, you have to do it very quickly.

[@jessebybee8041]

Do you think that maybe having a towel/rag in there absorbed some of the humidity that the eggs needed ?

[@texascheri8445]

I have over 60 hens and 6 roosters, I currently have 3 hens sitting on 20 eggs that will hatch in a couple of weeks. I have hatched multiple groups of chicks prior to this in an incubator with great success. Day 18 was when you probably over handled them and turned them around too much. I would say that too much handling and turning/rolling them around to look at them can cause them to have detachments inside the shell, you should handle and turn them as little as possible or not at all until day 21. I usually don't even bother with candling until they start hatching but if I do candle them prior to that I hold them completely straight and don't turn or flip them at all. The egg turner built into these incubators turn extremely slowly which indicates how gently they should be handled. I think one of the biggest difficulties for chicks to break out of the egg is when the membrane gets too dehydrated from lack of moisture, so moisture is critical. I'm so sorry for your troubles but I agree we always learn from what didn't work in the past.

[@harmonee_76]

This is a great comment! 👍🏼

[@WindsofChange]

nope

[@MeredithDuley]

I am so sorry this happened to you guys, but thank you for sharing your experience with us. I'm sure many will be able to learn from it.

[@Deninex]

I am shocked that you do not have a million subscribers by now.. You are one of the best out there. So sad thinking what you had to experience this to learn and share that new knowledge with us. It's truly appreciated and I look forward to all your videos, they never disappoint..

[@theprairiehomestead]

Thanks so much for your kind words and for following along, Dee!

[@_suki_]

True

[@rumblebee_stixx1560]

When you’re doing eggtopsies, always start at the air cell end. You never know what you’re going to run into inside the egg... hope your next hatch goes better. Losing fully developed babies is heart breaking. When doing the Float test, it’s about watching for movement... not whether the egg floats or how it floats. If there is a live chick inside..: it will start moving which makes the water ripple. You’ll be able to see the egg moving as well while in the water.

[@ruthlynnsavoy6680]

Yes you are 100% correct. I have saved many a chick by the float test myself.

[@ChickensForEggs]

Another way to tell if an egg contains a live chick - it that is remains warm to the touch. An egg that goes cold does not have a viable, living chick inside. Much easier that a bowl of water that could chill the eggs (not something you want when there is a live chick inside).

[@Bethmarie44]

We’ve had just a few hatches here and this is what I’ve learned so far. The chicks will Pip and THEN absorb the yolk sac. With too low of humidity the sac around them becomes too tough and dries up and shrinks so they cannot position or break out. I hope the new thermometer gives you better luck guys! Homestead life is full of tough lessons. ❤️

[@faintlyartistic7803]

I stopped candling my eggs. You open the incubator which let's heat and humidity out. It takes awhile to get it back to proper temp/humidity.

[@Farming_in_Eden]

Opening the Incubator will not harm the embryos. My Leahy redwood, which hatches hundreds of chicks annually, gets opened 3x a day for turning. Waterfowl eggs get set aside for a 15 minute cool down daily, after the first two weeks of incubation.

[@nicoleweber9638]

Hens do not sit on the eggs 24/7. They leave the nest.

[@redinthethevalley]

As difficult as this most likely was for you to share, I’m grateful that you did as this is how we all learn to better understand all around. This is a future plan for our homestead and I already took notes, one being the humidity and the fact that you burn wood as you heat source which is identical to what we have here so knowing that the humidity is a major factor is something I will definitely be keeping an extra close eye on. Thank you again for sharing your journey with us! 🇨🇦🌻

[@theprairiehomestead]

It's definitely more fun to share the "wins", but the failures are just as important to share so we can learn, I think. I just had someone tell me that Brinsea incubators are famous for having incorrect thermometers-- so that's something else to consider!

[@GeeklingNo1]

I love watching the kids crack the eggs. I was homeschooled in the city but I bet homeschooling on a farm would be a blast!

[@daniellesunley4807]

It was definitely a humidity problem. At day 21 any eggs that haven’t pipped I very carefully open from the air sack end. If the humidity isn’t perfect the chick can’t break the membrane and suffocates in the shell. Good luck next time, I keep my humidity at 45% for incubation and 60% for hatching. I still always have one or two that need help. It isn’t because they are weak and should be left to die. It is because we are hatching them in a plastic box. I found a very good website many years ago from a conservationist who hatched endangered birds, it had very good instructions on how to help chicks hatch.

[@MissouriCrookedBarnHomestead]

The ones that were alive you could get out a hairdryer, immediately stop cracking, begin drying the down, make sure its beak is uncovered. Hold the hairdryer about 18 inches away as you slowly begin pulling bit by bit membrane and shell from the eggs. If there is any bleeding, immediately stop and continue drying. It stimulates them to absorb the yolk faster. Even hatched a couple of days early, the chicks will survive. Give them a boost with a tiny bit of sugar water once you get them out of the eggs. I've done this many, many times in my life. I am in Cheyenne Wyoming.

[@jcosio]

wow, this sounds brave

[@sjfiet]

My grandmother had chickens and sometimes she didn't have any broody hens, so she would force one of the them to brood. She did this by putting them in a laying box and having a screen door on it. I think it was short enough that they had to sit down, but I am not certain. It has been 30 years since I heard her explaining why the hen was making a bit of a fuss when we visited. She successfully hatched chicks this way. That's not enough information to do this, but maybe enough to go in search of the exact technique.

[@kaitlinsfamilyfarmstead]

I would say that they were out too long each time you candled them, but at the end I think your humidity was off too. I have found over time to leave them be, the less I touch them the better, so I now only candle my eggs once.

[@lindabarrow8]

I worried about them being out too long too.

[@harmonee_76]

I was thinking the same. We raise quail (so I’m not 100% sure it’s the exact same) and we don’t candle the eggs at all. We put them in and don’t open the incubator except to refill the water once or twice, keeping the heat and humidity locked in. So far, we’ve never had under a 65% hatch rate, incubating 80 eggs at a time.

[@sandradelvecchio6894]

That was my thought too. When I did it I told one out at a time and did it right next to it and got it back in ASAP. The humidity went down for sure but nothing like taking that many out for that long.

[@koeltefontein]

We have 2 hour loadshedding in South Africa and I have a 30 egg incubator. I just leave them and I get a good hatch everytime. When they brooding about 2 weeks eggs keep their heat pretty good when you candle.

[@keithmcdaniels1632]

Farm life and homesteading isn’t always biscuits and gravy. Tough to see but you did a great job presenting it.

[@lazeeshomestead]

I know, I have 2 meat birds with cocci and trying to find out the right dosage of corvid is impossible. I called 3 area vets they don't do chickens. I did find some info that said 1.5 teaspoons to a gal of water. I've been doing that but its day 4 and still seeing bad poop.

[@babiesandbuddies]

Agreed - it can be more devastating than I think people realize

[@lynnetteatkinson4858]

Our first batch of eggs we put in our incubator did the same thing to us. All had developed to different stages but then died. We put in another 6 and actually dropped our humidity a bit during the first 18 days and we got one to hatch!! We now have another dozen in the incubator to see if we can get some more to hatch. It’s super exciting when it happens!

[@RootedonGrace]

I love how educational your approach to everything is on the farm, it’s so encouraging and inspiring!

[@RalphGranger]

Taking the eggs out of the incubator for such a long time and low humidity could be the problem. Getting the right temperature by checking with a very accurate thermometer is recommended as well. We candle once, and we candle 20 eggs in about 2 minutes and get them back in the incubator very fast. Since doing this, we have had a 90% hatch rate.

[@nicoleweber9638]

Have you ever seen a hen hatch eggs? She leaves the nest 20 -30 minutes at a time.

[@jenisecoronado5555]

Haha! I love how you bring in the "Big Guns" (aka "Dad") when you get to the "icky stage"! :)

[@theprairiehomestead]

I totally did! ;)

[@jannatamminga2219]

Jill, I absolutely love this video. While the process didn't result in the desired live hatchings, there is a TON of excellent and useful information! Thanks so much for sharing your joys as well as your sorrows.

[@rissalionelhosteen7530]

Don't take the whole egg tray out of the incubator. Quickly candle them one by one. They shouldn't be out of the incubator for too long. Good luck on your next try. 💖

[@GossMania]

🌻❤️ Oh that is disheartening, I have currently 66 eggs incubating in 3 incubators that hold 22, I actually did a video of the movement and my experience in a better hatch rate for egg from this hatch. It really is amazing to see them develop. Glad to just learn the term a yolker! Thanks for continuing to share I love learning from you. Many blessings from our little 6 acres homestead in Mississippi! ❤️🌻

[@homesteadsisterhood4549]

Thats neat I love seeing the details in the incubated eggs!

[@GossMania]

@@homesteadsisterhood4549 that’s how we started with incubated eggs. I got some free eggs and an incubator and my kids learned a new homeschool project by learning how they were incubated.

[@davidmarklein]

Great video Ma'am Good learning tool for those getting started. I have been incubating and raising chickens since 1979 A lot has changed since then with the equipment but one thing remains the same.. temperature and humidity levels are of course the key to a successful hatch. My guess is you may have waited a few hours too long to lock down the bator.. I do my last candle on 16 or 17 and crank up the humidity to 80 plus and leave them until day 23 period.. It is a possibility the humidity drop "shrink wrapped" your chicks if you were late on the 18th day.. by 18 they are just hours away from starting their pips.. Again Great video and great composure for your whole family going through the process until (in this case ) the bitter end. Keep at it, you will learn and do better and get great hatches and some tough disappointments too.. its all part of imitating what a mama hen will do, and she has had a few million years of genetics to get it right and even they have a bad clutch now and then.

[@dlkjr88]

We had that happen. We figured out that there was too little air in the incubator. That plug to keep in humidity is deadly in our experience. I don’t understand all of the why but only what we experienced. We left it out completely, filled all of the water channels and kept it closed. We got chicks to hatch and live that way. Good luck!

[@heatherwright9097]

Hey there from south east TN! I am a homesteader as well... Family of 7..... From what I saw, based on the cracking eggs open, looks to me like humidity was too high, and temp too low. Try setting temp at 99.5 and leave it. Not sure if you've used the incubator before, but make sure it's clean inside as well, bc if you don't, bacteria will build up and kill the chicks inside the egg, as eggs have pores. Good luck lady! We've all had issues like this before. Y'all aren't alone!

[@CrazyBeanie01]

I have been hatching eggs out for a couple years now, since I was about 16, and now I’m almost 20. I can tell you right now, that I have seen plenty of weird things happen. I would first like to say, that I’m terribly sorry that this happened to y’all, it always sucks when things happen outside of your control. But I would like to give you my thoughts and ideas. I would definitely put one of those special thermometer, the ones that show temperature and humidity, inside the incubator with the eggs. This will give you the best reading possible. I have also read that you should put your incubator in an area that doesn’t have a constant temperature change outside of the incubator, like for me, my basement is the best option. Also I have never seen your brand of incubator before, but I assume it is made of plastic, and from what I have seen and read about, they aren’t the best at keeping a good temperature and you usually have to fiddle with them a lot. My suggestion would be styrofoam incubators such as hovabators. You can get them with many different add-ons and I found these to be the best for an incubator around $100-$200. But I would get one with a fan to circulate the air. These are just somethings I figured I’d suggest!

[@soapsoilandsunshine3241]

Hi Xenia. Brinsea incubators are made in the UK and are usually extremely reliable. I have two and they have never missed a beat (often get 100% hatch rates). As somebody mentioned above the towel in the incubator may have absorbed all the humidity. That would definitely be my guess.

[@shimasfaris2917]

Brinsea makes very reliable incubators and are very popular in the uk

[@carolinefarquhar8029]

Brinsea are the best over here in the UK.

[@helenmarshall5705]

I have this same incubator and have had about a seventy five percent hatch rate with it. I'd be thrilled if there was some way to make it quit hatching me roosters! LOL.

[@tamramoore8377]

Because of your video we are armed with more info. My daughter and I are incubating eggs right now because I watched your families bravery. Thank you for sharing your family videos..... I know you all will succeed with hatching chicks.

[@tamramoore8377]

We had success.....6out of 6 hatched.....

[@RuthietheGreatbamBino]

Shoot, sorry they didn’t hatch. I’ve read through some of the comments and agree it must be something with the temp and humidity. I started incubating 4 years ago as a project in my classroom using an incuview all in one incubator with digital temp and humidity settings, and have had great success with it. I’m actually going to start this week incubating some eggs. I hope you have better luck with the next batch!

[@ashleyfreie6177]

I'm so sorry that happened but thank you for sharing so we have some more info when we try to hatch. Good luck on the next batch!

[@trottierheritagehomestead4406]

I do a dry hatch when I incubate eggs. Humidity is so hard to keep perfect so it's easier to not worry about adding water. I've done both ways and get more chicks with the dry method.

[@richardrhodes9661]

Here is a tip for you, put the eggs in the incubator and just leave them be, pulling them in and out every week and running them to the bathroom is not their friend.

[@rebeccadunn252]

That was my first thought. The candling process should be done much quicker.

[@rebeccadunn252]

Shouldn’t take the whole tray out and have it setting on the counter for that long.

[@WindsofChange]

Wrong

[@WindsofChange]

@@mehlisue1 LOL, they're fine, moving them isn't going to hurt them. The hens roll them around several times a day, they leave them for often an hour at a time while they go eat, poop, and see to themselves. Eggs are alot tougher than you give them credit for. And I don't wash my hands unless my hands were recently in something nasty or chemicals. Hens raise eggs out in the midst of a pile of chicken poop successfully. Of course I don't wash the bloom off of my eggs before setting them...you are asking for trouble with that one. This is an incubator issue.....absolutely.

[@tricialemon]

@@WindsofChange the batch of 9 my Buff Orpington has been sitting on has started hatching, I have 7 so far! And to think I came back to her box one night to candle them and saw she had figured out how to jump over her partition to get in a different nest box...the eggs were all cold and they were 14 days at that point. I thought they’d be dead for sure, but I put her back on and secured the partition and candled the next day and saw the embryos moving!!! Eggs/chicks truly are a lot tougher than we give them credit for.

[@soapsoilandsunshine3241]

The yolk doesn't start to absorb until the chick has pipped internally, then while the chick is pipping externally and unzipping the yolk absorbs. It's a fascinating thing and I love hatching eggs. Sometimes the chicks just aren't strong enough to pip, it's really a life and death struggle, both when they internally pip and externally pip. Sometimes it can be the parents nutrition, however more often it's the humidity. My two Brinsea incubators have never had humidity issues which I'm grateful for (Mini Advance and Maxi EX). Maybe next hatch will be better.

[@suburbanhomesteadliving9212]

Great job trying! You're such a great momma. Your children are going to know so many things because of your ambition! God bless you all!

[@JeanMAllen]

I have incubated many eggs and honestly, putting the towel in there soaked up all the humidity causing the membranes to dry out and become tough. Also, it looks like they were a underdeveloped which is caused by low temps. Hopefully you won't give up! Invest in a good thermometer and humidistat!

[@michelleevans5531]

We had that happen two years ago. Besides the humidity factor, handling the eggs too much may have been another factor. My husband's driving partner is from Mexico. His grandfather raises chickens back in Mexico and he told us that handling the eggs too much can kill them. Only handle when candling them to see their progress a few times during the incubation process. I'm really sorry ya'll went through this. I cried when we lost that baby.

[@ladyjane6846]

Brinsea fan here. I have 5 of their incubators. It might be an idea to calibrate the temperature before the next hatch. Sometimes the digital readout doesn't reflect the actual temperature. Brinsea has great aftercare and will talk you through it or look on KZbin. The Eco version doesn't have a humidity readout so you can't know what's going on in there unless you get a hydrometer in there. It may not have been humid enough. The first egg you opened on after hatching day, the membrane looked white and dry. They can't get out through that. Maybe an upgrade to the Advance model which shows humidity. I promise you I'm not working for Brinsea but have learnt from my mistakes.

[@GabrealJahn]

I just put my first batch of eggs in my new incubator for the 1st time. i appreciate your video so much. mistakes in life happen and it's reassuring to see someone post this kind of video so we all can learn without shame or judgment..thank you

[@jenisecoronado5555]

After my wisecrack, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry it didn't turn out well. You were very faithful in following the process so it must have been something with your equipment - either the thermometer or the incubator itself. Hope all goes well for the next hatching!

[@berlinmiller4617]

That would be so hard, some of the hardest parts of homesteading. Thank you for reintroducing this important information that may have become lost. This all may have been common knowledge a few generations back, and this will keep important imformation alive.

[@RipnRev]

I think the towel absorbed moisture and blocked air flow. The inner membrane while "wet" looking looked shrink wrapped around the chicks with the outer membrane feeling like leather would have been too tough to break through. The yolks are absorbed very last, they will pip, then rest while they absorb the yolk. This is why it is very important to let them rest and not intervene too soon before they take the yolk into their belly and heal up.

[@famrwveldkamp2200]

When you check the chicks in water if it is alive, the egg will actually bounce around a bit, it will move because rhe chick should also be moving. Looks like the humidity was too low. I actually sprayed water over the eggs the last couple of days. Good luck on the next try.

[@elizabethferrill2792]

I happened upon your channel a few days ago and I am going to admit that you’re one of my top favorites. I’m in the process of binge watching all your videos at the moment and there’s something about you that makes you seem so down to earth and humble and that means a lot. My husband and I live in a small rural community in Kentucky and I can do relate to you. Thank you for sharing your lives, cooking, farming, gardening, etc with us. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching y’all. I look forward to finishing up all your videos and also what you have for us in the future. May God bless you and your family immensely.

[@dougsullivan3909]

I used to hatch eggs when I was young one big thing was to get the temperature right. I found it was best to set the thermometer on top of the eggs to get a good reading not to far above or below the eggs. Three days before hatch raise the humidity, on duck eggs even mist them every day.

[@dianebeckner884]

Sorry. We got so tired of our incubated egg losses and decided to only have eggs hatch that a hen sat on. We currently have a brooding hen so we'll know in about 10 days. She's sitting on 21+

[@albanymountainhomestead]

How many eggs has she sat on in the past? 20 eggs seems to be too much to get them all under 1 bird, with a good hatch rate...

[@dianebeckner884]

@@albanymountainhomestead We've had a hen sit that many before and hatch out about 80%. We don't need more chickens, but if someone brooded we would sell the hens and put roosters in the freezer. So we will be happy with what we get. I marked 21 under her in the beginning and tried removing the others, but she would have none of it. We can't separate her, so we just try our best

[@PLJS2018]

I say try someone else’s incubator. I think incubator is bad and pulling them out too much to candle? Just let your hen set. I am not going to incubate eggs. Hen has a better chance as my mission. Sorry for your loss but I would just not go any further in that incubator quest. 😞

[@Gardentogriddle]

Don’t be discouraged! It takes a little time to dial in your incubator correctly. It is a process with humidity and temperature. It seems so easy but there’s really a lot to it. I anticipate great results on your second attempt! Thanks for sharing😁

[@jamieosburn9822]

During lock down my understanding is that the vent has to be opened all the way up. It's half closed for first 18 days. If humidity doesn't stay high enough (approx 70%), then add a new wet sponge to boost it. Gotta have air flow during lock down.

[@hilltophomestead1328]

This^^^

[@Jenny-bc5kz]

Good call on the additional thermometer. I always run 2 analong thermometers and a hygrometer in every hatch. I only candle twice - once at day 10 and day 18 right before lockdown. Be quick since some incubators arent as good of quality as some and it can take 24 hours to get up to temp as well. Instead of putting the towel inside with the eggs i would wrap a towel outside of the incubator which helps with a constant temperature. Ideally its best to incubate in a room with consistant temperature even if its a basement. Also did you fill up both troughs with water at lockdown for an increased humidity? I personally think your problem is the temperature too cold and humidity was not high enough at lockdown. For a chick to still be breathing at day 25 tells me your incubator was too cold. Things go wrong homesteading unfortunately but its a good learning curve even though it really sucks. Its great that you got the kids involved. ❤

[@judyprice3675]

One of the most informative videos I've watched I've seen regarding what happens when all does not go as planned. Thanks for sharing.

[@littlewillowhomestead113]

Just a little advice candle at day 14 and do not flip eggs upside down not good for the embryo.. the less you mess with the eggs the better.. I incubate and hatch 100 chicks a week.. we breed 😊

[@marcialowry3806]

Hi Jill. I have hatched many many eggs -- turkey and chicken. Also living in Wyoming, I have found that it is SOOO dry (huh) here, that in addition to water in the tray I spray the eggs from day 1 with a water bottle every time I turn them....also found that I got a better hatch turning them by hand 3 X a day instead of using the electric turner. Just a few thoughts....better luck next time!

[@able880]

Watching this is like watching a mystrey - I really hope she will see your comment - ur on target, I've worked in WY at times and it's miserable dry - for those that are not from there, if it rains when it's warm 70°F a puddle of water will dry up in 15-30 minutes after it rains -

[@pickin-grinnin-homestead]

But it's confusing bc there are people who say they'll suffocate of the humidity is too high Trial and error means death if you do it wrong. How are we supposed to get it right?

[@able880]

@@pickin-grinnin-homestead if u live in an area like WY were there is little to no humidity you have no choice but to find a means to add moistuer to the eggs - hatchery's add humidity to eggs and mist them in dry areas from what I've heard - if your in an area that's 30-40 present humidity that's dry - when chickens sit on a nest there skin releases an enormous amount of moisture 60-80% humidity - in dry areas the egg will absorb the mist before it evaporates - I'm guessing in damp areas as in the south central it's possible to drown eggs in moisture - normally in dry parts they have heated chicken hatchery's that mist the air constantly at the first stage the air is kept at 50% humidity or higher at the second half the air is misted and kept at 60-70 % or the air is kept wet - so that there is moistuer on the egg shells constantly till they hatch - hope this helps

[@pickin-grinnin-homestead]

@@able880 We are in very humid NC. Yet I have the problem of duck eggs not doing well. Plus this last time, I had (in a 41-egg incubator), 25 hatch out beautifully and the rest died in the shell. The humidity shot up during the hatch due to wet chicks, and I was trying to keep it down so that they didn't drown. But did removing the 2-day old chicks from the incubator kill my stragglers that were taking longer to hatch? I'm still trying to figure all this out. Some say dry hatch with only adding humidity at the end of the hatch during lockdown is the way to go. I just can sort and find the facts from fiction.

[@nancynellis6510]

@@pickin-grinnin-homestead I had thoughts about the poster who said they would drown if the humidity was too high. Well, where we live in the Western States, the humidity is so low, we don't have to worry. Plus the directions that came with the Brinsea Incubator shows how high or low the humidity should be. I do my best to keep my humidity during incubation around 50%, and then keep it higher around 65% for hatching. The statement that they would drown, just doesn't make sense to me, but it might if you were in Florida, where the humidity is always high. For me, it is all a learning process for the area you live in. Not everyone's case is the same. :) Wishing everyone a safe & successful hatch!

[@nancynellis6510]

I have the same incubator, but I don't rely on the thermometer in the case. I bought a digital thermometer that shows the humidity (very important) and temperature (also important) and I don't mess with the eggs at all during the 21 days. I try and keep the humidity level at 45 to 50. I put hot water in each time that the humidity goes lower than 45 degrees. You did the right thing by ordering that thermometer. That makes all the difference. My just hatched yesterday, I got 11 live chicks out of 24, not that great of ratio, but I am going to set another 2 dozen and see how that goes and how many hatch. I will let you know.

[@MARKE911]

Brinsea is a superb incubator. Things you could change on the next hatch. Don’t use the towel. That will stop air flow. Don’t have your incubator near a potential cold draft place. Like a window. The digital thermometer/ humidity monitor you purchased for $~14 has a worse accuracy than the one in the Brinsea. Look online at the type Brinsea uses and you will see they use one of the best on the market available. We have 3 Brinsea incubators and have had excellent luck with them. I am willing to believe it was a temperature issue more than humidity. However look at your own inside humidity in your home to help determine. I live in Arkansas and we have dry hatched and humidity hatched eggs. Our humidity is rarely lower than 30% in the winter and almost always not lower than 50% in our summers. We keep our incubators in a insulated shed and we always keep the temperature in it at 80°f when incubating. In the Dead of summer we run a window a/c to keep it at around the same. 99.5° is what our incubators are set to temp wise. We will candle almost every 4 days except for the last 3 when they go on lockdown. We lockdown on day 19 you went on lockdown at 18. I really doubt that made a difference. I’m sorry for your loss. I know you will figure out what works best. But if I have learned anything is don’t trust those cheap digital monitors they aren’t worth the money and have a +|- of 3° on temp and 5% or worse on humidity some are off by more than 10%. We even tested them against themselves by purchasing 5 of them. Not a single one showed the same temp or humidity. The best temp gauge is mercury then alcohol thermometers. Good luck and thanks for sharing your story.

[@BootScootinBoo]

Also, one thing I watched you do, is just dumped water in... warm your water a bit ( not super hot mind you) because even just warm temp water drops your humidity level each time until the incubator heats it...

[@chelseywelwood22]

This was so hard to see but also a great learning experience. When I buy an incubator, I’ll now be reading all the reviews

[@jacobfeuerwerker5498]

You did it right. But as someone new to hatching, first you got to be sure of your equipment. For a few years in the '80's, I had a lady friend who hatched her own. Including ducks & geese. For the learning curve she used bantams, of several breeds, that were her children's' pets. Once she perfected that she purchased large incubators & at first used it from random breeding. Then she went to purebreeds & made a good profit selling started chicks.

[@JD-dh7bk]

Sorry for your loss. I did my first incubation a month ago. Started with 9 eggs. Lost 2 by day 14. 3 eggs didn't hatch but appeared to be fully developed. We did get 4 cuties. We're trying again. Started with 11. Day 7 , 3 were not fertilized. Hoping the others survive. Wish you luck with your next incubation!❤🥚🐣🐥

[@Icc042]

I'm incubating eggs now for the first time. I was waiting for this video to see y'all's results. I'm sad for those chicks and nervous about mine, I can't really see much when candling... They're on day 12. I hope they hatch.

[@desireemurray4520]

If it helps. I only candied twice, and I pretty much left it alone. I had 13 out of 20 hatch so far. Got the eggs that haven't done anything still in there for a lil while. I learned from a few people that until your experienced its better to leave it be. I had good results!

[@Icc042]

@@desireemurray4520 Thank you! I candle a random one after I finished watching the video and it's moving! I'll leave them be as you said ♥️😁

[@Mrs.Rekkr11]

Make sure to keep your air vents completely open on the last 3 days, don’t close them a bit because they NEED the air flow. Once you raise the humidity 70%-80%, decrease the temp by .5 degrees to a whole degree. (99 degrees-98.5 degrees) The higher the humidity, the harder it is for them to breathe so lowering the temp by just a smidge helps them breathe easier and not drown inside the shell while trying to hatch. I’ve incubated a LOT of eggs and learned along the way and this has been my go to now and I’ve had several successful hatches.

[@Icc042]

@@Mrs.Rekkr11 my incubator does not have a vent. It has a fan. What do I do?

[@Mrs.Rekkr11]

@@Icc042 if your particular incubator doesn’t have a vent, it probably has tiny holes somewhere along the edges. I have a few different kinds and there are very small holes that allow for air flow. Being that your incubator has a fan, it is forced air so I wouldn’t be too worried about it. As a rule (during hatch), for turkey eggs, I make sure to keep the humidity at 75-80 percent and for chickens, I try not to go over 75 at all, even though the recommended range is somewhere between 65-80 percent. My hatches for chickens have been more successful keeping the humidity somewhere around 72-73%. It keeps the membranes inside the shell moist enough through the hatch that they don’t “shrink wrap” the chick on their way out of the shell. If you can, try to candle them as little as possible. I candle as they go into lockdown unless I notice a smell coming from the incubator (I’ve only had one go rotten once), then I’ll open it up and see which egg has gone bad. Usually you’ll notice some amber colored specks coming from the shell (weeping). Carefully remove the egg ASAP, because they’re prone to exploding and once that happens, you’ll have to move quickly to clean the incubator. Hope this helps! I also keep my incubators in a room with a small heater to make sure it’s around 75 degrees. This helps with any heat displacement the incubators might have. I also recommend hygrometers for monitoring the temp and humidity because the sensors in the incubator are usually off. I know this is super long, but MOST IMPORTANTLY, don’t get discouraged by a bad hatch! You’ll learn as you go and fine tune your hatching skills as time progresses. You’ll gain a lot through expirience and learn what works for you and the incubator you’re using. Good luck with your hatch!

[@sharonmoake7827]

I have had really good success using broody hens to hatch chicks.

[@amybrown8528]

The first thing I was told by the guy I bought my very first incubator from, NEVER trust the temp/humidity gauges that are on it! Always always have a secondary way to double check accuracy! That said, I just put my very first round of eggs into lockdown. I am by no means an expert. We are learning together my friend 😊

[@thesmiths629]

I've had great success with the same incubator many times. I candle at night on day 10 or 11. I leave them in the incubator to do this, by turning out all the lights, and shinning a flash light on them. If there are blood vessels I leave them. The towel looks like your chick killer....absorbed humidity 😔 I keep 1 water tray full and my vent at half open till day 18. Then I close the vent all the way and fill both water trays. I also keep a spray bottle of water nearby, so that past day 18 when I need to open it to check water, or removed fluffy chicks (because once they hatch and are dry, they will reduce the humidity levels too) I can spritz the eggs briefly to restore humidity quickly. And after about 10 have hatched I'll (as quick as possible) remove the egg tray, wipe clean the surface of the water reservoirs (because a layer of broken shell, and fluffy dander keeps it from evaporating) then I return the egg tray, spritz well any remaining eggs, and close the lid. In the past when I needed a space filler to balance eggs I used 1 inch cut rounds off of toilet paper rolls laying hole side up. That won't absorb all your air moisture like the towel did. Also 99.5 degrees farenheight is your ideal temperature. I have helped a few chicks hatch with my spray bottle. If after 24 hrs of pipping they haven't emerged I will spritz that membrane directky to keep it from shrinking, like dry leather onto the chick, then I remove the shell carefully in pieces under my broader headlamp while keeping the membrane moist and on to keep from rippjng out feathers. Once all shell is removed I put the wet critter back in the incubator and let it finish getting out of the membrane, and fluffing up in there. Due to temperature fluctuations I've had chicks hatch on day 18 and on day 26. Hope you try again and have success. It's super exciting when it works out. I've hatched several sets of chickens, quail, and ducks in that same incubator, just hand turning 3 times a day. The towel was your problem.

[@kyaksich7076]

It's very important not to play with the eggs or incubator, run the incubator for a couple of days first to have an accurate reading of what the temp and humidity are, make sure nothing is blocking the air holes. We use a thermometer/hygrometer combo, and put the eggs in when the temp is at 99.5f and humidity is 60 or slightly below, at day 18 take out the turner and increase the humidity to 70, do not change the position of the eggs after this they have to get into position. You can make a cheap and focused candler by just taping a toilet paper tube to an led flashlight, and I either transport the eggs in a carton to a dark room or just put a towel over my head to make it dark enough so I can see them, I only bother candling on day eight now and don't take a long time doing it and make sure not to leave the lid off the incubator. Humidity comes from the surface area of the water not the depth so if it is too high spread out sheets of paper towel until you get it where you want it (if you have to pick up an egg lift it straight up and down so it stays in the same position, I place them close to each other so they don't role), this works well too because when the eggs hatch it is easier on the chicks feet to be on paper towel then the wire mesh. While hatching I try to be very precise, for brooding I just watch for signs of comfort or distress and adjust accordingly. Hope things work out better next time.

[@gcranch9913]

Too low humidity during lockdown. Needs to be near 100%. Too much time out of incubator and towel absorbs humidity. Too much human involvement.

[@mosaicfarm2389]

We have hatched chickens, ducks, quail and geese. One thing we have started doing is weighing the eggs and adjusting the humidity throughout incubating based on weight loss. We have much greater success adjusting based on weight rather than trusting the humidity reading. I hope the thermometer helps also.

[@samanthapotter8701]

We have never had good luck with an incubator with an automatic turner, most didn't hatch. We have great success with the stirofoam incubator and turning by hand.

[@ericagraham302]

Next time candle at 7 days. Take them out one at a time next to the incubator to keep the ones you are not putting to the light stable. Then leave them alone. Also keep the towel out it could have interfered with humidity and the proper turning.

[@christajennings3828]

I had similar results, but I'm pretty sure our humidity was too high. We live in an area with a lot of summer fog. When I tried opening the eggs, after the chicks pipped but never finished hatching, I dumped a lot of liquid out of the shell. It almost seemed like they tried, but drowned before getting the shell open enough to breathe.

[@nancynellis6510]

PS: I don't touch the eggs at all once I set them. I don't candle them, I just wait and see how it goes. The ones that don't hatch on day 21 to 23, I bury them. Because from experience, they are not going to hatch and if you force them by opening, they are deformed most of the time or just plain rotten. Homesteading is not as glorious as people think, we all have failures, but when all goes well, it is wonderful.

[@shanabanana2675]

We're on day 20 here, glad to hear I'm not the only one who buries the duds. I can't do autopsies lol

[@nancynellis6510]

@@shanabanana2675 My husband reminded me that we had 2 power outages also which probably played a part in 1/2 of the eggs not hatching. You just never know until the 21 days is done. Our always hatch on day 20-21, I always let them go another 2 days, but nothing happens, but I hate to give up. :)

[@therenaissancehousewife2230]

I bought a cheap incubator this year after two failed attempts last year. I bought a secondary thermometer/hygrometer to put in with the eggs, and the new incubator was a full FOUR DEGREES off!! Thankfully I was able to adjust the temp and all of the fertilized eggs grew and hatched, happy and healthy. Sometimes it takes a few failures to get to success.

[@Louisthebird]

It always sucks cracking open your eggs to find fully formed chicks that didn't make it for one reason or another. And I know how you feel when opening an egg and the chick is still moving, we've all done it at one time. But its definitely worth it when things go well and you have the little fluffy butts running around.

[@teeandkids937]

We never had chicks on our farm but I’m curious is there a reason why the live one can’t survive? Probably a dumb question

[@Louisthebird]

@@teeandkids937 Could be a number of reasons why. If the egg is past the expected hatch date, it could have been to weak to hatch. Cracking the egg can break a vein and they can bleed out, once the shell in broken bacteria can get in, and if they are already weak. They may be still absorbing the yolk etc and if that is severed or damaged. And many more possibilities.

[@beckym765]

Thank you for sharing this. It's so important to share both the successes and the failures. So sorry you had to deal with this though.

[@corinnehiggins8668]

I hatched for many years, I used 3 separate thermometers/Humidity . I agree with you I think something happened to your temperature. Just for the future if your humidity is to high, they will pip but then they die before they can get out (they drown). It is really great when it all goes right but heartbreaking when it goes wrong.

[@mindys74]

I did have a similar experience of losing quite a few close to hatch. When placing in water, use warm water and place 1 egg at a time. When the egg is completely still look for movement as the egg tips from side to side. Those chicks are still viable and can go back in the incubator. Then you will only open chicks that have already died.

[@lindagarrett9470]

I just hatched my first 5 from a homemade incubator made from a syrophom ice chest 25w light bulb and a humidity and temperature gauge from Walmart for 3$ all 5 are doing great. At first candling on day 8 I removed 7 eggs as not fertile.

[@b.rileyjowett6925]

I personally do very minimal candling until day 18 unless something seems suspicious, usually with eggs less handling is better but the only time I’ve ever really had awesome hatch rates was when I’ve hatched eggs under a hen. My first two times hatching eggs in an incubator went exactly like this, most of the eggs developed almost fully but the first time only one hatched and the second time none of them ended up hatching. I’ve hatched eggs under hens and usually ended up with good results, chicks raised under a hen do usually end up being a bit less friendly though. I hope this helps, happy hatching!

[@krisjanagorham9146]

Awe 😢 Sorry about the outcome! I'll be putting eggs in the incubator for the first time next week. I was eager for this video. Thank you for sharing it even though it's a tough one. We're rural homeschooler too. ❤️

[@christysuzie]

Hi! I has a rough year incubating and brooding chicks last year. The thermometer was wrong as, was the humidity on my first hatch. It went over several days and all the chicks that did manage to hatch died. The temperature being low can cause the incubation to take a few days longer. After getting a properly working thermometer, I successfully hatched 2 more groups of chicks. Unfortunately the majority of those chicks ended up dying from coccidia. I've learned since then that it's best to use one bag of the starter feed with medicine to prevent that. It was a hard year on our little homestead, but it is part of being a homesteader. Prayers for you and your family and for your future chicks to hatch and be healthy!

[@preplikeagypsy10]

Thanks for sharing this video with us..I have gotten a small incubator and will eventually be trying to hatch chicks and eventually culling chickens which I'm really not looking forward to the hard parts of the journey of self sufficiency but your bravery going through it..learning from it and continuing to build your skills is very encouraging

[@Captain_Bri]

I was told by an egg supplier that at our elevation of 5,000 to 6,000 feet that starting at about 36% humidity. She says the pours in the shell are larger at high elevation. The chicks can "drown" before they can get out of the shell.

[@steffanidahl6962]

Thank you for sharing. This was incredibly informational for me as I start on my first hatching experience.

[@monicachavez6974]

Thank you for sharing your vital video. We’re currently doing our fist incubation of chicken eggs. We’re on day 11, we had 10 total with 8 making it so far. This is my biggest fear not having a successful hatch.

[@forfyhi]

Aw man! That had to be tough! Sorry it didn't work out. My first rule for incubating, never trust the hydrometer and Thermometer that comes with the unit. My 150 dollar incubator has to be set at 103.0 to keep a steady 99.5 and I have two thermometer/Hydrometers in there just to be safe.

[@stevefarms7494]

I only checked my birds twice on day 14 and day of lock down and the humidity I always kept around 55% and my hatching rate is around 97% but when I check them out I don't keep them out of the incubator no more than 5 second so the temperature didn't change...

[@anitaholmes6824]

I really enjoyed this and I look forward to watching them hatch next time, I am a City girl and have never seen this. thank you so much for sharing! I love that your sweet children are learning and seeing these things growing up. Love your channel.

[@musiquefrique]

I’m so sorry that this happened: thank you for sharing this painful but highly educational journey with us 💕

[@sccello]

I really feel like you need a deeper bowl to do the float test in. A deeper bowl will give you more certainty, because it really won't matter what orientation they have, it's very clear whether they float or sink.

[@hollykrauss5838]

Very helpful video as I was thinking about incubating some eggs. Learned useful information. Wishing you a better outcome next time.

[@lyndsaywood9719]

Thoroughly enjoyed this with my daughter and used as a lesson for homeschooling. Thank you!

[@kelly-holisticallyrooted6569]

Sad! We’ve considered incubating, but one of our hens began sitting on eggs underneath our coop a month ago. She may not have been consistently sitting in same eggs & we decided to pull out eggs yesterday. We didn’t find any viable chicks either. We found our headlamp flashlight to be excellent for candling.

[@nancynellis6510]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Homesteading is a learning process that a lot of us are going through. It is nice to see all the comments and encouragement from others that have been there done that. :) I do use my flashlight to check my temperature and humidity level a few times a day to check the temp & humid level, by looking thru (I rarely take the cover off the incubator) the cover of the incubator. You really can't see it very well without a flashlight. I have the same Brinsea Octagon Eco as Jill, and have hatched quite a few chicks in it, but the thermometer is useless in it. You need to have a temp/humidity digital thermometer to get an accurate reading. Once I figured that out, we have had success with that incubator, except when our power went off for 2 hours and then again another hour last month when our eggs were incubating. But, we still had a 50% success rate. It wasn't a total failure, thank goodness. I think Jill will have a better hatch the next time. It is a learning process for everyone and having a group like this sure helped me and others. :)

[@goatgal7884]

Yup, you are on the path to success.I got my incubator years ago.It came with a tiny little thermometer.I bought a gauge that reads both the temp and humidity.Then started to get nearly 100% hatch rate!!!Only problem, I can't keep the turner in with the gauge (not enough room in there), so I have to turn the eggs twice a day.Just turn them first thing in the morning and before I go to bed.....only for 3 weeks, so no big deal to me.

[@MyNaturesArt]

also having the towel in there really messes with the humidity

[@margarethaxe790]

That was a very bad idea indeed. And WHY?? Was she afraid the eggs would run?

[@miaensuacre]

Hi Jill, thank you for all your videos. I'm starting my "homestead". I found you 4 days ago and I can't stop watching your videos. Very good information. I feel like you are part of my family. You explain everything so well that I know when I made a mistake I'll find help in your channel. Thank you. GOD bless you and yours and ALL you do.

[@jansan9125]

Thank you for still posting this video.... the real of it .... greatly appreciated 💛

[@amandah6934]

So sad, but thank you for sharing your findings! Your first video inspired me to try hatching again after a 6 year break. I'm on day 9 and looking ok so far.

[@mistysedillo1696]

I candle super quickly and put egg right back in. I do not take them all out, just one at a time. Definitely a humidity issue. Thank you for sharing, I am sure you can learn from this experience. Wishing you luck with the next batch.💜

[@sharonholland988]

Theirs is a hatchery in north Carolina thats amazing....its called My Little Peeps Hatchery. The owner is so helpful and amazing...super healthy chicks....everyone should check this hatchery out !

[@christtina3446]

We just incubated eggs for the first time. I feel so sad for you! All of our chicks that hatched, hatched between day 26-28, crazy!!! I'm so glad we waited because otherwise I would have killed them all. Your family is great! My children enjoy watching your channel along with me.

[@rosiegremmertpersonal]

Oh Jill - I am so sorry. What a crummy hatch. And also thank you for capturing it all so people can learn and see that even for experienced homesteaders, things don’t always go according to plan.