Odd hatch

[utminnermb]

Had some bobwhite eggs in a sportsmans cabinet incubator. Had 200 eggs and 130 have hatched. Funny thing is that the eggs in the holders that were closest to the door. They hatched first. The eggs that didn't hatch were at the back of the incubator. Temp. and humity were kept pretty good.

The egg racks were the GQF cardboard ones, I did poke holes in the bottom for air flow. Any ideas on why the eggs towards the door would hatch first? Just thought it was interesting. Thanks for any replies. I've learned a ton off this site!  

Matt

[alan12]

you are to take the eggs out of the egg racks 3 days before hatch, and lay them on thier side.

[CHARLIE]

ALAN IS RIGHT, YOU DONT LEAVE THE EGGS IN THE EGG TRAYS YOU LAY THE EGGS ON THEIR SIDES IN THE HATCHING TRAY, I WOULD SAY YOU ARE LUCKY YOU HAD ANY TO HATCH.
              CHARLIE

[stewaw]

I've noticed my incubator has several "sweet spots" where the eggs always seem to hatch and some that never seem to hatch (chick fully develops and then dies trying to hatch).  I marked the eggs with different colors (one color per row) and then numerically on the row and tracked them through hatching. After about four incubation cycles a pattern began to emerge.  Now I know which egg cups to put the valuable or expensive eggs in.  

P.S.  Go ahead and laugh everyone....my wife agrees with you, I do have WAY too much time on my hands.  :)

David

[Fivehollers]

jeesh you sound like my husband. We did discover tho that the chicks that have died in the egg do not have enough air to move around. Humidity is the problem there. We quit looking at the numbers and started paying attention to what the egg looks like (candleing) and we have had much better hatches with far less chicks dieing in the egg. I don't know it is a science but mom does it alright in the wild and she has no digital thermometer or anything like that.  :lol: