# NONE HATCHED!!! What happened?



## Kokodak (Nov 26, 2012)

I got 12 eggs on ebay, 2 lots of 6 Silkie eggs, 4 of them were clear, the rest was developing fine, another 2 seems to have given up half way through the rest should hatch last Thursday and nothing happened! I even listened to the eggs if they peeps were making any sounds, then I thought I must have mixed up the dates and there was one more week to go but no, just wishful thinking. They simply didn't hatch. Why? It can't be me doing things badly because I already have 5 chicks successfully hatched in incubator from our own hybrid hens but those eggs are twice the size of the Silkies. What went wrong?

https://www.facebook.com/kokodakhens


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## qcupoultry (Nov 21, 2012)

Silkies can be more difficult to hatch than other breeds. Shipping doesn't help, either. You could do everything right and not get a silky egg to hatch. The best way to hatch a silkie is have a silkie or bantam cochin do it for you.


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Kokodak said:


> I got 12 eggs on ebay, 2 lots of 6 Silkie eggs, 4 of them were clear, the rest was developing fine, another 2 seems to have given up half way through the rest should hatch last Thursday and nothing happened! I even listened to the eggs if they peeps were making any sounds, then I thought I must have mixed up the dates and there was one more week to go but no, just wishful thinking. They simply didn't hatch. Why? It can't be me doing things badly because I already have 5 chicks successfully hatched in incubator from our own hybrid hens but those eggs are twice the size of the Silkies. What went wrong?
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/kokodakhens


kokodak,
how are you cleaning and disinfecting your incubator???
are you using distilled water for proper humidity control???
how accurate is your temperature control, room temp and bator thermometer???

eggs shipped this time of year are problematic for several reasons, cold temps during shipment is one the other is fertility....chickens are NOT as fertile in November/December as they are in March/April (natural fact)!!!

this is an outstanding hatching guide for future reference;

http://www.browneggblueegg.com/Article/Brinsea_IncubationHandbook/Brinsea_IncubationHandbook.pdf

the better your bator is at maintaining accurate temp the better....I have used Brinsea bators for decades they are the best in the industry in my humble opinion and yes they are more expensive than styrofoam but worth every penny!


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## Kokodak (Nov 26, 2012)

I have a Brinsea bator but not the automatic so I turn eggs myself. I've had eggs from our hens in the bator and out of 6 I put in only one was bad and now I've got 5 chicks from them, 3 hatched 12.12.12, 2 last ones hatched 2 days ago, all nice and healthy babies. I used tap water and didn't monitor temp inside which was no problem for our own eggs but obviously is not good enough for the posted ones. I'll try to find them closer to home, somewhere I can go and pick up myself, at least I'll eliminate posting as a problem. Next time I'll use thermometer inside the bator, humidity control and distilled water and I'll get the eggs in March/April. Thanks for help, I know what to do now


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

Kokodak said:


> I have a Brinsea bator but not the automatic so I turn eggs myself. I've had eggs from our hens in the bator and out of 6 I put in only one was bad and now I've got 5 chicks from them, 3 hatched 12.12.12, 2 last ones hatched 2 days ago, all nice and healthy babies. I used tap water and didn't monitor temp inside which was no problem for our own eggs but obviously is not good enough for the posted ones. I'll try to find them closer to home, somewhere I can go and pick up myself, at least I'll eliminate posting as a problem. Next time I'll use thermometer inside the bator, humidity control and distilled water and I'll get the eggs in March/April. Thanks for help, I know what to do now


I highly recommend the Brinsea disinfectant or Tek-trol for disinfection the bators....household bleach, vinegar or other chemicals just dont get the job done! http://www.jefferspet.com/tek-trol-disinfectant/camid/liv/cp/16265/ carries the Tek-Trol brand.....the distilled water is an added insurance policy and I even wear latex gloves when I handle my hatching eggs to prevent bacteria from being an issue. Sounds a bit extreme and yes I've heard people claim a real hen isn't all that clean but after many years of hatching I'm certain we humans can expose our hatching eggs to germs and bacteria not always found in the hen house! The Spot Check thermometer's sold by Brinsea are excellent for checking temp.....never rely on the digitial wead out on the Brinsea bator alone because it is not that accurate!

PS - I've hatched a fair number of Silkie eggs in the past too and find them no more difficult than any other chicken breed but maybe it's the "equipment"....I certainly have a ton of belief in those Brinsea Octagon 20's and 40's!!!


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