low birth rate

[Pedro Nunes Marques]

low birth rate

Good morning Friends of Ameraucana Alliance
I send some hatching eggs to friends. The birth rate is very oxidizing. Some places are born very little, other embryos begin to form and die.

We use 98.6 Fahrenheit temperature and 60% humidity

What is the best humidity and temperature?

Ameraucana need a different parameter in incubation?

Thanks!!

[John W Blehm]

There should be no difference between hatching Ameraucana chicken eggs and eggs from another breed.  Some may hatch a little earlier than 21 days and some may hatch a little later.
THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE FOR MOST EGGS IS 100^o F (37.5^o C).
Check out that link for incubator instructions about Location, Ventilation, Humidity, etc.

If you are not feeding a "breeder" ration to your breeders be sure to fortify it with extra riboflavin, vitamin E and others.

The influence of increased vitamin levels fed to young parent stock on progeny performance is an area which has received significant commercial interest. Internal and field trials have shown that increased vitamin levels (mainly B Vitamins and Vitamin E) improved liveability and early growth. A practical basis for making recommendations is to feed vitamin levels that maximise the resulting level in the egg.

[Dennis Heltzel]

I would try a lower RH as well. I keep my RH around 30% until I move them to the hatcher, then increase it to 70 or 80. This seems extra critical for turkeys and Marans/Welsummer eggs, but I find the blue eggs hatch better at that also. It takes some experimentation until you get used to managing a particular incubator. Once you find the settings that work optimally for you, you can enjoy success for many years.

[John W Blehm]

I would try a lower RH as well. I keep my RH around 30% until I move them to the hatcher, then increase it to 70 or 80. This seems extra critical for turkeys and Marans/Welsummer eggs, but I find the blue eggs hatch better at that also. It takes some experimentation until you get used to managing a particular incubator. Once you find the settings that work optimally for you, you can enjoy success for many years.

The GQF instructions, that I posted a link to, recommends 57% relative humidity for chicken eggs in a setter, but mine is generally also lower than that...around 45% as I recall.