Fertility vs Hatchability

Out of two breeds I have been hatching this year, one has excellent fertility but not so great hatchability, the other has low fertility but almost 100% hatchability!
I finally achieved 100% hatch, of the eggs I put into hatcher they all hatched, was only a small hatch of 10 but still, something I have never actually been able to have happen before, usually 1 or 2 don't pip.
In the one breed with 90% plus fertility only about 70% will hatch, while the other if only 65% are fertile they will all  hatch.
I know there are a lot of things that affect fertility, including breeder health and feed while hatchability can be directly caused by incubation problems but also by genetic abnormalities or inbreeding.
I am assuming that since I am incubating them together, the incubator temp/humidity is not a factor although I have heard of different breeds doing better at slightly diff, temps and humidity and maybe this accounts for the difference?
Anyone else have breeds like this, that are highly hatchable but low fertility or high fertility but lower hatchability?
Any ideas what can cause this difference?

Great topic! I've been watching my Blue Slate Turkeys - low fertility but great hatchability. Is it the toms? Or the hens? I wonder how to select for that trait when i can't tell what hen and what tom is parent to each egg.

The Beltsvile Turkeys have almost 100% hatchability - quite astounding in the spring, but it is falling off fast now things are warming up. Fewer eggs, less good hatchability.

I have seen a few of my breeds do this, this year as well. My BLRW started out with really poor fertility but what was fertile hatched. And my Wheaton Ameraucana started out with 100% fertility but only about 50% hatchability. Things have evened out for the Wheatons and the BLRW now I changed up roosters, so not sure if it is a rooster issue or not? Possibly it was a temperature issue since I started hatching in February and then switched out roosters in April?

For high fertility but low hatchability, do you think it could be related to your breeders diet? Maybe not getting enough vitamins or protein?

As for low fertility and high hatchability, if the rooster isn't the culprit I'd take a guess and say that's the hens not liking their boyfriends. Some gals need a little more courtship and romance.

Flicker I was wondering that about hatchability as well but when all my breeders get the same ration and some had high hatchability and others not I couldn't blame it on the feed. Unless certain breeds just need more than others?
I was thinking a genetic issue possibility that is why I changed out roosters.
But then looked at the weather, if the eggs were gathered in cooler weather that might be why the hatchability decreased, since most of the issues were early in the year in pens that were more prone to the elements than the main hen house breeders had...

My Houdans have high fertility but low hatchability. I found the hatchability increased when I set the Brinsea to 99.3. 99.5 was also causing a lot of splay leg in the Houdans. I have 100% fertility and 100% hatchability in the Houdans now. That is a breeding pen of one male over four hens.

The Cornish are the opposite. Low fertility, high hatchability. At least until I got them outside in the warmth and sunshine. Then the fertility approached 100% this year. But look at those Cornish. As Rico says, it is like balancing two bowling balls on top of each other!

Well I know some people need more of certain vits than others, so very well could be like that with chickens too. And the cooler weather probably had a lot to do it - I've definitely noticed my Ameraucana roos need more warming up than some other breeds. Fussy boys, but I can't really blame them. Gimme any day over  haha

Low fertility could also be caused by 'sperm dumping' as described in this article:

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Schipperkesue wrote:My Houdans have high fertility but low hatchability.  I found the hatchability increased when I set the Brinsea to 99.3.  99.5 was also causing a lot of splay leg in the Houdans.  I have 100% fertility and 100% hatchability in the Houdans now.  That is a breeding pen of one male over four hens.

Interesting Sue. I just wrapped up a hatch and only 50% of the eggs that made lock down hatched when usually I get 75% +. And I know they were all alive on day 17, as I always candle right before putting eggs into lock down. All this high humidity weather has my Hova hatcher running a good degree higher (100.6 - 100.9 on average when it used to run between 99.5-100.5) and I'm starting to suspect therein lies the problem. I have another hatch due on July 4th (whoops, not very patriotic of me  ) so will try adjusting the temp down. Would you believe I've never had to adjust my 1588 yet...feeling kinda nervous about it actually... *nail biting smilie goes here*

I wonder if temp could have that much affect on late stage? That is where I was seeming to lose them too... I do know that in the last few days you have to watch and sometimes turn your temp down as the eggs produce a lot of heat themselves and in a big hatch it is quite noticeable.

mirycreek wrote:I wonder if temp could have that much affect on late stage?  That is where I was seeming to lose them too... I do know that in the last few days you  have to watch and sometimes turn your temp down as the eggs produce a lot of heat themselves and in a big hatch it is quite noticeable.

You can have your temperature in your hatcher much lower than incubation temperature in fact I find it better to have a low temperature because if you go too high my mistake you could lose the full batch I can't remember the lowest temperature allowed but I believe is 97.5°F.