Hatching Issues

In the few years I have been hatching I just had my worst hatch ever.
It was in the -20's when I collected some of the eggs so I am sure that didn't help.
I also set a second batch one week into the hatch.
When I candled I threw at least half of the eggs out.
Then when I moved them down to hatch the bottom tray was quite full.
About half of them hatched the other half made it to just before they pipped.
Now my question is, what is going to happen to this next hatch, I raised the humidity to 60% for the three days of the hatch?
How do you big time hatchers do this, with out using a hatcher?

Hi Vivian. I am no big time hatcher, but wanted to say my first eggs didn't hatch either and they were in a heated building (just above zero), but I Rico still thought they got to cold and that was why they didn't hatch. It's sad when you get a chick to full term in the egg and then they don't live through the hatch. Hope your next one is better.
Duane

Thanks for the reply Duane, I am going to dig a little deeper to find out why they didn't pip.
Heartbreaking to throw all those eggs out with chicks that were full size.

Watch for bacteria as well. If you are hatching in your incubator and also setting eggs it is hard to clean between hatchings. If you let bacteria buildup in there it will kill the chicks prior to them pipping, you can also end up with sluggish stinky chicks that do hatch.
What I have been doing it pulling the trays of eggs out after hatching, giving it a good clean with Virkon, then somewhat rinsing with a damp cloth of water, then replacing the eggs still left to incubate. Doesnt seem to harm them, they are only out for 10 min max, and I usually cover them with a cloth to keep heat in.
I have now switched to using my hatcher, makes things much easier, always have a clean incubator for the setting eggs.

How were your aircells Vivian?
I was wondering if the humidity was too high and they couldn't reach the aircells.
I once had a full tray of sebrights that never made it to hatch because I think the humidity was too high and their air cells were too small for them to reach into.

I am trying this year to do my hatching in my incubator that has my duck eggs in it, as it is already high humidity in there.

Then I can keep my chicken eggs at a steady 45% for incubating.

So discouraging isn't it when they made it so far and then nothing....I hear you!

The air cells seemed quite large, I opened up about six out of the thirty I threw out. Just very frustrating. I used Vircon to clean the incubator before I set the first hatch, but now the bottom has just been wiped out with a wet cloth. Wondering if I should vircon the bottom of the incubator??
Or do you think if it was a bacteria it was in or on the eggs? Has anyone ever done that dip with a Tbsp of bleach to a gallon of water? This is before they go in.