Why did my first hatch fail?

Welcome to the Beginner tag hub—made for first-time hatchers who want clear steps (not conflicting advice). Use this page like a guided route: lock in a stable baseline, check progress the right way, then troubleshoot only the variables that actually move your hatch rate.

Best of (Start Here)

• 2025 Incubation Cheat Sheet: Times, Temps, Humidity & Lockdown (Quick Reference)
• First-Timer’s Guide to Hatching Eggs With an Incubator (Avoid the Common Pitfalls)

1) Before you incubate: eggs, storage, and “day 1” setup

If you’re getting clears or early quits, the issue may start before the incubator is even turned on. Use the beginner articles in this tag to learn how to choose fertile eggs, store them correctly, and set them gently so embryos start strong.

2) Incubator setup that prevents “mystery” losses

A lot of Hatching Failures come from chasing the display number instead of stabilizing conditions at egg level. Start with setup guides on probe placement, airflow, room placement, and running a short test before loading eggs—so you don’t discover a hot corner halfway through the hatch.

3) Day-by-day routine: temperature, humidity, turning

When you feel overwhelmed, follow a checklist mindset: keep temperature steady, keep humidity consistent (don’t spike it daily), and turn on a reliable schedule. If you’re asking “When do I stop turning?” or “When does lockdown start?” use the cheat sheet above to confirm your timeline fast.

4) Candling without over-checking

If you’re not sure what’s happening inside the shell, candling guides help you check on the right days, recognize normal development, and remove obvious non-viable eggs without stressing the rest of the batch.

5) Lockdown & hatch day (where beginners lose the most chicks)

If chicks pip but can’t finish, opening the lid too often can make things worse. Lockdown posts explain when to raise humidity, how ventilation changes at the end, and how to avoid shrink-wrapping so chicks can zip out normally.

6) Incubation Troubleshooting & common incubator problems

When results don’t match your settings, focus on Incubation Troubleshooting and Egg Incubator Common Issues: temperature swings, inaccurate hygrometers, hot/cold spots, blocked vents, turning errors, or brief power dips. Make one change at a time, take notes, and your hatch results become repeatable.

Pick the section that matches your situation—and if you’re starting from zero, begin with the two “Best of” links and work downward.