hatching success rate help needed!

[chicken chick]

Hi!

Im new to breeding chickens and I need help Improving the hatch rate. I have been buying ferilized eggs and getting them posted out to me which I know is not Ideal but apart from that what else can I do to get a better hatch rate?
I have a suro 20 Incubator which turns the eggs keeps the temp and humidity controlled. I have it set a 37.5 temp and 45 percent humidity then for the last 3 days i stop the turning and drop temp to 37 and up humidity to 65.
Before i put the eggs in there I rest the for 24 hours pointed end down.
I only candle them 3 times in the 21 days. I wash my hands first.
My first batch if 6 eggs it seemed were not fertile! /my second batch of 6 only 2 hatched! A few had blood rings, one died half way though and another failed to hatch and it seemed to have died in the last few days as it was fully formed and only had a small yolk left.
Now I have 12 eggs in my incubator and it seems after candling at 5 days only 5 are viable!
Where am I going wrong please

[CelticMoon]

Seems to me you're doing what you can incubationwise... Only downside is shipping the eggs, which I've noticed tends to lower the hatching rate quite often. (But sometimes you just have to, I know ) Fertalisation tends to be better in the spring, so I'd try again then. Seems out of your first 12 eggs 8 were not fertile, correct? The cocks aren't as active in autumn so I wouldn't expect 100% from them now. I hope you get some chicks this time around, if not then I would wait until spring, you are much more likely to get a good result then!

We use our own eggs and always gather in spring and get a hatch rate appr 95 %, 100% fertile.

[chicken chick]

Thanks for your reply. I didn't realise the season made so much difference but thinking about it I suppose it's only natural!
I really wish I could have my own cockerel but im in a built up residential area and Im not sure my neighbours would appreciate it
I will keep on trying towards spring time now I think so thanks again!

[CelticMoon]

Best of luck!

Yeah we're kind of lucky in that we have next to no neighbours so we've got 4 cockerels at the moment But then again our nearest neighbour's got 14 sledge dogs so who is he to complain, eh?

[chicken chick]

Wow! Them dogs would out do a few crowing cockerels any day! I want a new house!!! With a big piece of land and no neighbours.