Dead Chicks?

BarrettG said:

How can you not meddle? It's impossible, they look so helpless

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BarrettG said:

There should be a meddlers anonymous forum lol

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AmyLynn2374 said:

I can't speak for others but being hands off is NOT an option for me.

Well, we did start a hands on thread for people that don't subscribe to the hands off theory to come together and for purposes of providing help to those that want to help or be more hands off w/out having to get scolded or screamed at by the hands off group. It's https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1081034/hands-on-hatching-and-help It hasn't taken off yet, but I would like to see it used as a place where those who are "meddlers" can get together chat and exchange stories and help when needed.

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kuchchicks said:

I totally agree! I really try to let nature take it's course and let them hatch on their own if they can. I think it is better for everyone involved... to a point. I had a hatch finish up yesterday (100% hatch rate this time! Yay!!!). My last chick to hatch was an EE. She had been pipped for quite a long time. I was not home when she started but was getting info relayed to me. She had not been making progress and was getting to the point of setting off my alarm bells. Just as I was about to intervene she started zipping. Over night she was making progress but very slow. When I woke the next morning I had expected to see her in the bator. Instead I found her completely zipped, but the membranes that were still intact her dry and tough (despite my 78% humidity... I think she had just been going too slow). She was the last egg and when I got down to look/listen, I saw no movement, heard no sound, and when I tried to stimulate her by tapping on the window I got no response. I though for sure that she died. I opened the bator and touched her through the membranes... still no response. I was crushed. I ended up opening the egg and she rolled out, did not really move, but was breathing very slowly. I let her dry up a bit and gave her some Nutri Drench. Within an hour she was up and running around the bator with her siblings. Had I not done anything I have not doubt she would have died. Everything was completely absorbed but I think she had taken so long that she used up all of her energy. I know that there are people out there who think that is she could not hatch on her own then she is too weak to breed, lay eggs, whatever... but I don't. Today I cannot even tell her apart from the other chicks.

One thing that I think we need to keep in mind is that when we are "artificially" incubating chicks, we are NOT letting nature take it's course. By putting them in an incubator we are already interfering with nature. We are not perfect. We cannot perfectly mimic momma hen. But adding the human factor we create a responsibility to watch out them. I do agree that by assisting a hatch we can and sometimes do allow chicks to hatch that may not be the strongest, that maybe will have special needs, or may need to be culled later, but if we do nothing these chicks will most certainly die. What if the reason that they are getting stuck in the shell has nothing to do with their genetics or strength, but instead has to do with us not keeping the humidity just right, or maybe the egg was placed too late, or maybe our temp was just slightly off. Maybe we thought we did everything right but unbeknownst to us, we DID do something wrong. Maybe we created the problem. Maybe if they had been incubated under a broody they would have hatched without issue.

For me the answer is simple. If the choice is to not intervene and let them die, or intervene and they may possibly live, I am going with the later everytime!

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AmyLynn2374 said:

That's what I say all the time. I am actually working on a hatching info web site (from the hands on prespective) right now and that is one of the things I comment on. We understand that we are incubating,it's not nature and we cause some of their problems and feel they should be given the chance to rise above our errors.

I am glad to hear she is doing well. I just asked on the hands on thread how it was doing...lol

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kuchchicks said:

That's terrific! Let me know when you get it up and going or if you want any help in any part. I really look forward to seeing it!!!

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kuchchicks said:

I totally agree!  I really try to let nature take it's course and let them hatch on their own if they can.  I think it is better for everyone involved... to a point.  I had a hatch finish up yesterday (100% hatch rate this time!  Yay!!!).  My last chick to hatch was an EE.  She had been pipped for quite a long time.  I was not home when she started but was getting info relayed to me.  She had not been making progress and was getting to the point of setting off my alarm bells.  Just as I was about to intervene she started zipping.  Over night she was making progress but very slow.  When I woke the next morning I had expected to see her in the bator.  Instead I found her completely zipped, but the membranes that were still intact her dry and tough (despite my 78% humidity... I think she had just been going too slow).  She was the last egg and when I got down to look/listen, I saw no movement, heard no sound, and when I tried to stimulate her by tapping on the window I got no response.  I though for sure that she died.  I opened the bator and touched her through the membranes... still no response.  I was crushed.  I ended up opening the egg and she rolled out, did not really move, but was breathing very slowly.  I let her dry up a bit and gave her some Nutri Drench.  Within an hour she was up and running around the bator with her siblings.  Had I not done anything I have not doubt she would have died.  Everything was completely absorbed but I think she had taken so long that she used up all of her energy.  I know that there are people out there who think that is she could not hatch on her own then she is too weak to breed, lay eggs, whatever... but I don't.  Today I cannot even tell her apart from the other chicks. 

One thing that I think we need to keep in mind is that when we are "artificially" incubating chicks, we are NOT letting nature take it's course.  By putting them in an incubator we are already interfering with nature.  We are not perfect.  We cannot perfectly mimic momma hen.  But adding the human factor we create a responsibility to watch out them.  I do agree that by assisting a hatch we can and sometimes do allow chicks to hatch that may not be the strongest, that maybe will have special needs, or may need to be culled later, but if we do nothing these chicks will most certainly die.  What if the reason that they are getting stuck in the shell has nothing to do with their genetics or strength, but instead has to do with us not keeping the humidity just right, or maybe the egg was placed too late, or maybe our temp was just slightly off.  Maybe we thought we did everything right but unbeknownst to us, we DID do something wrong.  Maybe we created the problem.  Maybe if they had been incubated under a broody they would have hatched without issue. 

For me the answer is simple.  If the choice is to not intervene and let them die, or intervene and they may possibly live, I am going with the later everytime!

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AmyLynn2374 said:

That's what I say all the time. I am actually working on a hatching info web site (from the hands on prespective)  right now and that is one of the things I comment on. We understand that we are incubating,it's not nature and we cause some of their problems and feel they should be given the chance to rise above our errors.  

I am glad to hear she is doing well. I just asked on the hands on thread how it was doing...lol

Click to expand...