Chicks hatching..need advice

deerlady11

In the Brooder
7 Years
Oct 14, 2012
54
5
33
Hello all. I had 29 eggs in the incubator that were due to hatch yesterday evening. They didn't start till the early morning hours today. So far I have12 hatched. I have a handful that have piped. I am worried that my humidity was not high enough. The egg shell looks very dry around the hole. I tried misting them but how many times do I do that? I don't want to drown them. On top of that one of the most recent ones to hatch is dragging it's leg behind it. Sorry the pictures aren't the best...that's all I could get through the window. Any advice is helpful. Thank you for your time.







 
It will hopefully get up and start walking. I would add a sponge soaked in water to bring up the humidity or add a cup of water but that may be hazardous as they could fall in it or knock it over
 
I'll cross my fingers for the chick, there is a chance you will have to cull it but give it a little time and see what happens, the baby is still all wet. As for your humidity, do you have a hygrometer in there to tell you what it's at? You want it around 60-65%. Also if you have moisture on your windows, chances are you have it right.The membrane around the pip will look white and papery. Sometimes you might see a little dried blood which can give it a brownish look to it.
 
Don't worry even 1 or 2 days late from due day, as long as they are alive and moving inside which make them more mature before coming out. I raise the humidity from 55% to 80% in the last 3 days before hatching, we have big wooden home made incubator with 2 water balls inside and don't have the hygrometer so to do this I dip egg in a warm water for a few second and place it back as is. I do this 2-3 times a day. If already somewhere cracked by them from inside, avoid the water gets in, just wet them outside. They hatch without any struggle and smoothly. So far chicks and ducklings hatching healthy 98%. The one drugging it's leggs, hopefully leg muscle get stronger in a day or two to walk around normal. Good luck and lots are still coming!
 
Well I have 9 eggs left to hatch. 6 of the 9 have piped. I pulled most everyone and put them in the brooder. They were getting a little rowdy in there. The chick that drags it leg behind it has fluffed out but can't seem to get its legs to work. It flops around. I will wait another day. I hate to take it out. Do you think if I put some type of splint on it...that it might help? Thank you all for your replies. :)








This is the one that drags its leg.




This one here is the smallest of the group. We ended up assisting it just a little by cracking some of the shell off. But we put in back in and made it to the rest of the work. I got most of the shell bits off of it, but its feathers are crusty. Other than that it is one lively little chick. :)
 
I like my humidity at 75%or higher for lockdown/hatch. The recommended is at LEAST 65%. Personally I think that's a tad low and doesn't give you any room if you need to open the bator. (I'm not one of those that suscribe to the philosophy you should NEVER open the bator). I believe you don't if it's not neccessary, but I find that for one reason or another it becomes neccessary and I like that leeway a higher humidity gives you. Iuse sponges in the bator to help with this.

As for the splint, it probably wouldn't hurt to try, but it all depends on the reasoning it is lame as to wether it would help.

When you counted your days you counted day one after they had been set for 24 hours right? That makes a difference to what day you are on.

Congrats on the hatchers, good luck on the rest and the lame chick. They are cute!
 
When you counted your days you counted day one after they had been set for 24 hours right? That makes a difference to what day you are on.

This I did not know. Thank you for sharing. I have four left that haven't piped and one that has piped but is being rather slow. I candled the four that haven't shown any signs of life. Two just look like completely dark blobs with an air cell at the end. The other two look fairly formed, I can see veins, maybe even a beak...but no movement. I will leave them for another day yet seeing as after learning that yesterday was my officially day 21. ;)



I added this band aid after reading the article... http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html. Even though I guess the chick didn't look like the one in the picture, I thought it was worth a try. So far the chick is up hopping around and not getting picked on now. :)
 

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