Missing eggs on hatch day!?

[TheMic434]

Update: Rocky has 6 chicks, I put the one Wellsummer that hatched under her at 3 am and she accepted it. The rest of the eggs are in the incubator, some of the m had piped and were exposed to less humid air as they sat in the nest without a hen and as I carried them to the incubator. I made the humidity 80% and I'm playing chick sounds for them.

That is six out of 16 eggs. And it looks like only one Cream Legbar male. I'll just have to be happy with what I have. Maybe next year I'll get baby chicks and try and put them under Rocky. I like the chicks to grow up with the chickens outside. I think they are much better adjusted and socialized that way.

 

[FunClucks]

Update: Rocky has 6 chicks, I put the one Wellsummer that hatched under her at 3 am and she accepted it. The rest of the eggs are in the incubator, some of the m had piped and were exposed to less humid air as they sat in the nest without a hen and as I carried them to the incubator. I made the humidity 80% and I'm playing chick sounds for them.

That is six out of 16 eggs. And it looks like only one Cream Legbar male. I'll just have to be happy with what I have. Maybe next year I'll get baby chicks and try and put them under Rocky. I like the chicks to grow up with the chickens outside. I think they are much better adjusted and socialized that way.

Congrats on your chicks!!!

Have you seen the Article on assisted hatching?

When mine are a day or more overdue, or I worry they're shrinkwrapped, I make a safety hole in the air cell shell and enlarge it until I can see what's going on. You can add Neosporin or coconut oil to the membrane to keep it moist if you see signs of shrink wrapping, and if the chicks need help, you can help them. There are various schools of thought on whether one should assist chicks to hatch, but with what these guys have gone through, I think an assist would be fine. Even healthy chicks might have trouble hatching under the conditions these have seen.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[TheMic434]

Congrats on your chicks!!!

Have you seen the Article on assisted hatching?

When mine are a day or more overdue, or I worry they're shrinkwrapped, I make a safety hole in the air cell shell and enlarge it until I can see what's going on. You can add Neosporin or coconut oil to the membrane to keep it moist if you see signs of shrink wrapping, and if the chicks need help, you can help them. There are various schools of thought on whether one should assist chicks to hatch, but with what these guys have gone through, I think an assist would be fine. Even healthy chicks might have trouble hatching under the conditions these have seen.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Thank you! I made holes where their heads were. I'll put some coconut oil on them. two were moving but the membrane is white. I'm worried it is too hard. I'll put coconut oil on them now. Thanks!

 

[FunClucks]

Thank you! I made holes where their heads were. I'll put some coconut oil on them. two were moving but the membrane is white. I'm worried it is too hard. I'll put coconut oil on them now. Thanks!

Yea, if the membrane is white, it's dried out. I would definitely put oil on it. If they haven't internally pipped yet, might consider doing a small hole to ensure they can breathe. If the membrane is pulling away from the edges inside the shell, that's shrink wrapping, and the chick may need more help to hatch. I had one that had a little of that, but still zipped and hatched fine, I did assist that one a bit by removing shell over the air cell area and moistening the membrane.

As long as there's no visibly pulsing veins over the membrane, you can put holes in it to help them breathe just fine. Sounds like yours are past that point, so you can assist without worrying they will bleed / bleed out.

 

[FunClucks]

In my bator, I kept the humidity around 75%RH. There were some spikes due to hatching, but they hatched fine.

 

[TheMic434]

Yea, if the membrane is white, it's dried out. I would definitely put oil on it. If they haven't internally pipped yet, might consider doing a small hole to ensure they can breathe. If the membrane is pulling away from the edges inside the shell, that's shrink wrapping, and the chick may need more help to hatch. I had one that had a little of that, but still zipped and hatched fine, I did assist that one a bit by removing shell over the air cell area and moistening the membrane.

As long as there's no visibly pulsing veins over the membrane, you can put holes in it to help them breathe just fine. Sounds like yours are past that point, so you can assist without worrying they will bleed / bleed out.

Thank you so much.

 

[TheMic434]

I zipped just the shell, not the membrane, around a few that looked ready. One hatched! Two or three more are moving. They will probably be pretty weak, I'll give them egg yoke and water. I don't have electrolytes and can't get to the store today.

 

[FunClucks]

I zipped just the shell, not the membrane, around a few that looked ready. One hatched! Two or three more are moving. They will probably be pretty weak, I'll give them egg yoke and water. I don't have electrolytes and can't get to the store today.

Fresh egg yolk will be perfect, make sure it stays fresh (fridge it when not using it). Only let it stay out of the fridge for a total of 3-4 hrs max at room temperature after you crack the egg, then discard it. Don't want to encourage growth of bad bacteria in the egg yolk.

You can dribble it near the side of the chicks' closed beaks, and see if it dribbles inside. I hold the chick sideways, and then dribble liquid on the middle of their closed beak, some of it usually drips between the top and bottom beak, and they'll swallow it. I wouldn't put the syringe into their open beak if you can help it - you don't want to put water into their lungs. It's easier to syringe things into adult chickens by far. Small drips at a time.

When you go to the store, consider buying Nutridrench as well as electrolytes to put in their water. Nutridrench is basically molasses (sugar plus nutrients) in water. So if you have some molasses, you could make molasses water. Add just enough fresh or purified water to make it a liquid rather than a syrup. Should be able to syringe it beside the chicks' closed beaks, kinda dribble it in from the side and they'll swallow it. Again, don't let it sit out more than 3-4 hrs at room temperature before you toss it and mix a new batch.

I also like to give probiotics in their water for a few days when they're small to get them started well.

Good luck! So glad more are hatching and that you've been able to help them!

 

[TheMic434]

Fresh egg yolk will be perfect, make sure it stays fresh (fridge it when not using it). Only let it stay out of the fridge for a total of 3-4 hrs max at room temperature after you crack the egg, then discard it. Don't want to encourage growth of bad bacteria in the egg yolk.

You can dribble it near the side of the chicks' closed beaks, and see if it dribbles inside. I hold the chick sideways, and then dribble liquid on the middle of their closed beak, some of it usually drips between the top and bottom beak, and they'll swallow it. I wouldn't put the syringe into their open beak if you can help it - you don't want to put water into their lungs. It's easier to syringe things into adult chickens by far. Small drips at a time.

When you go to the store, consider buying Nutridrench as well as electrolytes to put in their water. Nutridrench is basically molasses (sugar plus nutrients) in water. So if you have some molasses, you could make molasses water. Add just enough fresh or purified water to make it a liquid rather than a syrup. Should be able to syringe it beside the chicks' closed beaks, kinda dribble it in from the side and they'll swallow it. Again, don't let it sit out more than 3-4 hrs at room temperature before you toss it and mix a new batch.

I also like to give probiotics in their water for a few days when they're small to get them started well.

Good luck! So glad more are hatching and that you've been able to help them!

Thanks! I'm at work till 7:30pm I left them a small amount of yolk a very little water, and sprinkled chick food around because they seemed to be eating that. I helped unzip two more and then had to leave. There is a third trying to hatch too. I think they will all be very weak.

Do you think I should stop at the store on my way home? If it is open. I have molasses, I could keep giving them molasses and water and egg yolk. I'll be at work most of the day tomorrow too.

 

[FunClucks]

I would only give the

Thanks! I'm at work till 7:30pm I left them a small amount of yolk a very little water, and sprinkled chick food around because they seemed to be eating that. I helped unzip two more and then had to leave. There is a third trying to hatch too. I think they will all be very weak.

Do you think I should stop at the store on my way home? If it is open. I have molasses, I could keep giving them molasses and water and egg yolk. I'll be at work most of the day tomorrow too.

I would only give the egg yolk while you are home to keep an eye on it and remove it after a few hours. A few drops before work is a good alternative. Sprinkling chick food around for them is fine. I assume this is in the brooder?

They really won't need anything for at least 3 days if they're healthy chicks, since they'll still be absorbing yolk for 3 days after birth, but since yours have been under stress no telling how much reserves they have (I couldn't guess).

Either way, store or not is your call. I think they'll be fine either way. Just put chick food out in the brooder during the day when you're not home, IMO. And fresh water, of course.

Good luck!!!