The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Darnbunnies]

What a good chick parent you are. Good Job!

 

[ronott1]

It that leaked yolk that causes the sticky or glued chick something the temp or humidity causes? Or is it just the way a chick hatches on occasion?

It is from not developing correctly. With shipped eggs, if the yolk is scrambled, it is not held together well. The embryo tries to recover but needs all the help it can get to develop. An egg is a closed system so all of the energy, such as nutrients and etc. are in it. Resources used to repair damage will make it harder for the egg to develop to hatching sometimes. It is one of the causes of a chick pipping and not hatching.

Other causes are low flock vigor, flock nutrition, parasites in the breed flock and etc. Then you need to work extra hard at incubating them. Some things we cannot control and it is sad when we do all we can and have bad results due to factors outside our control.

I forgot to add ventilation--but that is helped by taking off the top during cool down.

 

[Mama Bay]

That sounds so well thought out.  I should do so well, for the truth is, although I've had rotten hatches, I am over run with chicks - the kind that never seem to get full or enough to eat.  (Too many practice hatches)  When I started thinking about breeding a heritage breed to the Standard of Perfection, I had no idea I would have to grow out so many in order to continue a decent line.  I hope your kids will help you if they are old enough.  Kids are great marketers.

Blessings, Laurie in Colorado

I'm really hoping that at least the 12 I bought are all hens and that the chicks I hatched don't have an over 70% rooster rate so that I'm not over run by roosters! I really do like the rooster I have though he's been such a nice guy... Do you have a lot of roosters?

 

[venymae]

For the next hatch, use a brinsea spot check to verify the temperature in the incubator.
incubate at 35 to 40% humidity
Make sure that turning is at least three times a day or that the turners are working correctly.
Use the cool down cycle from day 8 to 18. Brinsea.com has instructions and some studies on their site about using it
Keep humidity closer to 65% at lockdown.

The sticky chicks are an indication that the yolk leaked out. Normal moisture in an egg will not make that amber goo. Amber comes from the yellow yolk.

I am pretty confident about our temps. We had 6 (out of 12) hatch on day 21, no problems. We had one early quitter for sure, but I suspect 2. I have kept the moisture around 65-70% and only increased it to 80% when these two guys were taking a long time zipping. I was trying to prevent them getting glued in.

It that leaked yolk that causes the sticky or glued chick something the temp or humidity causes? Or is it just the way a chick hatches on occasion?

It really didn't look like yolk to me (I compared it to pics online) but looked like normal residual stuff and waste (one of my earlier normal hatchers left a similar yellowish clear blob behind in her shell). I suspect that because they took longer zipping (maybe they were not in an ideal position?) they simply got glued in by things that normally would be fine. Maybe because I had opened the bator a couple times to take out chicks? My humidity never seemed to drop that much though....who knows! This is my first hatch, so I am in no way an expert (or even a novice!) about these things.

 

[Mama Bay]

I accidentally bought a purple light instead of red. Is that ok to use with chicks for night time?

 

[venymae]

I accidentally bought a purple light instead of red. Is that ok to use with chicks for night time?

lol. Disco chicks.

 

[chicken pickin]

I accidentally bought a purple light instead of red. Is that ok to use with chicks for night time?

Purple heat light? I haven't heard of that kind. What wattage is it?

 

[Mama Bay]

Purple heat light? I haven't heard of that kind. What wattage is it?

100 watt infrared spot bulb for reptiles.

 

[Mama Bay]

Purple heat light? I haven't heard of that kind. What wattage is it?

The red one I have is a different brand but it says "nocturnal infrared" and it's red.... I don't know why this one is purple lol!

 

[ronott1]

100 watt infrared spot bulb for reptiles.

It will work fine.

Make sure they have regular light during the day though. They do need light to develop.