chicks pipping at the narrow end....hatching upside down...

For some odd reason I am getting a high percentage of chicks pipping at the narrow end of the egg and I'm looking for a cause. And the number of chicks that take a day longer to hatch and walk on their hocks has increased over the hatching season. These are of course culled.

Breeds are large fowl Wyandotte and Bantam Delaware. The highest percentage of narrow end pippers is coming from two breed pens. Early hatch rates were very good with no issues. I started noticing the problem beginning in mid May hatches. There are no problems with the other Bantam breeds nor the Cochin breeders. All breed pens get the same feed.

I use two Hovabator 2362N for incubating with auto egg turners at a temperature of 99.5 to 100. A 10% Oxine and water solution is used in the 1st water well and then dry hatch until moving to the hatcher. I candle at day 7 and again at day 10 while the eggs are in the turner to remove any questionable eggs.

I hatch in a Hovabator 1602N with eggs set upright in new cardboard egg crates with holes in the bottom of the egg cups for air circulation. Temperature is 99.5. Eggs are candled when they are moved and quitters are removed before the hatcher is closed. Qxine water fills both water wells and a damp sponge is added...humidity is about 60% - 70%.

In addition, I utilize broody hens and these eggs are on their side. Im beginning to see a few narrow end pippers but in fewer numbers.

I have hatched this way for the past two years since getting the Hovabators. This is the first time I've had this happen in all my years of hatching eggs.
I am stumped.

Hopefully someone can share information/experience that will help me figure this out.

Interesting problem. I'm new at incubating and trying to learn it all. Waiting........

Thanks. I'm hoping to work out the kink before the fall hatching starts.

If the chick are trying to hatch at the wrong end the only thing you can do is lay the egg on it's side and don't be surprised if you have to help it out but just watch first

Three questions for you: when you say the eggs are upright in the incubator, I assume you have the blunt/wide end up, yes? (If not, that's your problem.).

Second question: What is Oxine?

Third question: Are any of these eggs more "rounded" than usual? The air spaces don't develop as well or consistently on the rounded or "double blunt" eggs. They can still hatch OK, though, just not as well as a normally shaped egg.

I have had two chicks pip at the wrong end that were incubated horizontally. One died (it was a terrible hatch of shipped eggs--only one made it to day 21, and it died). In another hatch of locally picked up eggs, one by some miracle made it and pipped all the way through the shell before it could suffocate. I left it to zip by itself, and it was a strong chick. I honestly think I just got lucky. Ones that pip at the wrong end often don't make it. That second bunch all hatched on day 19 (small eggs, young hens), so it took them a day or two to become graceful on their feet, but none had any deformities or health problems at all, including the one that pipped at the narrow end.

kittydoc, thank you for your information.

Yes, the eggs are set with the big end up.

Oxine is a liquid sanitizer disinfectant. As a fungicidal, bactericidal, virucidal it is used in animal rearing and confinement facilities. The active ingredient is chlorine dioxide. I add it to water containers to keep down algae, etc.

I don't set round or double blunt end eggs. I don't want to allow that to become established in the breed pens . A hen that lays a double blunt egg goes to the layer flock and isn't used as a breeder.

I have a set of Serama eggs due to hatch Aug 1. These are eggs I ordered. I'm using the same incubator as the hatcher instead of the hatcher I have been using. Hopefully this will be a good hatch.
Im grasping as any straw....

gander007 said:

If the chick are trying to hatch at the wrong end the only thing you can do is lay the egg on it's side and don't be surprised if you have to help it out but just watch first 

Click to expand...

Thank you for your response....I have laid some of the eggs horizontal when the chick pipped at the narrow end. While I normally don't, I have assisted by removing the outer shell from the membrane so that the chick was then able to tear it's way out of the egg. Giving the chick a chance to work its way out gave me a chick from that breed pen that I would not have had.

NanaKat said:

kittydoc, thank you for your information.

Yes, the eggs are set with the big end up.

Oxine is a liquid sanitizer disinfectant. As a fungicidal, bactericidal, virucidal it is used in animal rearing and confinement facilities. The active ingredient is chlorine dioxide. I add it to water containers to keep down algae, etc.

I don't set round or double blunt end eggs. I don't want to allow that to become established in the breed pens . A hen that lays a double blunt egg goes to the layer flock and isn't used as a breeder.

Click to expand...

Nice to see this. I have been interested in Oxine for a while and have it on my list for ordering on payday.