A bittersweet hatch...what went wrong? (Warning-graphic pics)

[marcuscarr]

Day 21 was a complete nightmare.

The fan went out and the temp dropped like a rock, along with the humidity.

Three chicks hatched and a forth tried for almost a day, before I broke him out of his shell.

The first 3 pics are my new babies...the sweet part of the hatch.

The last three are of the chick that is barely hanging on and may not make it and of the chicks that I removed from the eggs on day 24. It appears that they were fully grown and the yolks were moving inside, but then it stopped. downed? low temp? What would cause this?

 

[hcammack]

I don't know much about Incubators but the chicks all look like BR pullets which should be good. Sorry I don't know more hope you get an expert to answer this.

henry

 

[tiki244]

Im sorry to here about your troubles. It upsetting when its so close like that.

 

[pips&peeps]

My opinion is: I think you had too much humidity the first part of the hatch. The albumen should pretty much dry up.

I think the unhatched chicks probably drowned.

Sorry you lost so many. Hatching is a real skill, the more you do it the better you will get at it.

You can wash the sticky stuff off carefully with some warm water and a toothbrush. Just dry the chick off as best as you can when done.

PS How's Tighty Whitey the rabbit doing??????

 

[marcuscarr]

Hi Jean,

I'm not sure I knew Tighty's name, hehe. The kids renamed him Chester. He is doing great.

Are you still focusing on the Aracanas?

Marcus

 

[silkiechicken]

Judging by the sticky hatched chicks and the liquid around the ones you cracked open, my guess is also high humidity for the first part of the hatch. Try dropping it 10% and try again. Keep an eye on the air cell and make sure it grows well. Good luck!

 

[pips&peeps]

Yes, I still have ameraucanas. I will have all eight varieties at the end of summer. I have some awesome looking eggs being laid right now, but most of my girls are mixed in with the wrong roo. It will be a little while longer before I have my breeding pens set up.

I am getting some silver pencilled and partridge wyandottes from Duane Urch this spring. They should be nice quality birds. I thought they were "pretty" and I needed some more layers.

If you check my website you can see the new building my DH bought for me.

I had no patience with the smaller hatchers, that is why I bought the GQF. I set it and go. I check the water system occassionally and put the eggs in the hatching tray on day 18 and add another wick to the water.

I may have some free mixed eggs in a couple weeks if you would like to try hatching again.

 

[sybil]

what was your temp and humidity
I am hatching eggs now and the books tell me to put the temperature at 88.5 to 100
and the humidity at 55 to 60%
that is until day 18
I have a forced air incubator and I have my temperature at 99.5 and my humidity is between 45% and 50%
Is that o.k.?

 

[marcuscarr]

Jean,
If you have some freebies for me to try, I would like to try again. I will give you a call in a few weeks.


Sybil,
My humidity was very stable during the entire hatch and was always between 55 and 60. On day 18, I got it up to 68 and it stay there until the fan burned out. My temp was 99.5 +-.4 degrees.

I am not the right person to give hatching advice, but if I were in your shoes, knowing what I know now, I would keep the humidity at 45.

I think you will have better success.

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like the humidity was too high the first 18 days. It really needs to be under 50%. I keep mine 40-50% and always have very clean hatches.