- Apr 13, 2012
- 180
- 4
- 91
I need some input on some issues I had during my first hatch...
Problem 1- I read that you should put cheesecloth on the bottom of the incubator for easy clean up. I came home and found a chick stuck upside down struggling. His back had dried to the cloth. I had to put warm water under it to release it. That one did fine. The humidity ranged from 65-75% during lockdown. I did have some problems with dips here and there. I felt like I had to open too much to quickly add water the last few days. I had a sponge and everything. I'm using a LG.
Problem 2 -I left the hatched chicks in there in an effort to decrease opening during lock down. Of course they ran around and bulldozed the other eggs. One egg had zipped half way around. I noticed the membrane was still there and seemed thick. It got turned over by a chick. I found it the next day dead inside the shell. I think it suffocated after it got rolled. Do you guys normally leave them in or remove after they hatch?
I ended up with 4 eggs left after most hatched. One hatched the next day. One pipped but sat for two days like that. I opened up the hole enough to see a chick alive and breathing but a lot smaller than the others. There was a little blood in the shell and it died shortly after.
The last two never hatched after waiting until day 25. I never heard any peeping or anything and couldn't see any movement. I just pitched those. What do you think and do you have any suggestions to improve hatch rate? I started with 13 viable eggs. 2 died early on. 11 were alive at lock down, but only 7 made it. I guess that may be ok for shipped eggs, but I felt like if they were doing well at lockdown then they should have hatched.
Problem 1- I read that you should put cheesecloth on the bottom of the incubator for easy clean up. I came home and found a chick stuck upside down struggling. His back had dried to the cloth. I had to put warm water under it to release it. That one did fine. The humidity ranged from 65-75% during lockdown. I did have some problems with dips here and there. I felt like I had to open too much to quickly add water the last few days. I had a sponge and everything. I'm using a LG.
Problem 2 -I left the hatched chicks in there in an effort to decrease opening during lock down. Of course they ran around and bulldozed the other eggs. One egg had zipped half way around. I noticed the membrane was still there and seemed thick. It got turned over by a chick. I found it the next day dead inside the shell. I think it suffocated after it got rolled. Do you guys normally leave them in or remove after they hatch?
I ended up with 4 eggs left after most hatched. One hatched the next day. One pipped but sat for two days like that. I opened up the hole enough to see a chick alive and breathing but a lot smaller than the others. There was a little blood in the shell and it died shortly after.
The last two never hatched after waiting until day 25. I never heard any peeping or anything and couldn't see any movement. I just pitched those. What do you think and do you have any suggestions to improve hatch rate? I started with 13 viable eggs. 2 died early on. 11 were alive at lock down, but only 7 made it. I guess that may be ok for shipped eggs, but I felt like if they were doing well at lockdown then they should have hatched.
