A possible botched batch?? any advice??

[Dougs chix]

So it's day 23 and I finally had 1 hatch this morning. I have 6 eggs in incubator and were all looking great when I put them in the"hatching" incubator on day 18, according to candling. Well tonight I recandled them again and I can see fully developed looking chicks. Is it possible they died tho in the last day or two? I don't get it. How could chix die once already developed in the shell with the temp and humidity perfect? like I said 1 made it this morning, but The odds of 1 hatching and the other 5 dying?? What do y'all think??

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So it's day 23 and I finally had 1 hatch this morning. I have 6 eggs in incubator and were all looking great when I put them in the"hatching" incubator on day 18, according to candling. Well tonight I recandled them again and I can see fully developed looking chicks. Is it possible they died tho in the last day or two? I don't get it. How could chix die once already developed in the shell with the temp and humidity perfect? like I said 1 made it this morning, but The odds of 1 hatching and the other 5 dying?? What do y'all think??

Very possible and happens all the time. What you might think are perfect conditions, might not be. One of the biggest reasons for a delayed hatch (which is what you have with a hatch starting at day 23) is lower than average temps during incubation. I went into lockdown with 17 chicks viable and moving in my very first hatch. I ended up with two hatching (days 24/25 and one surviving). My brand new thermometer wasn't checked for accuracy and was 6 degrees off. I thought my temp had stayed pretty steady at 99, it wasn't. So if your instruments haven't been checked that could be an issue. Another big reason for chicks dying after lockdown/at hatch time is humidity. Too high humidity during incubation equals not enough moisture loss, which means the air cell doesn't grow big enough which leads to chicks drowning at hatch. Too low equals air cells growing too big and shrinkwrapping the chicks at hatch. The only way to really know if the humidity level you are using is working is to check air cells and compare their growth.

I'm sorry to hear that your hatch hasn't gone well.

 

[Dougs chix]

thanks AmyLynn. I did the float test this morning. all the eggs were sticking out of the water at the air cell level of the egg. (10-15% above water ) However, i didnt see them moving or wiggling in the water. Do you think i should still give it another day? One hatched yesterday morning. It now day 24. They all look fully developed when i candled them

 

[AmyLynn2374]

thanks AmyLynn. I did the float test this morning. all the eggs were sticking out of the water at the air cell level of the egg. (10-15% above water ) However, i didnt see them moving or wiggling in the water. Do you think i should still give it another day? One hatched yesterday morning. It now day 24. They all look fully developed when i candled them

I'm torn with advice in this area. In the beginning I was all for giving that extra day, and still if I knew there was a live chick, I don't know if I could not not give it a chance. I'm doubtful that if you candled and did a float test and there was no internal pips and no movement that there are any viable chicks there. This is the way I look at it, If it is day 24 and the chick has not even internally pipped, chances are any life would not make it. After they internally pip it often takes another 24 for the external pip and after the external pip you might as well add another 24 to zip and hatch, with this equation you are looking at (if they pipped today) hatchers at 26 days. Miracles do happen and there have been (reportedly) "normal" chicks born late, but that probability is slim. My chick that suffered the delayed development, hatched day 24 and I thought he was perfectly healthy. He appeared so until he started getting bigger in size and maturing. Then I noticead he has balencing problems where he can not lift a leg to scratch or he'll start to fall over. He can walk and run just fine (but overexertion causes him to mouth breath/pant). He can not roost, as he doesn't have the balance to. So he will never be part of the main coop or used for breeding. He's a beautiful roo, and it's a shame I can not use him to further my line, but besides the fact I don't know if he could "do the deed" I don't know if the developmental delay problems could be carried through to offspring. Wether they become gentic traits in the parents or not. So what I am basically saying is, seeing the slight problems in my 24 day hatcher, I'd be reluctant to hold hope for a normal hatcher at a later day.

I personally would call in and tap into the air cell and physically check for life, but no one would blame you if you gave them another day.

 

[Dougs chix]

ok thanks.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

ok thanks.

Sorry to be such a pessimist. I'd love to be proven wrong though!!