Absolute worst hatch ever!

[LilyD]

So I started out with 22 eggs total hoping to get some birds to add to my coop. Turns out my rooster in the coop is not very fertile and out of the 22 eggs only 4 were viable. Out of those 4 because we have non stop rain off and on since the eggs started in the incubator 21 days ago the eggs didn't lose enough moisture to hatch. I had two that definitely were late deaths. They looked fully formed but were gooey and waterlogged. The third pipped but then drowned in the extra fluid that was floating around in the air cell. So I am left with one baby left who is alive and internally pipped this evening (day 21) I pulled the egg out since the others were all dead and used a screw to make an air hole in the egg shell. Now just waiting for the blood vessels to die back so she or he can get out of the egg. At least she or he can breath now though.

Just proof that you can't use generic hatching methods especially when there is inclement weather. I didn't even add water at lock down and they were still too gooey to hatch and definitely hadn't lost enough weight. Such a depressing hatch. I just hope the lonely little one will make it.

 

[PotterWatch]

Do you use a hygrometer so you can see the humidity level?

 

[LilyD]

Yes it said I was running between 30 and 45% humidity without adding water. The last egg seems to be doing okay at the moment now that it can breathe. Just waiting for the blood vessels to die back so I can help it out of the egg more on the top half and then I will let it rest to make sure it absorbs the yolk before it gets all the way out. Hopefully it will survive. I have a Hovabator with the digital readout. That one said it was an average of 30 but the other hygrometer I have said between 30 and 45 depending on the day and how wet it was.

 

[PotterWatch]

Sorry you had such a bad hatch. :-(

 

[Millie58]

Novice opinion here that It makes sense that that weather had a hand in it. Someone posted once that the usual humidity rules go out the window when you are incubating in a wet, high humidity or very dry climate. What a frustrating hatching experience, I hope the one still working on getting out hatches for you.

 

[LilyD]

It's still going on the last egg is still in the incubator and is the only survivor. I made an air hole in the egg so I could get the water out of the air cell before it drowned in the egg fluid. Now it's just hanging out waiting to hatch the rest of the way. I don't want to rush it and end up killing it so for now I am just watching it and waiting.

 

[LilyD]

Okay the picture kind of sucks but he or she is out of the egg for the most part. I left it around it's bottom because there is still yolk that needs to be absorbed and I didn't want it attaching to the wire of the incubator. Keeping an eye on him or her to make sure it does okay. No matter the sex if it survives I will name it Uno since it's the only one to hatch. I think that's a good name. If it makes it through the night I will get a better picture.