aftermath of the tragic hatch advice?

[Lynnk]

Hi thanks to those who tried to help me figure out why so many of my chicks died after hatching/pipping.

I have a couple more eggs in the incubator that I can hear a chick pecking away or cheeping inside.

given that all of my chicks but one have died while hatching or shortly after, should I let this one exaust itself, or should I try to open it and help it...I'm afraid of being the cause of this one dying but we are at day 23 and since I figure the others either died from too high humidity...drowning once they pipped, or bacteria caused some damage, I'm really not sure what to do.

I've only ever tried to help a chick out a couple of times and only one of the two survived.

advice?

thanks

 

[mstricer]

I had a bad hatch too. I did get 4 chicks and 2 have signs of deformity, one fixable curled toes trying to figure out why. The other has wing deformity, It can't seem to stay up right, its wings one will prop it up and the other wing will make it lose balance so it ends up in its side and can't get up. Other two are fine. 2 blue ameruacanas and 2 golden cuckoo marans. None of the rest hatch 3 wheaton pene's and 2 porcelain duccles (which I wanted bad). Think I will leave the hatching to my experts for a while, I have some FCBM and some more Porcelain Duccles coming. I have 3 broody hens right now one I can't break of it I won't use her she's been trying for to long I just kick her off nest and take eggs. I will be using my speckeled sussex she just went broody. I hope all these will hatch with out deformitys

 

[Chic Chick]

Quote:
Did you have the bator on complete lockdown from day 18? If you keep opening the bator you are losing the humidity and the chicks could stick. Check your bator for the plugs/air vents to let fresh air in and humidity out. It sounds like the first ones died because of too high humidity and the rest because of low humidity.
I lost most from my first hatch because of high humidity

, and most of my Easter hatch because someone lifted the lid of the hatcher and didn't put it back on properly

Now I've learnt to keep them in the sportsman until the day after hatch date. It doesn't have a window so it was a nice surprise to open it up to approx 30 chicks

If it's only 2 eggs left try putting them under a regular 100W bulb with some wet sponge or anything to raise the humidity and they might hatch that way. Use a thermometer to find out how far away the bulb should be....
good luck