April 2020 Hatch-A-Long! All are welcome!

[Fatimetta]

I missed part of this, but it may not be anything you did, it could be the eggs.

Where did you get them, how were they handled, what sort of incubator do you have, and have you double checked your temps and humidity with secondary thermometer/hydrostat?

There's also the fact the some eggs just quit, and there is nothing you did to cause it. If most of your hatch is OK, and its just a few eggs, no worries. If you lose the entire clutch halfway through, then you have problems.

I got them from a local breeder pick up. They were on her porch in 40 degree weather for about an hour. I have the brinsea mini II advance and I've been checking my temps with a thermometer/hygrometer I bought. I calibrated the hygrometer. The humidity went up to 53% once near the beginning of the hatch, but the rest of the time has been staying between 35%-45%. The temp went to 100.0 one day for no reason last week which is during the time I lost these developers. Would that have done it? I had 8 eggs, two were infertile, and out of the 6 two/three stopped developing.

I put in the automatic turner now, do the point end of the eggs face the inside or the large end?

 

[FortCluck]

I got them from a local breeder pick up. They were on her porch in 40 degree weather for about an hour. I have the brinsea mini II advance and I've been checking my temps with a thermometer/hygrometer I bought. I calibrated the hygrometer. The humidity went up to 53% once near the beginning of the hatch, but the rest of the time has been staying between 35%-45%. The temp went to 100.0 one day for no reason last week which is during the time I lost these developers. Would that have done it? I had 8 eggs, two were infertile, and out of the 6 two/three stopped developing.

I put in the automatic turner now, do the point end of the eggs face the inside or the large end?

So that initial hour of cold may have been the issue. I got eggs same situation and a lot didn't develop. The hatch rate was 60%. They weren't my eggs and free so I didn't complain.

When eggs keeps a stable temp I see them hatch better.

I don't think you did anything wrong on your end. Next time ask them to put them out right before you come so they're not in the cold for so long.

 

[KateGoad]

I believe we have the same incubator! How is yours working for you?

Works great!

we have cheeping!

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

I got them from a local breeder pick up. They were on her porch in 40 degree weather for about an hour. I have the brinsea mini II advance and I've been checking my temps with a thermometer/hygrometer I bought. I calibrated the hygrometer. The humidity went up to 53% once near the beginning of the hatch, but the rest of the time has been staying between 35%-45%. The temp went to 100.0 one day for no reason last week which is during the time I lost these developers. Would that have done it? I had 8 eggs, two were infertile, and out of the 6 two/three stopped developing.

I put in the automatic turner now, do the point end of the eggs face the inside or the large end?

I say "meh" on them being in 40 degrees for an hour. I've set eggs that were laid when it was in the 30's in my coop, and they hatched fine.

Your temps and humidity seem fine. Did you have your turner in from day 1? "They" claim the most important days to turn are the first 7 (although I've had shipped eggs with detached air sacks I had to incubate upright with no turning for 7 days, and they turned out fine). Also, if your turner is an upright, it's always pointy side down, air pocket up.

 

[jolenesdad]

So that initial hour of cold may have been the issue. I got eggs same situation and a lot didn't develop. The hatch rate was 60%. They weren't my eggs and free so I didn't complain.

When eggs keeps a stable temp I see them hatch better.

I don't think you did anything wrong on your end. Next time ask them to put them out right before you come so they're not in the cold for so long.

I agree the temps may have done something, but also, they may have been already developed and then sat in the cold. I think there’s things to temperature fluctuations in storage.

also, even local pickup eggs are sometimes like shipped eggs. While not like shipping across the country, it’s still transportation, and it still can mess things up.

lastly, it could be nutrition of tbe parent flock....


a lot of things out of your control. I’d lean much more to something out of your control with a Brinsea and calibrated measurement tools.

 

[FortCluck]

I agree the temps may have done something, but also, they may have been already developed and then sat in the cold. I think there’s things to temperature fluctuations in storage.

also, even local pickup eggs are sometimes like shipped eggs. While not like shipping across the country, it’s still transportation, and it still can mess things up.

lastly, it could be nutrition of tbe parent flock....


a lot of things out of your control. I’d lean much more to something out of your control with a Brinsea and calibrated measurement tools.

Yeah definitely!

I know my incubator and calibrated tools are good.

I get 90% with my breeding stock, so when I have something under 90% I know it's not me.

I test my incubator constantly with my eggs.

 

[Knighstar679]

I am approaching my hatch of my first chicken eggs. These eggs are so dark though that I have only seen shadows all through out hatch. Now that we are near hatch all i see is dark in the egg. I wasn't able to weigh them and only just became able to start seeing the air cell this last week so I don't know if they lost the right amount of weight either. How do you hatch and follow those really dark/ thick shelled eggs and know they are developing at a good rate.

Tomorrow is lock down so it isn't like I can adjust anything if i need to at this point to fix any air cells. I think i still like my duck eggs better at this point. I can see things in those eggs.

 

[kelseyk]

I had 3 Sapphire Gems hatch yesterday (a day early) and woke up to 3 more this morning. When I checked yesterday, I had one that had pipped and was trying to unzip....but the pip hole was facing down. I saw the egg moving constantly so reached in quick and rolled it over. I watched it for a while and saw that the chick was pecking at the same spot of open shell over and over again, but eventually moved over and hit some new uncracked shell so I thought it was good to go and left it.....but I left with a bit of a feeling that I should have helped it. Well.....it was DIS this morning and really hadn't made much of any progress. It was hole side down again, so think the chicks bumped it. Kind of kicking myself about it this morning. There is 1 more egg left to go with no pip. I did not hear any sounds from it when I checked it this morning and don't ever see the egg move. I will give it another 2 days just in case, but have a feeling it is DIS too. So right now, I have 6 out of 8 live Sapphire Gem X chicks. 2 of them are an absolutely gorgeous light lavender color! They are still fluffing, so haven't been able to tell if any have the spot on their head to tell they are Cockerels. I will take a pick and post when they are drier and I get ready to move them out to the brooder.

 

[Phillyndilly]

Hello please i need help in my help my baby chick is dying post.
This chick is having gasping breathing last night and today. I inspected more and the navel maybe is infected is there anything I can do ?
I’ve been doing save a chick dropper tiny drops to the side of the beak it’s not taking it as much as it was last night. Seems to be rapidly declining

 

[FortCluck]

Hello please i need help in my help my baby chick is dying post.
This chick is having gasping breathing last night and today. I inspected more and the navel maybe is infected is there anything I can do ?
I’ve been doing save a chick dropper tiny drops to the side of the beak it’s not taking it as much as it was last night. Seems to be rapidly declining

Antibiotic ointment on the infected area. I wouldn't try to feed it with a dropper because it can aspirate if it's panting like that.

I would say you're most likely going to have to tube it.