Baby Chicks started to hatch, but passed before fully hatching..

[IrishAngel1216]

Hello. I'm new to this so thanks for being understanding. This was our first time incubating eggs. We had 8 surprise baby chicks walking around the yard about 2 weeks ago.

We incubated 24 eggs just over 21 days ago. (Sunday night was day 21) Of the 24, 20 had veins and developing chicks throughout the process, and 4 did nothing. We could hear the little sweeties chirping Sunday night and were super excited to see them! They started to crack their shells that night. By morning, we had, I believe, 3 fully hatched cuties! Lots more were beginning to break away their shells. Yesterday evening, we had a few more cuties... we're up to 14 now. We have two little ones that had their beaks fully through their shells. My boyfriend read about removing some of the shell very carefully to help them a bit. He did this with the two. This morning, they still hadn't hatched, but were a little further along. Just after noon, I checked again and removed two filled hatched sweeties cause they were adventurous. I called my boyfriend and explained the situation and he told me to break away a little more very carefully, and not to break the white membrane. I did that with the first one, noticing movement with my touch. The second one, I believe, had already passed. It didn't have movement anymore like it did when I peeked inside in the morning. I checked them when I got home this evening and the other little one passed. I don't know why. I completely understand that they don't all hatch and the other four don't seem to be doing anything at all. We will candle them tonight in a bit.

Did we do something wrong? Is there something we should have done that we didn't? Is this a sad fact of life that they don't all hatch?

I attached two pics. One of the two eggs that, eventually, passed and the sweet little babies that I removed.

 

[Kiki]

Did you salt test a humidity gauge?

What was your humidity at throughout the entire 21 days?

 

[WallyG74]

It is just a sad fact. You can do everything right and they will get that far and just not quite make it. Super sad but it’s a part of hatching.

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Did you salt test a humidity gauge?

What was your humidity at throughout the entire 21 days?

I did not, although, my boyfriend headed up this whole thing. I just went along for the ride, so to speak. He may have, and I will ask him. Humidity was to be kept at 60%, I believe is what he said, and that's what we kept it at. (It might have been 70%. I was in a car accident and still dealing with a concussion so forgive me if I can't remember things when I reply.) Whatever the incubator instructions said (or whatever he was reading from said) was what we set it at and kept it at as we were monitoring them.

 

[IrishAngel1216]

It is just a sad fact. You can do everything right and they will get that far and just not quite make it. Super sad but it’s a part of hatching.

Thanks! It makes me feel a little better because I would be devastated if I did something wrong or didn't do something I should have. Is there anything to do in these situations where they start to hatch like that, but can't seem to fully break through?

 

[WallyG74]

Sometimes you can help them but be very careful. I’ve helped some that had fully zipped and just was completely worn out. Some lived some didn’t. Some people can get 100% hatches but my best is about 85%. I don’t think there is a perfect amount of time when you decide to intervene but you have to let them go at it and it can be real hard to be hands off and let that chick hatch on it’s own. Experience is the best teacher and lots of advice here from people here that’s done it way more times than I have.

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Sometimes you can help them but be very careful. I’ve helped some that had fully zipped and just was completely worn out. Some lived some didn’t. Some people can get 100% hatches but my best is about 85%. I don’t think there is a perfect amount of time when you decide to intervene but you have to let them go at it and it can be real hard to be hands off and let that chick hatch on it’s own. Experience is the best teacher and lots of advice here from people here that’s done it way more times than I have.

Thanks! That helps a bunch, actually.

We currently have a Mama hen sitting on 18 eggs outside in the yard, instead of the coop. Lol We'll see how that goes. Of the 8 that surprised us in the yard one day, we lost one, and we found two unhatched eggs where the others hatched.

 

[Hensintexas]

I have never used an incubator, so have no experience there. Our mama hens always did the setting, care of their eggs, and babies. Experience taught me that sometimes, there is nothing you can do, as helpless and awful as it can make you feel.
I hope you recover from your accident soon, and feel better!

 

[IrishAngel1216]

Thanks! It's super slow going, but I'm determined to get better. It stinks that it happens, but I feel better knowing it wasn't something I did or didn't do.

 

[Hensintexas]

I understand. I’m really sorry.