Baby died in incubator during lockdown

[lioli]

One of our quail baby eggs pipped and the baby didn't make it but the incubator was in lockdown because our chicken eggs were due right at the same time. We couldn't see the dead baby, one of our chickens hatched another pipped and looks like it died. I don't know what to do. The dead quail baby left rotten stuff everywhere, will this affect the chick eggs? How can i clean the incubator during lockdown? What could I even use? Should i just leave the other eggs in there?

 

[Kellyjenny]

I think you might half to take it out quickly.

 

[lioli]

I think you might half to take it out quickly.

I have taken the dead baby out but it left rotten fluid everywhere

 

[Kellyjenny]

@CluckNDoodle

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I would quickly wipe out the gross stuff. If you don't have any externally pipped eggs, there's no harm in doing that.

 

[lioli]

I would quickly wipe out the gross stuff. If you don't have any externally pipped eggs, there's no harm in doing that.

Will the babies that haven't hatched yet die from the bacteria? One pipped yesterday and looked dead, I haven't heard any noise from the eggs nor have any pipped its day 23

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Will the babies that haven't hatched yet die from the bacteria? One pipped yesterday and looked dead, I haven't heard any noise from the eggs nor have any pipped its day 23

It's not like they will 100% definitely get sick from it but when a chick first hatches their navels sometimes aren't completely closed and can more readily allow bacteria to infect the chick. They could be completely fine without you doing anything. It's just a precaution, and one I personally would take because A, it won't hurt anything, and B, it's stinky. Lol

As far as them being late at this point I would be candling to see what's going on inside the eggs anyway.

 

[lioli]

It's not like they will 100% definitely get sick from it but when a chick first hatches their navels sometimes aren't completely closed and can more readily allow bacteria to infect the chick. They could be completely fine without you doing anything. It's just a precaution, and one I personally would take because A, it won't hurt anything, and B, it's stinky. Lol

As far as them being late at this point I would be candling to see what's going on inside the eggs anyway.

I cleaned everything up, the incubator, float tested the eggs couldn't tell much, don't really know what to look for while candling but I see veins and one of the babies moved a little. Will probably check again in 2 days if nothing happens. Is it okay to be opening the incubator up and candling this late? I'm worried I moved the eggs around too much or made their temp drop

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I cleaned everything up, the incubator, float tested the eggs couldn't tell much, don't really know what to look for while candling but I see veins and one of the babies moved a little. Will probably check again in 2 days if nothing happens. Is it okay to be opening the incubator up and candling this late? I'm worried I moved the eggs around too much or made their temp drop

Yes, it's ok to open the Incubator when there aren't external pips. The elevated humidity at lockdown is just to help prevent the membrane from drying out once the chick has pipped.

If you see movement that's a good sign but they're already pretty late. Did you use a secondary calibrated thermometer during incubation? Or just the thermometer on the Incubator? Unfortunately it's not uncommon for thermometers to stop working and late hatches are often a sign that the temps were low.

Also be careful doing float tests. You want to be absolutely sure there isn't a pip when doing a float test.

 

[lioli]

Yes, it's ok to open the Incubator when there aren't external pips. The elevated humidity at lockdown is just to help prevent the membrane from drying out once the chick has pipped.

If you see movement that's a good sign but they're already pretty late. Did you use a secondary calibrated thermometer during incubation? Or just the thermometer on the Incubator? Unfortunately it's not uncommon for thermometers to stop working and late hatches are often a sign that the temps were low.

Also be careful doing float tests. You want to be absolutely sure there isn't a pip when doing a float test.

There definitely isn't any pips, I put the eggs in 4th May, my quails hatched on the 28th which is 6 days late! One chick hatched on the 30th making it around 5 days late too, I see movement only in one egg now the others I can't tell, my temp clearly is lower then I thought it was, I was only using the thermometer on the incubator. They're now a week late, is it worth waiting 2 days longer? Should I increase the temp?