California - Northern

[CALI CHICK]

Haven't been on in a looong time but doing great with my chickens over all.

I have a proposition for a fellow hatcher though! For the last 5 months or so I've had terrible hatch rates-sometimes zero! These are from my own silkie pens. The eggs develop but then are too weak to hatch width: 200px; height: 150px">
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I could probably fit a dozen in my Brinsea after the 7 day cull on Friday.

What incubator do you have? What do you feed them and have you wormed and treated them for lice?

Hi Ron,
I didn't answer your other question about worming & lice.
I have not wormed them but I did have a problem this spring with wild birds bringing poultry lice to them. I used a lot of things. Permethrin spray, Sevin Dust and what finally seemed to work was frontline drops! Currently there's Sevin Dust in the pine shavings & I spray the chickens with Poultry Protector. They seem to be clear of bugs at this time.
Are you thinking the treatments could effect the chick development somehow?
I've done eggtopsies and they are fully formed chicks -usually the eggyolk unabsorbed.....so I'm thinking they die on Day 18 or 19! They were alive and "moving" before moving into the hatching incubator so I just don't know!

 

[juststruttin]

Haven't been on in a looong time but doing great with my chickens over all.
I have a proposition for a fellow hatcher though! For the last 5 months or so I've had terrible hatch rates-sometimes zero! These are from my own silkie pens. The eggs develop but then are too weak to hatch &die around day 18.
I have over a dozen white and blue/splash silkie eggs I want someone else to try hatching to see if you get a different result! You are welcome to keep or sell the chicks or I could pick them up (if any hatch) but mainly I want to figure out why they aren't hatching for me.
I'm in Rio Linda near Natomas. Please let me know if anyone can help me solve this hatching mystery. Thanks, Darla

I had the same problem with my SFH a couple years back and it turned out to be a vitamin deficiency. I would put your birds on vitamins for a couple months and then try hatching again to see if your results improve.

Vitamin deficiencies often cause issues with their feet making it difficult for them to tread the egg and zip which is why they fail to hatch.

What brand of feed do you use? I tried a few brands before I finally settled on King Freedom. I have no vit. issues now, but I still give my babies vitamins for the first 12 weeks just to play it safe.

 

[CALI CHICK]

[/quote]
What do the chicks look like? Vitamin D deficiency can cause them to die at day 18. If the dead chicks have soft bones and odd beaks it could be that.

I would try giving them Rooster Booster. The feed should be fine but they should also have free choice Oyster Shell. You might consider a higher protein feed for the breeders--Like Game bird feed or a show conditioner type of feed.

Shaky turners are implicated along with very incorrect humidity and temperatures. To rule those out, use a good thermometer like the Brinsea spot check and incubate at 99.9 degrees(ok 100 would be fine. Incubate at 45% humidity for the first 18 days and then at lockdown go to 55 to 65%.

[COLOR=800000]Also, toss the plugs. They cannot be in during lockdown so do not use them ever.[/COLOR]

This link has more information:

http://beautyofbirds.com/deadinshell.html
[/quote]

Thanks,, great information. I will have my reading cut out for me!

I do give them Red Cell in the water (electrolytes when it's hot and also justplain water) but I will look into Rooster Booster. It very well could be a vitamin deficiency.
I used to add Calf Manna but haven't recently because it isn't cheap.
The turner seems smooth and quiet and I actually have 3 thermomet and a hygrometer in the bator so I'm pretty sure it isn't the temp or humidity.

 

[ronott1]

I had the same problem with my SFH a couple years back and it turned out to be a vitamin deficiency. I would put your birds on vitamins for a couple months and then try hatching again to see if your results improve.

Vitamin deficiencies often cause issues with their feet making it difficult for them to tread the egg and zip with is why they fail to hatch.

What brand of feed do you use? I tried a few brands before I finally settled on King Freedom. I have no vit. issues now, but I still give my babies vitamins for the first 12 weeks just to play it safe.

What do the chicks look like? Vitamin D deficiency can cause them to die at day 18. If the dead chicks have soft bones and odd beaks it could be that.

I would try giving them Rooster Booster. The feed should be fine but they should also have free choice Oyster Shell. You might consider a higher protein feed for the breeders--Like Game bird feed or a show conditioner type of feed.

Shaky turners are implicated along with very incorrect humidity and temperatures. To rule those out, use a good thermometer like the Brinsea spot check and incubate at 99.9 degrees(ok 100 would be fine. Incubate at 45% humidity for the first 18 days and then at lockdown go to 55 to 65%.

[COLOR=800000]Also, toss the plugs. They cannot be in during lockdown so do not use them ever.[/COLOR]

This link has more information:

http://beautyofbirds.com/deadinshell.html
[/quote]

Thanks,, great information. I will have my reading cut out for me!

I do give them Red Cell in the water (electrolytes when it's hot and also justplain water) but I will look into Rooster Booster. It very well could be a vitamin deficiency.
I used to add Calf Manna but haven't recently because it isn't cheap.
The turner seems smooth and quiet and I actually have 3 thermomet and a hygrometer in the bator so I'm pretty sure it isn't the temp or humidity.[/QUOTE]
It is likely a vitamin deficiency. It can happen when they free range--some plants will remove vitamins from them, I think Spinach will lower calcium levels.

Follow the advice from Deann about the vitamins. The big change is not using Calf Manna. That Supplement has Vitamins in it!

 

[caychris]

Someone somewhere mentioned that during the heat they give their birds one of the Gatorade products. Has anyone done that. Seems like an easy way to give electrolites though not sure if the extra sugar (though some gatorade doesnt have a ton) would be that good. Ive heard some use a little sugar to give the birds a boost as chicks but wonder about older ones.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Haven't been on in a looong time but doing great with my chickens over all.

I have a proposition for a fellow hatcher though! For the last 5 months or so I've had terrible hatch rates-sometimes zero! These are from my own silkie pens. The eggs develop but then are too weak to hatch width: 200px; height: 150px">
[/URL]

I had the same problem with my SFH a couple years back and it turned out to be a vitamin deficiency.  I would put your birds on vitamins  for a couple months and then try hatching again to see if your results improve.  

Vitamin deficiencies often cause issues with their feet making it difficult for them to tread the egg and zip which is why they fail to hatch. 

What brand of feed do you use?  I tried a few brands before I finally settled on King Freedom.  I have no vit. issues now, but I still give my babies vitamins for the first 12 weeks just to play it safe. 

I use Flock Raiser and do put Red Cell in the water but it very well could be a vitamin deficiency. I like that Red Cell has selenium in it, which is needful in silkies.
I might switch to game bird feed and pick up Rooster Booster as Ron suggested. I will have to see what my feed store has.
It is SO heartbreaking when these babies don't make it! I can see it being a foot/toe issue. Dr. Peter Brown mentioned that they need to get into a hatching position and I can see how this all fits!
I will be making changes. Until then, I think I'll keep offering these fertile eggs on here for others to try to hatch.
Ron, maybe Friday you could get a dozen to try in your Brinsea. I've heard they are great incubators.

 

[ronott1]

I use Flock Raiser and do put Red Cell in the water but it very well could be a vitamin deficiency. I like that Red Cell has selenium in it, which is needful in silkies.
I might switch to game bird feed and pick up Rooster Booster as Ron suggested. I will have to see what my feed store has.
It is SO heartbreaking when these babies don't make it! I can see it being a foot/toe issue. Dr. Peter Brown mentioned that they need to get into a hatching position and I can see how this all fits!
I will be making changes. Until then, I think I'll keep offering these fertile eggs on here for others to try to hatch.
Ron, maybe Friday you could get a dozen to try in your Brinsea. I've heard they are great incubators.

Yes, I am not far from you either. Close to Costco in Woodland.

 

[juststruttin]

What does Vit. Def look like?

It really depends on the vitamin that is deficient. The biggest issue I have seen in chicks is a vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 causes weak bones and feet. If you have a chick that hatches with curly feet it could have been caused by too much humidity, but more likely than not it is caused by a lack of vit. B12.

Lack of other vitamins causes star gazing, paralysis, blindness. The list goes on.

The good news. Chicks improve within hours when given vitamins. If your chicks hatch with issues, then you need to up the vitamin in your breeders since it starts there.


I have to run out the door but look forward to continuing this conversation later. I find it fascinating.

 

[SpringPeeper]

How many more this morning.

Four out, and number five has decided to pip.

Someone somewhere mentioned that during the heat they give their birds one of the Gatorade products. Has anyone done that. Seems like an easy way to give electrolites though not sure if the extra sugar (though some gatorade doesnt have a ton) would be that good. Ive heard some use a little sugar to give the birds a boost as chicks but wonder about older ones.

I don't know about Gatorade, but I've heard of people using generic brand Pedialyte.

 

[CALI CHICK]

I wish there was a way to tag all of you for helping me with this non-hatching issue! A big THANK YOU to each one for the advice on vitamin deficiency related problems.
I'm on my way to the feed store.

Deb, I hope you will pick up these eggs. It can't hurt to try to hatch them. I've gotten lucky with a couple here and there. And I have been turning them.
Ron, I can have some more for you later this week. My husband stops at that Costco on his way home from work sometimes. We'll figure something out.
I think I need to oxine my bators and focus on the parents for a few weeks.