Cause for perfectly ready to hatch, dead chick. Warning-Deceased Chick Pictures

[Lemon-Drop]

I’m really sad.

I went to make a safety hole in an egg. I hadn’t seen any movement when I candled it. The veins were withdrawn, in position to hatch-everything looked perfect.

I peeled back a little shell, and not seeing movement, peeled back a little more. I could tell it wasn’t living anymore.

What is the cause for this? It was facing the air cell, didn’t seem to have any defects, etc.


VERY VERY SAD PHOTOS

A

 

[muddy75]

What was humidity? Was your hygrometer salt-tested?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

What was humidity? Was your hygrometer salt-tested?

It was 60-70 percent the whole time. I didn’t salt test it.

The other chicks hatched fine, though.

 

[007Sean]

What where the incubating parameters, do you have a calibrated thermometer(s) and a calibrated hygrometer, or are you relying on the instruments sensors.
Sometimes it's nothing you did that caused the chick to quit. There are alot of factors that play a part in a healthy chick hatching and one that doesn't make it. With every hatch, there will be a certain percent that die early in development, mid incubation and then late in the incubation process. Then there are those that pip, then die. Could be the nutrition of the parent birds, or genetics, or both....did any of the other eggs hatch?

 

[007Sean]

It was 60-70 percent the whole time. I didn’t salt test it.

The other chicks hatched fine, though.

That was way too high throughout the whole incubation period. Should have been around 30 to 35% Rh during incubation, then during the last 3 or 4 days, should have been raised to 55 to 60% Rh.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

That was way too high throughout the whole incubation period. Should have been around 30 to 35% Rh during incubation, then during the last 3 or 4 days, should have been raised to 55 to 60% Rh.

Whoops. I meant that it was 60 percent for the whole lockdown, not the whole incubation. Until day 18 it was 30-50 percent, depending.

 

[muddy75]

Whoops. I meant that it was 60 percent for the whole lockdown, not the whole incubation. Until day 18 it was 30-50 percent, depending.

Sometimes it’s just not meant to be but I definitely recommend salt testing hygrometer because if it’s off just 5-10% it can make a huge difference especially at lockdown. I’ve got 1 that’s over 35% off

 

[Lemon-Drop]

What where the incubating parameters

Sorry-I don’t exactly know what that means.

, do you have a calibrated thermometer(s) and a calibrated hygrometer,

When I was testing it at the beginning, I did, and I stuck an accurate thermometer into the vent to reach where I would usually have a thermometer.

or are you relying on the instruments sensors.

Mostly I was.

Sometimes it's nothing you did that caused the chick to quit. There are alot of factors that play a part in a healthy chick hatching and one that doesn't make it. With every hatch, there will be a certain percent that die early in development, mid incubation and them late in the incubation process. Then there are those that pip, then die. Could be the nutrition of the parent birds, or genetics, or both....did any of the other eggs hatch?

Yes, 6 others hatched.

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Sometimes it’s just not meant to be but I definitely recommend salt testing hygrometer because if it’s off just 5-10% it can make a huge difference especially at lockdown. I’ve got 1 that’s over 35% off

Oh, ok. Thanks! I didn’t even know what a salt test was before I looked it up.

 

[007Sean]

Whoops. I meant that it was 60 percent for the whole lockdown, not the whole incubation. Until day 18 it was 30-50 percent, depending.

Ok, that was a scare! It looks to me like it may have 'water belly' idk, for sure, an indication that the humidity was too high, throughout the incubation period.