Wondering how many folks have had chicks die halfway through zipping and what may have been the cause.
I had 14 lavender orpington chick eggs in the incubator. This one pipped second, and was starting its way out. It was hitting the shell hard, and I thought it wouldn't be long. It started zipping a little toward the pointed end of the egg, but soon corrected its direction and was going to town. But it skipped a space on the shell. Then it skipped another space. By this time, I had one that had already hatched, and another had started zipping, and a couple more small pips. While I watched the next one hatch, I realized this little one had stopped zipping and appeared to not be moving, but I assumed it was just resting. I didn't want to open the incubator because of all the other action going on. After 3 had hatched and fluffed up, and the other pips looked safe enough for me to open the bator to remove the 3, I got them out, and checked the half-way zipper. No movement, no chirping. I felt it was gone, but I returned it to the bator anyway. A few more pips and hatches, and the half-way zipper had not changed, so I knew it was gone.
After all the commotion and getting all the others out, I finally took this one out and opened it up.
The shell was completely full... no air space at all. I think the chick was so big, and it zipped so sporadically, it must have rotated into a position where it just couldn't knock the shell, and suffocated. (Prior to lockdown, this ones air cell was fine. I weigh my eggs, and this one had lost 14.8%, which is right in line with all the others)
Anyway, here's what I found when I opened it. Yolk fully absorbed, ready to hatch. One leg was bent a little funny, but still looked like it would have been ok if it had hatched.
I had 14 lavender orpington chick eggs in the incubator. This one pipped second, and was starting its way out. It was hitting the shell hard, and I thought it wouldn't be long. It started zipping a little toward the pointed end of the egg, but soon corrected its direction and was going to town. But it skipped a space on the shell. Then it skipped another space. By this time, I had one that had already hatched, and another had started zipping, and a couple more small pips. While I watched the next one hatch, I realized this little one had stopped zipping and appeared to not be moving, but I assumed it was just resting. I didn't want to open the incubator because of all the other action going on. After 3 had hatched and fluffed up, and the other pips looked safe enough for me to open the bator to remove the 3, I got them out, and checked the half-way zipper. No movement, no chirping. I felt it was gone, but I returned it to the bator anyway. A few more pips and hatches, and the half-way zipper had not changed, so I knew it was gone.
After all the commotion and getting all the others out, I finally took this one out and opened it up.
The shell was completely full... no air space at all. I think the chick was so big, and it zipped so sporadically, it must have rotated into a position where it just couldn't knock the shell, and suffocated. (Prior to lockdown, this ones air cell was fine. I weigh my eggs, and this one had lost 14.8%, which is right in line with all the others)
Anyway, here's what I found when I opened it. Yolk fully absorbed, ready to hatch. One leg was bent a little funny, but still looked like it would have been ok if it had hatched.
