Chick died suddenly in incubator, seemed to have trouble breathing

[Kiki]

Read this...it has good info.
http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation

 

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

I don't get it. Even with humidity of 70% in the incubator, the chicks that struggle and need to stay in there for 1-2 days after hatching, they completely dry out and can't even move unless I rub a bit of water on their feathers. Are you familiar with this?

Since I’m not there, I’d have to assume that there’s a chance your incubator is not reading correctly. I’ve never had a problem with drying out at the 50% let alone 70%. That’s definitely not enough humidity if they’re dried out, but your machine is saying otherwise. There’s times with my incubator where it says it’s a certain temperature and humidity- then I go in to hand turn and it is stark cold and dry. That’s not to say you can’t make it work with this incubator, since I know they’re so expensive. Although that’s up to you. It’d just take you becoming familiar with feeling the difference in heat and temp.
Or maybe you have the hole covers open. At the top of mine there’s two plastic pieces that is recommended to be removed during hatch. I never do that, even if I keep them in there for hours afterward.

I also had trouble once using the given water holes to put in water, as directed. Whenever I did the water would leak out onto my floors and mess up the temperature, humidity, everything. I don’t take them out during hatch either.
Although my chicks are seramas, so they’re small like some quail chicks. They have more breathability than I’d imagine a bator full of large chicks would have.
Once they get out of the eggs I lessen the humidity. 70% would also be tough on a hatched chick to breathe in for a while. If that’s what you’ve had them at it could contribute to liquid in the lungs.

Also as a side note I’ve moistened my assisted hatches with coconut oil rather than water. If humidity is missing then the water will keep getting sucked right now.

 

[goats-n-oats]

Since I’m not there, I’d have to assume that there’s a chance your incubator is not reading correctly. I’ve never had a problem with drying out at the 50% let alone 70%. That’s definitely not enough humidity if they’re dried out, but your machine is saying otherwise. There’s times with my incubator where it says it’s a certain temperature and humidity- then I go in to hand turn and it is stark cold and dry. That’s not to say you can’t make it work with this incubator, since I know they’re so expensive. Although that’s up to you. It’d just take you becoming familiar with feeling the difference in heat and temp.
Or maybe you have the hole covers open. At the top of mine there’s two plastic pieces that is recommended to be removed during hatch. I never do that, even if I keep them in there for hours afterward.

I also had trouble once using the given water holes to put in water, as directed. Whenever I did the water would leak out onto my floors and mess up the temperature, humidity, everything. I don’t take them out during hatch either.
Although my chicks are seramas, so they’re small like some quail chicks. They have more breathability than I’d imagine a bator full of large chicks would have.
Once they get out of the eggs I lessen the humidity. 70% would also be tough on a hatched chick to breathe in for a while. If that’s what you’ve had them at it could contribute to liquid in the lungs.

Also as a side note I’ve moistened my assisted hatches with coconut oil rather than water. If humidity is missing then the water will keep getting sucked right now.

Thank you!!!