Chickcozy incubator

[Ilovechickens2525]

I am so happy you were able to figure it out and are having good hatches! I spent so much time trying to figure out what was going on with mine because when I put the thermometer on the stand it was in the normal range, but then I was having horrible hatches and shrink wrapped chicks. It took some time and 3 different external thermometers to finally figure out what was going on. I also had issues with the bottom mat offgassing so so badly. I am hopeful that they fixed all of these issues in the newer model. But I do like to try and warn people now so that they can check theirs and make sure it is functioning correctly before losing a bunch of chicks like I did! Congrats on your babies

Well I am having trouble this hatch with a few of them and worried my last 4 eggs are shrink wrapped.

I had more eggs this time, so the first 6 hatched earlier, between day 20 and 21. No issues, no bits of gunk stuck to them this time. But I turned the temp down one degree since I figured they were adding more heat now that they’ve hatched and now I’m worried I shrink wrapped the others. The last 4 still haven’t hatched. Morning of day 23. So that might have been a terrible mistake. I’d seen movement in at least 2 of these eggs when I candled right before lockdown too.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

I am so happy you were able to figure it out and are having good hatches! I spent so much time trying to figure out what was going on with mine because when I put the thermometer on the stand it was in the normal range, but then I was having horrible hatches and shrink wrapped chicks. It took some time and 3 different external thermometers to finally figure out what was going on. I also had issues with the bottom mat offgassing so so badly. I am hopeful that they fixed all of these issues in the newer model. But I do like to try and warn people now so that they can check theirs and make sure it is functioning correctly before losing a bunch of chicks like I did! Congrats on your babies

Was it you that said it had hot/cold spots too? 3 of these eggs ended up setting on the edge after the chicks kicked them around. 1 was in the middle though.

 

[Slothinc]

Was it you that said it had hot/cold spots too? 3 of these eggs ended up setting on the edge after the chicks kicked them around. 1 was in the middle though.

Sorry about the possible shrink wrapped babies. Have you candled to see if they have internally pipped? If they have, I would help them out (if they are still alive at this point.) Did most of your chicks hatch on day 21? I was having that same issue quite a bit when my temp and humidity was too low. And yes it does seem to be that some areas in my incubator hatch better than others, although I don’t know if it is hot/cold spots or what. But I have found that the eggs incubating on the left side of the incubator tend to hatch more consistently than the right side. It’s really weird. It’s just something I have observed after probably 6-7 hatches in that incubator.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Sorry about the possible shrink wrapped babies. Have you candled to see if they have internally pipped? If they have, I would help them out (if they are still alive at this point.) Did most of your chicks hatch on day 21? I was having that same issue quite a bit when my temp and humidity was too low. And yes it does seem to be that some areas in my incubator hatch better than others, although I don’t know if it is hot/cold spots or what. But I have found that the eggs incubating on the left side of the incubator tend to hatch more consistently than the right side. It’s really weird. It’s just something I have observed after probably 6-7 hatches in that incubator.

That’s interesting, I have not candled yet. I’m worried about making it worse by taking them out.

If I do this how do I help them out? My suspicion is that the two on the left are alive and two on the right aren’t. When the chicks were still in the incubator they were hovering around the two on the left and ignoring the other two.

 

[Slothinc]

That’s interesting, I have not candled yet. I’m worried about making it worse by taking them out.

If I do this how do I help them out? My suspicion is that the two on the left are alive and two on the right aren’t. When the chicks were still in the incubator they were hovering around the two on the left and ignoring the other two.

Definitely candle them now so you can see what is going on. It won’t hurt them at this point, especially since they haven’t externally pipped. If you see a completely intact air cell without any movement, then they likely haven’t internally pipped, and at this point I would suspect that they are dead.

If you do see movement in the air cell area then they could still have a chance, but being so far into incubation I would help for sure because they are likely shrink wrapped.

At this point it is kind of an urgent matter because they are so far past when they should have hatched. If they have internally pipped they need oxygen and need to be freed. Candle and let us know what you find. If you see moving chicks, use a small screw to gently make a hole in the air cell, and then continue to help. I can walk you through that if you find that you have a live baby.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Definitely candle them now so you can see what is going on. It won’t hurt them at this point, especially since they haven’t externally pipped. If you see a completely intact air cell without any movement, then they likely haven’t internally pipped, and at this point I would suspect that they are dead.

If you do see movement in the air cell area then they could still have a chance, but being so far into incubation I would help for sure because they are likely shrink wrapped.

At this point it is kind of an urgent matter because they are so far past when they should have hatched. If they have internally pipped they need oxygen and need to be freed. Candle and let us know what you find. If you see moving chicks, use a small screw to gently make a hole in the air cell, and then continue to help. I can walk you through that if you find that you have a live baby.

Ok, done!

So…. Two of them I couldn’t SEE but they physically moved on the candler, like the egg itself jiggled multiple times!

The other two I could see veins still. But they didn’t move.

I outlined the airsacs on all and put them back in to warm up. They all have saddled airsacs though, so perhaps that is the issue!

I forgot to get a picture of the brown egg, it is one that moved though. The two white egg pics are the same egg, I was just trying to get the different angles. The line on it is not a blood ring, it’s my pencil marking.

 

[Slothinc]

Ok, done!

So…. Two of them I couldn’t SEE but they physically moved on the candler, like the egg itself jiggled multiple times!

The other two I could see veins still. But they didn’t move.

I outlined the airsacs on all and put them back in to warm up. They all have saddled airsacs though, so perhaps that is the issue!

I forgot to get a picture of the brown egg, it is one that moved though. The two white egg pics are the same egg, I was just trying to get the different angles. The line on it is not a blood ring, it’s my pencil marking.

Were the two blue ones the ones that didn’t move? Or did the white one not move? And have all your other chicks been out for at least 24 hours?

I would be inclined to help. And I can walk you through it if you want. However, you should ask yourself if you are ready and prepared to help a chick! It’s possible that it won’t survive being helped. But also very possible/probable that they will die without help.

I have helped many chicks (and especially since my chickcozy has had issues.) and most of the time the chicks are just fine! However if they are already extremely weak from being inside the egg for too long, then they usually won’t make it, even if they hatch out all the way and their yolk was completely absorbed etc. So if you want to proceed and give them a chance, let me know. I would do it sooner rather than later since it’s likely that two have already passed.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Were the two blue ones the ones that didn’t move? Or did the white one not move? And have all your other chicks been out for at least 24 hours?

I would be inclined to help. And I can walk you through it if you want. However, you should ask yourself if you are ready and prepared to help a chick! It’s possible that it won’t survive being helped. But also very possible/probable that they will die without help.

I have helped many chicks (and especially since my chickcozy has had issues.) and most of the time the chicks are just fine! However if they are already extremely weak from being inside the egg for too long, then they usually won’t make it, even if they hatch out all the way and their yolk was completely absorbed etc. So if you want to proceed and give them a chance, let me know. I would do it sooner rather than later since it’s likely that two have already passed.

White one and smaller blue one didn’t move.

The larger (first pic) blue egg moved and a dark brown bielefelder egg moved.

I would want to help them but I don’t know how. What do I need to do to help if I need to? What do I need to have ready.

Do I help them fully out of the shell or just help them get started?

Last time all hatched on day 22, this is halfway through day 23.

I took the last chicks out of the incubator last night, so there aren’t any chicks still in the incubator. They all hatched in day 21 and 20.

 

[Slothinc]

You don’t need very much stuff to assist! Get together a screw to make the hole, tweezers to peel off the shell, warm water and q tips to wet the membrane, a paper towel or dish towel to work on, and cornstarch (or styptic powder) to stop any accidental bleeds. You can make substitutions for any of these things depending on what you have on hand.

Pull out the egg and use the screw to start a hole in the air cell area. (Use a candler to make sure you’re in the air cell) Use tweezers to gently take off little pieces of shell around the air cell (since you drew it on the egg that will help.)

Continue taking off little pieces around the whole shell area covering the air cell. At that point if the membrane around the chick is looking white then it is likely stuck. Moisten the membrane around the chick with warm water or coconut oil and make sure there are no large blood veins in the membrane. If no large veins, then gently tear the membrane starting where the chick has internally pipped, if it has. If it hasn’t, tear gently in a place with the least amount of blood vessels.

If the chick is still making a lot of “chewing” motions then it is still absorbing the yolk.

Then per back the membrane around the chicks head and free the head/beak, the place back in the incubator.

The do the same for the next chick.

Then let us know how they did/are doing.

After 20-30 mins if the chick is perked up and trying to move, if there aren’t large blood vessels in the moistened membrane I will gently open the membrane some more and let the chicks head and shoulders be exposed, then place the egg back in the incubator.

Usually they will hatch on their own within the next 30 mins. If they haven’t done much after about an hour I will assist some more to free a bit more of the chick. But never pull the chick out of the bottom of the egg, let them do that when they are ready. You’ve got this!

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

You don’t need very much stuff to assist! Get together a screw to make the hole, tweezers to peel off the shell, warm water and q tips to wet the membrane, a paper towel or dish towel to work on, and cornstarch (or styptic powder) to stop any accidental bleeds. You can make substitutions for any of these things depending on what you have on hand.

Pull out the egg and use the screw to start a hole in the air cell area. (Use a candler to make sure you’re in the air cell) Use tweezers to gently take off little pieces of shell around the air cell (since you drew it on the egg that will help.)

Continue taking off little pieces around the whole shell area covering the air cell. At that point if the membrane around the chick is looking white then it is likely stuck. Moisten the membrane around the chick with warm water or coconut oil and make sure there are no large blood veins in the membrane. If no large veins, then gently tear the membrane starting where the chick has internally pipped, if it has. If it hasn’t, tear gently in a place with the least amount of blood vessels.

If the chick is still making a lot of “chewing” motions then it is still absorbing the yolk.

Then per back the membrane around the chicks head and free the head/beak, the place back in the incubator.

The do the same for the next chick.

Then let us know how they did/are doing.

After 20-30 mins if the chick is perked up and trying to move, if there aren’t large blood vessels in the moistened membrane I will gently open the membrane some more and let the chicks head and shoulders be exposed, then place the egg back in the incubator.

Usually they will hatch on their own within the next 30 mins. If they haven’t done much after about an hour I will assist some more to free a bit more of the chick. But never pull the chick out of the bottom of the egg, let them do that when they are ready. You’ve got this!

I assume I’d see some movement if they were alive? I think all are dead

I should’ve done this earlier, two were fully developed, one I think couldn’t get to the air sac, its stomach was facing the air cell. The other one something broke through membrane but not the beak, maybe a foot?