Chicks being crushed in incubator

[jjackson-7]

I am having a new issue with slightly younger/newly hatched chicks being smothered by the slightly older chicks that hatch first in the incubator. My last hatch I didn’t realize it was happening, and I woke up to thirteen chicks crushed/smothered on the incubator floor under a bunch of happy healthy chicks.

This hatch I’ve been trying to keep a closer eye but got busy in the garden this morning and I’ve got 4 dead chicks and one on its way out. I made the cardinal sin and opened the incubator very quickly with the help of my husband and I scooped out all the live chicks so no one else gets crushed. Quickly misted inside with water and shut it back up. There were pipped/hatching eggs everywhere so hopefully I didn’t just doom the rest of them anyway, but I’ve made lots of hatches with this same incubator before and while I may loose a chick that’s made it’s way out here and there, not a mass trampling like this. Humidity was 50% and then raised to 70%. It went a bit over 70 once the eggs started hatching faster but all in all it’s been a picture perfect incubation. I do feel like the chicks we took out seem damp. I would have expected them to be fluffed up better. Maybe the newer chicks are staying too moist and it’s impeding their mobility to get moving? Otherwise the dead ones have all been fully developed strong looking chicks.

Just wondering if anyone had any insight.

 

[Tonyroo]

Don't pack the incubator with eggs, overcrowding will result in dead chicks. Unless your full attention is on the incubator when chicks are hatching so they can be removed.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I am having a new issue with slightly younger/newly hatched chicks being smothered by the slightly older chicks that hatch first in the incubator. My last hatch I didn’t realize it was happening, and I woke up to thirteen chicks crushed/smothered on the incubator floor under a bunch of happy healthy chicks.

This hatch I’ve been trying to keep a closer eye but got busy in the garden this morning and I’ve got 4 dead chicks and one on its way out. I made the cardinal sin and opened the incubator very quickly with the help of my husband and I scooped out all the live chicks so no one else gets crushed. Quickly misted inside with water and shut it back up. There were pipped/hatching eggs everywhere so hopefully I didn’t just doom the rest of them anyway, but I’ve made lots of hatches with this same incubator before and while I may loose a chick that’s made it’s way out here and there, not a mass trampling like this. Humidity was 50% and then raised to 70%. It went a bit over 70 once the eggs started hatching faster but all in all it’s been a picture perfect incubation. I do feel like the chicks we took out seem damp. I would have expected them to be fluffed up better. Maybe the newer chicks are staying too moist and it’s impeding their mobility to get moving? Otherwise the dead ones have all been fully developed strong looking chicks.

Just wondering if anyone had any insight.

How big is the incubator? How many eggs?Do you have a picture?
There's no "sin", there's no harm in opening the incubator as long as it isn't left open for too long. It's definitely best to keep taking babies out to prevent them getting crushed

 

[BarnyardChaos]

There is no need at all to fear opening the incubator to remove hatched chicks. Yes, the humidity will dip for a few minutes, but not long enough to dry out the eggs and cause shrink-wrapping. As long as you don't open it repeatedly so often that the humidity can't catch up, it's FINE.

They don't have to be fully dry before removing them, either. I wait only long enough for them to get their feet under them and able to stand, then they get moved to the brooder. Once out of that damp incubator, they dry out and fluff up quickly.

 

[jjackson-7]

It’s a Brinsea Ovation 56. I had 56 eggs in it. It was full even after candling because there were a lot of Black Copper Maran eggs and I was having a hard time seeing what’s what. Because of the humidity and fluff built up during the hatch you can’t see much through the dome.

Here’s a picture of the ones I took out. They’ve already fluffed up some.

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

I am having a new issue with slightly younger/newly hatched chicks being smothered by the slightly older chicks that hatch first in the incubator. My last hatch I didn’t realize it was happening, and I woke up to thirteen chicks crushed/smothered on the incubator floor under a bunch of happy healthy chicks.

This hatch I’ve been trying to keep a closer eye but got busy in the garden this morning and I’ve got 4 dead chicks and one on its way out. I made the cardinal sin and opened the incubator very quickly with the help of my husband and I scooped out all the live chicks so no one else gets crushed. Quickly misted inside with water and shut it back up. There were pipped/hatching eggs everywhere so hopefully I didn’t just doom the rest of them anyway, but I’ve made lots of hatches with this same incubator before and while I may loose a chick that’s made it’s way out here and there, not a mass trampling like this. Humidity was 50% and then raised to 70%. It went a bit over 70 once the eggs started hatching faster but all in all it’s been a picture perfect incubation. I do feel like the chicks we took out seem damp. I would have expected them to be fluffed up better. Maybe the newer chicks are staying too moist and it’s impeding their mobility to get moving? Otherwise the dead ones have all been fully developed strong looking chicks.

Just wondering if anyone had any insight.

I got a Nurture Right 360 for Mother’s Day this year. It will hold 22 eggs, so of course I put 22 eggs in to incubate. Most were dark brown so very difficult to candle. There were only 2 that I could tell were not fertilized so I removed them. That left 20 eggs in incubator. When they started hatching I was worried that some would be trampled because of the shells and babies so I quickly opened it to get babies and some shells out to make room for those still hatching. I won’t put 22 in it anymore. Fifteen is the most I will put in it next time.

 

[jjackson-7]

I guess general consensus is too many eggs in. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky in the past. And normally I do remove some eggs during candling so it would be less full. I guess that’s a place to start.

 

[jjackson-7]

And it seems I’ve been a bit rigid about opening the incubator during hatches. I’ve always took a “do not open on pain of death” approach, but knowing I can assist quickly will make things easier.

 

[MROO]

I got a Nurture Right 360 for Mother’s Day this year. It will hold 22 eggs, so of course I put 22 eggs in to incubate. Most were dark brown so very difficult to candle. There were only 2 that I could tell were not fertilized so I removed them. That left 20 eggs in incubator. When they started hatching I was worried that some would be trampled because of the shells and babies so I quickly opened it to get babies and some shells out to make room for those still hatching. I won’t put 22 in it anymore. Fifteen is the most I will put in it next time.

I have the same incubator. I've filled it a time or two, but my birds are tiny Nankin bantams that hatch not much bigger than a quarter. I don't take the first hatchlings out until I have three fully dried peeps to go into the brooder together. After that, I keep an eye on things and pull as necessary. Whenever possible, I leave at least one in the 'bator to encourage the "egglets."
I don't think I'd be brave enough to fill the 360 with standard eggs. Even if I pulled chicks out as they dried, I don't think there would be enough room to safely hold more than a half dozen at a time, especially if there were still eggs waiting to hatch.

 

[Charlie Wooster]

Keep a flat piece of cardboard handy, or at least a flat surface big enough to sit the dome of the incubator down on, it will keep the heat running steady while you tend to chicks and when you return the lid it won’t be wide open, heating up unnecessarily and and temperature spiking causing more problems inside the incubator..