chicks dead in egg

[Arrowhead07]

Hatching was going great. Now I have had two batches were 2 will hatch and 3 or 4 will develop but be dead in the egg? No pip no nothing. What could cause this? Temp and humidity are fine.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Two things come to my amateur mind...

1. Too high humidity during days 1-18: The egg does not lose enough fluid to evaporation and the peeps drown inside.

2. Too low humidity during days 18-21: The peeps get shrink-wrapped inside their membranes.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I had the same issue this week, but I assumed it was humidity. I had a couple come out very wet and their umbilical cords were red and big! They are all fine, but I had alot that fully developed and never came out, and one that piped but never zipped. I think it drowned in the egg.

Other than humidity, I wouldn't know what to tell you other than it is just one of those things. Maybe (and this is a brainstorm here) the shells of the eggs were too thick. I have heard that too much calcium in the hens diet can make the shells very hard for the little boogers to break. Same as too little calcium and they break when you look at them.

 

[Chicken Chat]

Arrowhead07 - I am so sorry about your little ones that didn't make it, it is always so sad.

I assume that you opened the shell to check on the ones that didn't make it. I do that as well, to figure out what might have happened.
Were they still tightly wrapped, head down, or had they twisted their heads up, to get into position, yoke absorbed? Sometimes it helps to determine the cause.

 

[Arrowhead07]

The only thing I have changed is I stopped using an egg carton to hatch. I read on here that was bad. I just layed them naturally. They are not "shrink wrapped" and don't seem to have extra fluid.

 

[aceschix]

Did you open the bator before day 23ish?

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Are you using a hygrometer? You can do everything the same, but get widely varying results. The only way to *truly* do everything the same is to use a hygrometer.

 

[IggiMom]

I don't use the egg carton method, but it is a matter of preference. Um--I don't think it is bad, especially.

Particularly not as a moral issue.

I like them lying on their sides because then if they pip at the wrong end they can still get out ok. And also because I just like to do it that way.

I doubt if the problem with your eggs had anything to do with the egg carton method or lack thereof.

When I had chicks dying in the shell it turned out to be humidity problems.

It is a sad thing to see those little limp tiny bodies. Here, have a hug.

Catherine

 

[DuckLady]

Thread has been cleaned. Please be helpful and nice or just move on. Thanks.

 

[Orphy]

Thank you!