Chicks died within 12 hours of hatch

[OHGrandma]

I have a Little Giant, w/fan, w/turner. The instructions didn't say anything about humidity, so I went in blind. I did not candle eggs. At day 18 I removed the eggs from the turner and placed a wet sponge under the screen. 10 of 40 hatched at 20 days, and within 12 hours they were feet up, dead. This was in October. I felt the incubator did a fine job of keeping a steady temp.

I'm ready to try again. I have a guage to monitor the humidity. I intend to do a dry hatch until lockdown and add water as needed. The eggs are fresh, although a few might have gotten a bit colder than desired.

The problem is, I really don't know what caused the deaths of the 10 chicks that hatched in October. Any ideas of what to do, other than monitor the humidity?

 

[Duramaxgirl]

What was the temp in the brooder?

 

[OHGrandma]

Quote:
I never got them out of the incubator. I thought they would be OK in the incubator until at least 24 hours after hatching. Off the top of my head, I can't remember the temp, maybe 99.5? Whatever mark was on the thermometer that came with the incubator is what I had it on. I took the thermometer out when I went on lockdown, it had been very steady up to that point.
The one thing I suspect, is 12 year old in the house might not have been able to keep his hands off. The temp control could have been bumped in his excitement to look at the chicks hatching.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

Hmmm well I've left chicks in the incubator for 12 hours before so they shouldn't of died from that. I've had little giant bators before and they're easy to turn up the heat on. So maybe the 12 year old did.
Hard to say with out more info. Where there any other symptoms other then feet up dead? Where they active at after hatching?

 

[OHGrandma]

They were very active after hatching. They dried & fluffed nicely. Grandson said he never touched the incubator, just watched through the window. But I also know he couldn't resist holding the chicks I bought last Feb.

 

[kidcody]

If It was just one chick dieing, but the fact all 10 died. I would guess the temp was to high. In the past I have used the Little Giant and I never had a problem with them dieing.

You will have to try again and really keep your eye on them

 

[chickenhealth]

Maybe get an external temperature thermometer to double check the temps?

 

[Gypsy07]

Maybe site the bator where said 12 year old can't access it.

I agree that for all 10 chicks to die for no apparent reason, high temps sound like the most likely reason, and if your temps had been steady all the way through the incubation up till the hatch, human interference sounds like the most likely reason for those high temps. Bumping the temp gauge would be an easy mistake for an excited kid to make and your grandson might be telling the truth in that he really doesn't think he DID touch the bator. He could have brushed against it by accident...

So depending on how reliable a kid he is, either explain to him very carefully what might have happened, and how important it is that he really makes sure not to touch the bator AT ALL, or just sit it up high where he can't reach it, in a room with a lock on the door, and tell him he'll ahve all the time in the world to handle them once they're out of the bator and into the brooder.

Good luck with your next hatch!

 

[Corg33]

That is so sad. I hope you have better luck this time