Chicks dying in lockdown

[samcrook2]

Please help I keep getting to lockdown and having all my chicks die in their shells I just did a shell autopsy and one had internally popped but never even any attempts at properly pipping. I have lost a few now. It’s a very cheaper incubator and when one hatches the humidity does get worryingly high I’m talking as high as 99 so I will sometimes lift the incubator open as it also has rather poor ventilation to bring it down to around 75. This humidity should still be fine I’m so confused. It’s day 22 and I have 4 more that we’re meant to hatch yesterday and I don’t know what to do please help

 

[JaeG]

The fact that you say it has poor ventilation makes me wonder if that is the cause. Eggs at hatch need lots of fresh air circulated over them. Your incubator should have vents that open, or plugs that you remove to allow more fresh air into the incubator.

 

[samcrook2]

It has 4 small holes in it but I feel like that isn’t enough

 

[samcrook2]

But I’ve got a chick due tommorow who when candled is still alive and moving and I’m not sure what to do

 

[JaeG]

I'm not sure either but I'll call on @ronott1 who might have an idea. Hopefully he'll be on soon.

 

[ronott1]

I am so sorry to hear about the chicks dying!

when humidity gets as high as you are seeing, Oxygen levels drop in the incubator and the chicks will die from suffocation. Even with all of the vents open this will happen.

If you live in a very humid place you might need a dehumidifier in the room with the incubator. A small room like a closet would likely be best but you have to make sure that the room has plenty of oxygen in it

It might be time to get a better incubator too. purchased hatching eggs are expensive so a good incubator is needed or it is like tossing money away to have a bad incubator

 

[chickens really]

If during the entire incubation the air cells didn't get big enough due to not enough moisture loss the Chicks will drown once they internally pip and won't have oxygen to externally pip the shell. Best of luck with the other eggs.

 

[chickens really]

The air cells getting bigger is an indication of development in the egg. All of the incubation factors play a role. As long as the humidity is in the 30to45% range, the chick should develop fine.

Temperature and flock health are two important ones and shipping stress can hurt development too.

The liquid in the egg that kills a chick at the end would normally be absorbed by the chick more than any evaporation effect

Actually no. If humidity is too high during early incubation and moisture loss doesn't happen the Chicks drown upon internal pip without a proper air cell.

 

[ronott1]

Actually no. If humidity is too high during early incubation and moisture loss doesn't happen the Chicks drown upon internal pip without a proper air cell.

I have to respectfully disagree. It is one factor and not the main one.

Go do some research though and prove me wrong. That would be great!

 

[ronott1]

The air cells getting bigger is an indication of development in the egg. All of the incubation factors play a role. As long as the humidity is in the 30to45% range, the chick should develop fine.

Temperature and flock health are two important ones and shipping stress can hurt development too.

The liquid in the egg that kills a chick at the end would normally be absorbed by the chick more than any evaporation effect