Deformed chick/chick death (WARNING! GRAPHIC PHOTOS!)

[Winnie123]

I ordered the thermometer that “Like Turkeys” recommended and found that my Little Giant is fluctuating temps up and down by 9 degrees! It won’t regulate! I don’t know how any of my eggs made it to day 20 like that (not to mention the one that actually hatched on day 22)! Since I can’t sit and watch the temp 24/7 I decided to splurge and bought the Brinsea 28 EX incubator. I’m really excited to try it and am hopeful for a better hatch! It should be here mid May and I can give it a try

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I have one that hatched with this. I don't know what it is but it seems to be ok. It eats and drinks. Chirps. I can't put it with the rest of the population because they peck at it.

That is exposed brain. I'm honestly surprised it survived! I wonder if the skull will close over it as it grows.

 

[Lynda720]

That is really sad! I hope it gets better, I’ve never seen that before!

Thank you. I met the lady that works at Murdock's near me she takes care of the chicks and I told her about this and how he/she was alone. She told me of this product that her dad uses called Pick-No-More. I put that on his/her head and put it into population. A few of them pecked at it and didn't like the taste and didn't peck at it any more I have to re-apply it but it seems to work. they don't bother him/her about it. and have let him/her into the flock. Yay

 

[Malkaris]

Thank you. I met the lady that works at Murdock's near me she takes care of the chicks and I told her about this and how he/she was alone. She told me of this product that her dad uses called Pick-No-More. I put that on his/her head and put it into population. A few of them pecked at it and didn't like the taste and didn't peck at it any more I have to re-apply it but it seems to work. they don't bother him/her about it. and have let him/her into the flock. Yay

Can you still buy that product?

 

[SpicyDill]

I had the same deformities (one with crossbeak and two with exposed brains) in my last hatch. Also a lot of late stage deaths and some issues in a couple of the surviving chicks. Cheap incubator, fluctuations seemingly at random. It was very disappointing because it was an expensive set of eggs. I ended up buying a better incubator; hopefully it'll make for a better success rate. You end up paying for those cheap bators in other ways in the long run.

 

[Winnie123]

I had the same deformities (one with crossbeak and two with exposed brains) in my last hatch. Also a lot of late stage deaths and some issues in a couple of the surviving chicks. Cheap incubator, fluctuations seemingly at random. It was very disappointing because it was an expensive set of eggs. I ended up buying a better incubator; hopefully it'll make for a better success rate. You end up paying for those cheap bators in other ways in the long run.

Good luck!!! I’ll be trying out my new incubator at the end of May!

 

[SpicyDill]

Good luck!!! I’ll be trying out my new incubator at the end of May!

New incubators are so exciting! Good luck to you, too!!!

 

[HollyBerrie]

I use two older Little Giants still air. The heating element is a coil that goes around the perimeter, and used the egg turner. Great hatches, and INPORTANT>> keep the room temperature the incubator is in at a steady temperature, or the incubator will not keep a steady temperature. Temperature fluctuations can and will cause chicks to develop deformaties.

When I was wanting to purchase a second Little Giant, I bought one with a fan, and the heating element in the center, and noticed quite a difference in temperatures within the same incubator, and returned it for the still air older model, which was the last one!

ETA: I also noticed that the factory thermometer on the newer Little Giant with the fan is way off.

 

[Winnie123]

I use two older Little Giants still air. It's important to keep the room temperature the incubator is in at a steady temperature, or the incubator will not keep a steady temperature. Temperature fluctuations can and will cause chicks to develop deformaties.

When I was wanting to purchase a second Little Giant, I bought one with a fan, and noticed the difference in temperatures within the incubator, and returned it for the still air older model, which was the last one!

ETA: I also noticed that the factory thermometer on the newer Little Giant with the fan is way off.

The first time I used my Little Giant incubator, it was a still air and I had a great hatch! So the second time I went to use it, I thought I’d splurge and bought the fan kit and the egg turner and all of my eggs died half way through incubation. So the third time I tried, I took the egg turner out and still used the fan and just hand turned them and still, all of my eggs died. Both my second and third attempt, I was trying to hatch shipped Silkie eggs with badly detached air cells, so I just assumed that was the problem! So this most recent time I tried to hatch eggs, I was using my own eggs from my own chickens, thinking my hatch would be great I excitedly put my egg turner back in there and still used the fan and all but one died around day 20... That caused me to suspect that adding the fan was what may have caused the problem (especially now since you said that), since my first time using it was so successful and it was a still air at that time (AND those were shipped eggs also)! I thought about trying it one more time and using it as a still air with no egg turner and just doing it manually, but at this point I was too afraid to try again! Uggg

So this time I REALLY splurged and already got the Brinsea 28 EX! It supposed to be delivered mid May, here’s hoping it will work!

 

[HollyBerrie]

I ordered the thermometer that “Like Turkeys” recommended and found that my Little Giant is fluctuating temps up and down by 9 degrees! It won’t regulate! I don’t know how any of my eggs made it to day 20 like that (not to mention the one that actually hatched on day 22)! Since I can’t sit and watch the temp 24/7 I decided to splurge and bought the Brinsea 28 EX incubator. I’m really excited to try it and am hopeful for a better hatch! It should be here mid May and I can give it a t

The first time I used my Little Giant incubator, it was a still air and I had a great hatch! So the second time I went to use it, I thought I’d splurge and bought the fan kit and the egg turner and all of my eggs died half way through incubation. So the third time I tried, I took the egg turner out and still used the fan and just hand turned them and still, all of my eggs died. Both my second and third attempt, I was trying to hatch shipped Silkie eggs with badly detached air cells, so I just assumed that was the problem! So this most recent time I tried to hatch eggs, I was using my own eggs from my own chickens, thinking my hatch would be great I excitedly put my egg turner back in there and still used the fan and all but one died around day 20... That caused me to suspect that adding the fan was what may have caused the problem (especially now since you said that), since my first time using it was so successful and it was a still air at that time (AND those were shipped eggs also)! I thought about trying it one more time and using it as a still air with no egg turner and just doing it manually, but at this point I was too afraid to try again! Uggg

So this time I REALLY splurged and already got the Brinsea 28 EX! It supposed to be delivered mid May, here’s hoping it will work!

I forgot to say that I used an egg turner also (I edited my post). Hopefully the Brinsea works. Keep us posted!