Egg question

[ButtonNomies]

Hey guys I wonder if anyone has any insights to this. So I've been hatching eggs from 2 different hens. No issues before until this last batch. One hens eggs hatch really well while another's seem to struggle. From pip to zip n then when hatched theyre plumper than the first hens eggs. Noticeably larger chicks in girth. Would this be why they're struggling so much to hatch? I'm seriously considering just not incubating any more of her eggs as 3 chicks died shortly after hatching coz I think they were just too exhausted heartbreaking n don't think I can go thru it again

 

[Nabiki]

What was your humidity during lockdown? It is possible that there is something genetic going on, but I would check humidity first. It should be around 50-60%.

 

[ButtonNomies]

Humidity was holding solid at 55% throughout lockdown xx

 

[ButtonNomies]

The eggs from the other hen all hatched fine without issues. Just the second hens eggs that struggled. I've got a really weak chick now with curled toes, bald patches and a broken squeaker sounding chirp she seems to be fighting to stay with us tho but she really struggled to hatch out even after removing half the shell (not the membrane) n she was struggling round with a hat of shell that she couldn't shake. She seems to be moving around and has even eaten but the poor thing looks like she's gone 5 rounds with a zenomorph I've named her Ripley xx

 

[ButtonNomies]

 

[Nabiki]

Sounds like you may want to stop incubating her eggs.

 

[007Sean]

How are you measuring the %Rh? Do you have a calibrated hygrometer or are you relying on the instruments sensors?
To me, it sounds like the humidity is/was too high! Taking a long time to zip and curled toes are a sign of high humidity.

 

[ButtonNomies]

Calibrated hydrometers ... 2 of them, definately not the humidity xx

 

[ButtonNomies]

Update :

Little Ripley didn't make it past 12 hours I'm stopping incubating any more eggs from them, going to grow out the birds I've kept and try again next season. Half my keepers are from outsourced eggs so I'm hoping to have some good diversity xx