Eggtopsy...with pictures, what day?

[jdublu]

Hatched 3 successful healthy strong chicks on day 21, left 2 last ones in until tonight, day 25. I gently piped into the air sac first to look for movement, and listen for chirping..but nothing. One looks like it was just about to pip into air sac (1st 4 pics), the other looked same as first when I was in air sac, but also looked it had crossbeak (last pic) so maybe bad genes? What could I have done differently? This is my first time incubating. Kept forced air incubator at 100 degrees and 50-55 humidity until day 18. Then lockdown was 60-65 humidity and 99.5 degrees. All temps and humidity confirmed with separate calibrated thermometer and hygrometer. These were shipped eggs. Maybe I should have not touched the temp? Was humidity too high through day 18? And what day do you think these failed? Trying to learn as much as I can. Will be getting more to incubate in a about 6 weeks once these chicks are in the coop.

 

[Bert96746]

Humidity could've been too high. I kept mine between 35% and 40%.

 

[TheChicken-nator]

Day 17 or 18, possibly 19. If you look you can see a lot of the internal stuff is still outside its body but it also filled a decent amount of the egg. It was also starting to tuck it's head. Be very careful with the humidity it's super important.

 

[jdublu]

Humidity could've been too high. I kept mine between 35% and 40%.

35-40 during first 18 days? Then what did you bump it too for lockdown?

 

[jdublu]

Day 17 or 18, possibly 19. If you look you can see a lot of the internal stuff is still outside its body but it also filled a decent amount of the egg. It was also starting to tuck it's head. Be very careful with the humidity it's super important.

I noticed the head tuck, and that one looked like it was just about to pop through into the air sac. How do I adjust humidity knowing that 3 hatched as is? I would think adjust it down maybe 5% on the next go around and leave at 100-degrees?

 

[Punkybrewster]

The chick was malpositioned and could not pip. At hatch, beak should be under the right wing in order to start pipping.

 

[TheChicken-nator]

The chick was malpositioned and could not pip. At hatch, beak should be under the right wing in order to start pipping.

She said she was thinking it was 18 days old. Not hatching just yet, and before it gets positioned for hatching it has to break the airsac which it didn't do.

 

[Bert96746]

35-40 during first 18 days? Then what did you bump it too for lockdown?

60-65

 

[jdublu]

Thanks for all the replies....I want to try hatching again in a few months..so any tips are great. Wanted to try to get some Ameraucana eggs this time...I heard they can be finicky.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Thanks for all the replies....I want to try hatching again in a few months..so any tips are great. Wanted to try to get some Ameraucana eggs this time...I heard they can be finicky.

I'll keep you posted on that one. I have a batch of 7 Wheaton Ameraucanas in the incubator on Day 16. Two early quitters noticeable by the Day 14 candle. I just had a 100% hatch from our own chickens in the same bator and these current eggs were driven, not shipped, across the province (I went halfway to pick them up), so hoping to get the remaining 5 out of the hatch - even 4 would be okay. However, storage, parent health, etc. are out of my control - though it looked good from information and photos. I heard recently that they've also had a bit of trouble hatching on their farm this year, so hopefully its not breed stock issues.