Emergency: I Need Some Advice

[Crystalchic]

Please help, I need some quick advice. We're on Day 21 and I had several eggs in a brand new genesis bator. Most of these eggs did not go into the bator until a couple weeks after they were laid and many of the eggs "vacationed" on our kitchen counter. I don't know the importance of that fact, but I think it might mean something.

At least 10 chicks have hatched without problems. These chicks appear normal and healthy. We have six eggs left, two with pips, and the others with peeps.

Here's the problem: two chicks have had problems. One of he first chicks to hatch (a copper black maran zipped and then died shortly thereafter. When I inspected the egg, it had a lot of bubbly, sticky and syrupy"goop" in the egg and around the zip.

A few hours later, a second egg pipped and I noticed the same bubbly syrup oozing out of the zip. I know it's against standard advice to assist the chick in hatching, but try telling that to my daughter. I freed the chick's head so it wasn't drowning in the goop. That was six hours ago, and the chick is still alive and he doesn't seem to be as distressed.

My temps and humidity have been steady the entire 3 weeks. I'm concerned about the sticky stuff. What is it? Should I let the other chicks deal with it themselves? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[hinkjc]

I would guess it is the age of the eggs causing this issue. Althought your hygrometer could also be off (and you wouldn't know it until a hatch goes like this). If the hygrometer is actually higher than it is reading, then the increased humidity of chicks hatching could have caused some "drowning" effects in the remaining eggs.

I personally do not help gooey chicks. The fact is they will be a mess when you help them and often don't do well after hatch anyway. They sometimes even dry up hard as a rock, which is the result of all the slime. I'm sorry to hear you're having these challenges.

It is best to try to set your eggs within 7-10 days. The earlier the better, but I have found that time frame is the max. Otherwise, you lose viability and hatchability.

 

[MandyH]

Yes if the humidity is too high the chicks will drown. BUT if you have them laying on their side hatching, they can get rolled around and drown, that's why I have always used an egg carton to hatch in.

 

[Crystalchic]

My next hatch I will use an egg carton, because the other chicks are playing foot ball with the unhatched eggs

 

[Crystalchic]

Thank You for your quick responses