First Time Egg Candler Scared!

[firsttimehatch1]

Holy smokes I'm up to 8 and 9 is working away

 

[firsttimehatch1]

Question... One of the eggs was popping and started to zip. But with all the chicks climbing around they bumped it Nd the bottom side cracked. Some moisture came out and dried white. Nothing has changed.. Do you think he died?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I opened it to wipe off the little window and put the thermometer back where I could see it. Humidity is back down in the 70's.

At least 4 more piped that I could see with a quick scan. Many of them have been turned over so I can't see if they are or did have a pip.

The cool thing to me is that the egg I had the biggest question about on day 18 already hatched and it's doing great. I don't know how it only took up 50%-60% of the egg, but came out totally normal. I candled it a day before it piped and it still had a big open pocket on the pointy end besides the nice air cell.

This is the egg that hatched out fine. I marked it after this pic was taken on day 18.

It just shows that what is meant to be will be.

Question... One of the eggs was popping and started to zip. But with all the chicks climbing around they bumped it Nd the bottom side cracked. Some moisture came out and dried white. Nothing has changed.. Do you think he died?

If it was zipping it shouldn't have been killed by be bumped around and cracked further, but if you are concerned and your humidity is is a safe range (above 65%) you can check on him.

 

[firsttimehatch1]

it is higher than 65 right now because so many hatched the humidity shot up. how would i check on him?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

it is higher than 65 right now because so many hatched the humidity shot up. how would i check on him?

Quickly pull him (the egg) out and see if he's ok, if he's having trouble or stuck because of moisture drying you can wet the membrane and help him finish. (If you are comfortable with that. Don't act, unless you are 100% comfortable with the decision to help.)

 

[Critterwoman]

For the life of me I cannot remember what the abbreviation's are! Ugh! BLR, SLW, etc. Please help this ole gal out!
Now for questions. New to incubating and practicing on my own eggs until I get my breeding birds separated. I have black orpington hens that carry the lavender gene and a lavender roo, plus black copper marans. No way I can see to candle the dark eggs!
1.Do you put point up or down?
2. I read otherwise on humidity and keep mine 60-65%. Am I giving them a death sentence before they get started?
3. How do you tell the air cell?
4. What temp do you keep them
Out of my last practice hatch I got 1 chick out of 7. Not good. Of the ones that didn't hatch 3 were formed but no feathers, 3 formed with feathers. Don't know what went wrong. They never did smell. I have a Styrofoam still air bater with egg turner. First batch I ran at 99.5* Read they should be kept warmer in this type so this batch is at 102* they have been in there 7 days now. Hope I Have a better hatch rate this time!

Any help is appreciated. Also have a good friend that has been doing this a long time I get advice from

 

[AmyLynn2374]

For the life of me I cannot remember what the abbreviation's are! Ugh! BLR, SLW, etc. Please help this ole gal out!
Now for questions. New to incubating and practicing on my own eggs until I get my breeding birds separated. I have black orpington hens that carry the lavender gene and a lavender roo, plus black copper marans. No way I can see to candle the dark eggs!
1.Do you put point up or down?
2. I read otherwise on humidity and keep mine 60-65%. Am I giving them a death sentence before they get started?
3. How do you tell the air cell?
4. What temp do you keep them
Out of my last practice hatch I got 1 chick out of 7. Not good. Of the ones that didn't hatch 3 were formed but no feathers, 3 formed with feathers. Don't know what went wrong. They never did smell. I have a Styrofoam still air bater with egg turner. First batch I ran at 99.5* Read they should be kept warmer in this type so this batch is at 102* they have been in there 7 days now. Hope I Have a better hatch rate this time!

Any help is appreciated. Also have a good friend that has been doing this a long time I get advice from

BLR-Blue Laced Red Wyndotte
SLW_Silver Laced Wyndotte

1. Pointed end down. Air cell end is always up.
2. 60-65% Is a death sentence in my opinion. Anything over 45% I'm uncomfortable with. You are using a styro bator, I would recommend a low humidty incubation method. I use this one and swear by it. (Providing your thermometers are checked and accurate and your incubator holds steady temps.) :http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity
3. You'll know the air cell when you see it. When you candle make sure that you are candling down into the egg from the air cell end. (The big end.) The brightly illuminated space at the top of the egg is the air cell.
4. In a still air you want the temp to be steady around 101.5 (101-102) F (Taken near the tops of the eggs.)

I hope you have much better luck this time.

 

[bcostley]

For the life of me I cannot remember what the abbreviation's are! Ugh! BLR, SLW, etc. Please help this ole gal out!
Now for questions. New to incubating and practicing on my own eggs until I get my breeding birds separated. I have black orpington hens that carry the lavender gene and a lavender roo, plus black copper marans. No way I can see to candle the dark eggs!
1.Do you put point up or down?
2. I read otherwise on humidity and keep mine 60-65%. Am I giving them a death sentence before they get started?
3. How do you tell the air cell?
4. What temp do you keep them
Out of my last practice hatch I got 1 chick out of 7. Not good. Of the ones that didn't hatch 3 were formed but no feathers, 3 formed with feathers. Don't know what went wrong. They never did smell. I have a Styrofoam still air bater with egg turner. First batch I ran at 99.5* Read they should be kept warmer in this type so this batch is at 102* they have been in there 7 days now. Hope I Have a better hatch rate this time!

Any help is appreciated. Also have a good friend that has been doing this a long time I get advice from

1) pointy end down
2/3) if you can't candle, you can go by weight to see how much weight loss there is. Too late for this batch to get starting weight.
4) People usually recommend 101-102 at the top of eggs for still air. If you were 99.5 at top of eggs before, it could have been delayed hatch. How long did you let them go? Were they still alive when you opened them?

 

[scflock]

Agree with the posts above. 99.5 in a still air with 60% humidity, I'm not surprised at all that only one hatched. Like Amy, anything over 45% for the first 18 days makes me nervous. If yours has been that high for the first 7 days, I would recommend dropping to 30-35% until lockdown, then back up to 65%

 

[WVduckchick]

I agree with all the others!

Weight method works good for dark eggs. Chicks (well, any bird really) should lose about 12-14% of their weight in order to hatch. So for chickens, 21 days, it is roughly 4-5% per week. If they are losing "alot" less than that, then humidity is too high. Of course, you have to start that at setting time, so its not gonna help for this hatch. Although, I suppose you could weigh them now, and again in 7 more days, if you have the time, and see how it goes. Infertile eggs will still lose some weight, just not as much.