First time hatching bronze turkeys - need advice

[suzc]

I have 6 bronze turkey eggs about to hatch - 1 pipped 24 hours ago but hasn't done much since - it is still only day 27 - another has stuck his beak out of the egg but has done no more. For hours - can this take longer with turkeys:/ ???

 

[Lagerdogger]

Hatching for turkeys can be very slow. A couple of days from first pip to hatch is not uncommon. Eggs that pip later hatch faster.

How did it go? They should be done by now!

 

[hessclan6]

I agree..Eggs that pip later often hatch faster and it can be a slow process. Hope all is well..

 

[suzc]

I assisted the one after 48 hours - he made it.
Number 2 assisted after about 40 hours - made it but had a small amount of unabsorbed yolk sac and died after 24 hours - never stood up and appeared to have a leg problem.
Number 3 with the beak out - dead in shell
Did an eggtopsy on the others day 29 - all fully formed with egg sacs being absorbed, 1 with fully absorbed yolk sac ! - no pips - all beaks look as though they may have pipped below the air sac
1 cream legbar - dead in shell but fully formed.

Putting it down to humidity problems - I used 50-55% for the first part and 68-71% for the last 3 days .

I have 1 healthy turkey and 1 CLB which has spaddle legs - pipped in the middle of the egg- he now has his legs pulled together with an elastic hair band and some tape - not great result but I suppose these things happen.

Trying a different approach and trying to get hold of some more turkey eggs - going for dry incubation for the first part and 80% for the last 30 days as I have heard this may be better for turkeys

 

[hessclan6]

Sorry to hear about all the issues

I try to aim for 55% humidity (50-60%) for the first part and 70-75% for the last 3 days and have had really good luck with that. Remember no turning the last three days..only open the incubator if you have to add water.

 

[suzc]

Thanks - I did keep the humidity at 55% for 25 days and 70-75 for the last 3 - did not turn for the last 3 days and did not open the incubator except for once to add more water at day 28 - chicks were large and did not manage to pip so I read that keeping the humidity lower for the first part of incubation allows the air cell to get much bigger reduces the size of the chick and then increasing the humidity at the same time as decreasing the temp for the lastb3 days gives more room for the chick to turn and softer shell and membrane ??

 

[hessclan6]

I know some have luck with that but I have not tried it. Our 4H poultry club leader works with the PA state extension and teaches many classes a year on incubation and embryology and she really emphasizes the need to keep humidity up, so that's what we have always done. We even keep our incubators in our basement since that is the most humid part of the house. I do turn down the temp just a bit once the eggs have pipped.

 

[suzc]

Maybe it was just that I didn't turn the temperature down - trouble is they never pipped - not even the one with the completely absorbed yolk sac ? - could you ask your poultry club teacher if they have any clues as to what I might have done wrong ?? - I am really confused about ow to improve my hatch ?

 

[hessclan6]

We don't have a meeting this month but our 4H fair is in two weeks so I should see her then. I know she has said most fully formed deaths are often either because of the humidity being too low or too high. What are you using to measure humidity? Is it possible you might not have gotten an accurate reading? What was your incubation temperature?

We have little giant still air incubators which do not have a whole lot of venting which is why I turn the temp down at the end. Lots of humidity coupled with high temps, little venting, and no fan can= not enough oxygen circulation. Since I can't vent and still keep humidity up, I just turn the temp down a tad to help.

 

[suzc]

It is a Janoel fully auto 48 egg - automatic turn every 2 hours kept at 37.8 - 38.4 degrees - humidity 55 % for 25 days - same temp humidity 69-72% for the last 3 - no turning for the last 3 - as I say the chicks were large fully formed - 2 external pips which were assisted after 40 hours + with no zip - the other 4 no external or internal pip - the membrane around he chick seemed relatively soft just dry at the airsac end - there was a little fluid within each sac around he chick but only a ml or 2.

12 more eggs on the way - spoke to the lady who is sending them and she thinks they drown - she says it is quite common - she uses dry incubation to day 25 and then 70% for the last 3 and says she gets really good hatch rates with that - her local humidity is about 40 %.

Going to try the next lot using this regime and see what happens - if you get any more info I would really appreciate any help I Han get :/