First time incubating. Think they need help!

[Ocdbrownie]

We were given three white crested black Polish (two hens and a rooster) that were already laying eggs. Out of the clutch of twenty I gathered, with problems of temp fluctuations due to various issues, I lost half the clutch before the first two weeks. Day 17, I had 10 live little chicks kicking around in their eggs. Day 22, one hatched. One pipped but I didn't realise it had pipped at the bottom of the egg and ended up dying with its beak out trying to get air. I didn't touch any of Them to check because I thought I was supposed to leave them alone. It is currently day 26, the 8 I have left I have candled and water tested. Yesterday, three of them were doing ok and very active and looked to be trying to make their first hole into the air pocket. Today, however, those same three were very weak and barely, if even moved, when I water tested once more. I scratched a small hole in those three at the end of the egg with the air pocket and two of them are acting much better. The other I believe didn't make it. Besides those, I have one other one that was very active and trying to make its first break for air. I'm not sure what to do with the two weaker ones, if I should try helping them a little at a time over the next day or so, or if I should just leave them alone. If I hadn't left them alone at the first hatchling, I would have two instead of one. So I'm not sure what to do. I really hope at least one more hatches so it's sibling won't be alone. I think I need a little guidance. . .

 

[Altfrizzle]

Temp fluctuations can cause all kinds of problems.

I’d use the guides on here and assist at this point.

 

[RubyNala97]

It’s really your call. It’s very late in the game and chicks that hatch this late can have problems, especially problems with their legs. At this point before giving more advice I need to know exactly how many live eggs do you have left and most importantly have any of them internally pipped (put their beak through the membrane and into the aircell)?

 

[Ocdbrownie]

It’s really your call. It’s very late in the game and chicks that hatch this late can have problems, especially problems with their legs. At this point before giving more advice I need to know exactly how many live eggs do you have left and most importantly have any of them internally pipped (put their beak through the membrane and into the aircell)?

I went with my instincts last night that I had been holding back on the last two days prior. . . None of them made it. I was too late to help them. . . All fully formed. Some internally pipped and some didn't. Those that didn't, the blood inside the membrane turned black. I had one live one left but it died over night. . I'm very heartbroken over it and feel bad for the one lonely one I have that did hatch. I believe it is going to have a lame leg, also. . I'm not sure what I did wrong for all 10 to be lively and active and only one making it within the couple days of day 18 and 26. . .

 

[RubyNala97]

I went with my instincts last night that I had been holding back on the last two days prior. . . None of them made it. I was too late to help them. . . All fully formed. Some internally pipped and some didn't. Those that didn't, the blood inside the membrane turned black. I had one live one left but it died over night. . I'm very heartbroken over it and feel bad for the one lonely one I have that did hatch. I believe it is going to have a lame leg, also. . I'm not sure what I did wrong for all 10 to be lively and active and only one making it within the couple days of day 18 and 26. . .

Well you can troubleshoot what went wrong with the incubation so that next time you can try to solve the issues. Keep trying and once you get it all figured out and know what works for you and what doesn’t it can be very rewarding to hatch your own babies. I would start with the basics, your incubator, temps, humidity, turning, etc and find out exactly what’s going on. Good luck. I’m sorry more didn’t make it!

 

[Ocdbrownie]

Well you can troubleshoot what went wrong with the incubation so that next time you can try to solve the issues. Keep trying and once you get it all figured out and know what works for you and what doesn’t it can be very rewarding to hatch your own babies. I would start with the basics, your incubator, temps, humidity, turning, etc and find out exactly what’s going on. Good luck. I’m sorry more didn’t make it!

Thank you for the tips! I have three eggs I have had for a week and I should have two more in the yard today since my polish laid again. They didn't lay for a week after I changed out the hay in their nests. I'm not sure if it's because of my changing the hay and moving things around a little bit, or it's the heat or because they are all Moulting that they didn't lay for a week. Any thoughts?

But I'm going to try once more with the few new ones and see what I can get from a small clutch. Hopefully less heartbreak. . Lol. .

 

[Altfrizzle]

Chickens don’t like change so that with the heat would definitely throw them off laying.

Mine freak out when I completely clean their coop.

What kind of incubator are you using?

 

[Ocdbrownie]

Chickens don’t like change so that with the heat would definitely throw them off laying.

Mine freak out when I completely clean their coop.

What kind of incubator are you using?

I went the homemade route. I got a light hooked to a dimmer dial with a Thermometer inside at about the height of the embryos in the egg. I've got a pan of water in the bottom with a few rocks in it to increase surface area and keep the temp constant if the lid gets opened. The main thing is the humidity. I don't have a gauge to measure it. So I'm having to judge by the humidity outside here in southern MS. I've actually improved the homemade incubator since my clutch died last week. I believe the set up I had before wasn't stable enough. I'll post a pic later. I'm at work right now. But I've got five eggs in it currently to see how it goes. So far, I've only had fluctuations of about 4 degrees at the most. The last batch had 10 to 20 degree fluctuations at random..

 

[Altfrizzle]

4 degrees is still too much fluctuation. In still air you want 102 at the top of the egg. Over 104 for any length of time will kill them.

 

[Ocdbrownie]

4 degrees is still too much fluctuation. In still air you want 102 at the top of the egg. Over 104 for any length of time will kill them.

I've been keeping keeping it at 100°. I figured it would be a safe median to keep it at. . Was I wrong in assuming that after all the reading up I did on the subject?