First timer, premature chicks, open navel, hanging yolk sack, no progress...

Mule & Flash

In the Brooder
9 Years
Jan 20, 2011
20
0
22
North Central FL
This is our first hatch. We borrowed an old Hova Bator with the yellow egg turning tray. On day 18 i removed the turner, added water to the second P shaped tray but didnt adjust the temp from 102. Late on day 19 #1 had pipped.
Early day 20 #2 had hatched. It wandered around dragging its yolk sack between its legs for a couple hours. Now it looks like it has mostly absorbed it and it is drying out, but it's still hanging down a little.
#3 hatched midday. The cord was stuck inside the shell and it couldnt move. I opened the incubator and was prepared to cut the cord as long as the yolk wasnt attached but it came apart on oits own. The navel was open so i dipped it in iodine.
Later in the day #1 appeared dead so i removed it. The membrane had turned crusty brown, i could no longer see the beak, there was no more chirping, no movement.
When i removed #1 i noticed #4 had also pipped, but the pip was facing the ground. I considered turning it over so as not to drown but i opted to leave it. Maybe this chick knew what was best. I havent seen any progress.

Tomorrow is day 21. Should i move chicks #2&3 to the brooder now? Should i continue to treat the open navel? Should i do anything with the hanging yolk that remains? What about #4? Should i turn it? Remove it if theres no progress? The incubator is pretty stinky right now. Is that normal?

Sorry for all the typos. Im on my kindle and under a baby and the autocorrect isnt working.​
 
I think you should be able to move the hatched chicks now, and as for that yolk you may want to cut it off if it's not absorbing to prevent infection -I had to do that once with a duck egg my chickens pecked open, it was fine after a few days.

You can also turn the remaining egg and look for movement or anything, if none is obvious then make a hole in the shell big enough to see if it is breathing. If not, get rid of it, and if it is put it back in the incubator to finish hatching, unless it seems stuck in which case you will need to carefully help it out of the shell.
 
Well #4 was a goner. Checked last night and there was no movement. The membrane was crusty brown. I dabbed some water on it and peeled back quite a bit of shell.
#2 was dead this morning. When we checked late last night it looked like more than just the yolk sack was hanging out, like intestines, hernia? I was prepared to cull her today. Hubby just checked on them though and took her out for me.
#3 is all alone now with eight unhatched eggs. I'll go ahead and move her to the brooder so she has food and water. Her navel looks a lot better. I put the iodine on it yesterday and then cornstarch on it last night.
Hoping for some easier hatching with the rest!
 
I had put down a layer of paper towels when #2 was dragging her yolk around, but the water under the incubator tray is pretty gross. Should I try to change it or let it ride?
 

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