Fully formed Chicks, DEAD in their Shell **pictures**

[ChaddiX]

Hello Everyone,

I hatched my first and second batch of chicks. 6 went in, 3 hatched, 1 was fully formed and dead in the shell. Second batch 5 went in, 2 hatched, 2 were fully formed and dead in the shell (one of these eggs actually pipped but then nothing). The last pic appears as if their was no development at all - unfertilized?

I've read the posts on this topic, I don't think they drowned. Day 1-18 the humidity was 10% w/ an automatic egg turner and forced air. Lockdown incubator was 70% humidity, forced air as well (but I put the eggs in an egg carton with the lid 90 degrees open to keep the air from hitting the eggs).

Thoughts? This Sizzle pullet is 1.5 years old. Are some chicks just weaker than the others if they all came from the same clutch and had the same incubation environment?

Thoughts?

Thanks!

-CHAD

 

[The Chickeneer]

Well, usualy if the humidity gets too high, the chicks grow to big for their shell, and cant pip and turn itself inside the egg to zip. But it sounds like your humidity wasn't high at all.........

. They also don't hatch if the humidity isn't high enough, but 70% for the last three days sounds right to me...........

Sometimes, the embryo is slow on development, and the chick wasn't ready to hatch yet, or,(this has happened) the chick is just too lazy to hatch, or waits to long, then its feathers start to dry while it's still in the shell, and the feathers stick to the shell, and it is impossible for them to move around in the egg and hatch. There could have been many different reasons why this happened.....these are just a few....Good luck with the ones that did hatch

 

[ChaddiX]

Thanks for your input, Chickeneer. I guess it's a fine line from letting the chicks zip themselves vs. helping them out after a pip. I think what I'll do for the next batch is: if there are chicks that have hatched and the other eggs show no sign of zipping, I'll assist. Perhaps I'll wait 6-12 hours from the last successful hatch to assist (hopefully I'll get to them before they decide to "give up").

 

[kathyinmo]

Check the link in my signature and see if that helps you.

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Thanks for your input, Chickeneer. I guess it's a fine line from letting the chicks zip themselves vs. helping them out after a pip. I think what I'll do for the next batch is: if there are chicks that have hatched and the other eggs show no sign of zipping, I'll assist. Perhaps I'll wait 6-12 hours from the last successful hatch to assist (hopefully I'll get to them before they decide to "give up").

I have found helping them is a mistake. If they aren't strong enough to make it out on their own, there is more than likely a reason.

 

[comptonsgonecountry]

Were the eggs in the carton the whole time during incubation or only during lock down?

I'm wondering if I messed up my last hatch because I took the eggs out of the carton on day 18 and laid them flat on the wire. Some research concludes that doing so disorients the chicks. I also opened the bator during hatch to help a chick that I thought was struggling. I opened up the two eggs that didn't hatch and found two fully developed chicks with yolks fully absorbed.