Genetic or egg position issue? -Crooked beak

[LunaMarieWolf]

Those are notoriously inaccurate out of the box. Plus, if it is forced air, 100 is too high. It should be 99.5.

I got it on sale from my local Tractor Supply because it was dead of winter and they still had incubator out.

Once I had enough money I was going to buy a bigger and better incubator because this one is so small.

Needless to say I won't be using this incubator any longer.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I thought the safe range for hatching chicks is 99F to 102F. So I had the first batch at 99 and they hatched on day 19 and the others I changed the temp to 100.

It hurts me that it was my doing that caused the chick to be deformed.

That tells me the temperature was at least 2 degrees high.
Cooler is always better than too high. 102 isn't safe.
99.5 is the appropriate temperature for chickens (and most other bird species) in a forced air incubator.
100.5 at the top of the egg in a still air.
104 will quickly kill embryos so IMO, 102 is too close to that to be safe.
Setting at 102 with a temperature spike would be fatal.
While not ideal, 97-98 is much better than 102.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It has a temperature reading on the incubator itself. Its been at 100F all the time except for those few times I opened it pull an egg out to candle. There isn't enought room inside the incubator to put a temerature gauge so I relied on the one build into the bator.

They are notoriously inaccurate. And it's often the difference between life and death.

If you did have other chicks hatch on day 18... guaranteed your temp was higher than it should be. They should not hatch until day 21... with maybe a couple earlier on day 20 or as late as day 22. That is since you said the eggs came from your birds, I presume they were stored correctly and not already developed before going in.

While I agree that cross beak could be genetic.. all the deformities indicate something gone very awry.

It's only due to the hundreds of chicks I have hatched and things I have seen... never any as bad as what you describe even with power outages or old bird. Day 15 quitters would be nutritional deficit in breeding stock or at least where I would start my research. The reason I suggest culling now is there doesn't seem like a real chance at a normal life and with so many obvious deformities, I just can;t imagine the inside being fully and correctly developed... and chopping the head off with scissors (or other method you are most comfortable with) is the most humane thing to do. Otherwise it is mist like to die slowly over the next few days... starving the whole time. Learning and being able to make these type of calls is likely the MOST difficult part of hatching... but it is necessary. It isn't a recommendation that I make lightly. It comes from my personal experience with things more minor than what you describe which continue to get worse for the bird despite my best effort and care. And it gets even harder after you poured all you have into saving this cutie and STILL have to cull or watch die slowly.

The gassing method might be easier for you.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I got it on sale from my local Tractor Supply because it was dead of winter and they still had incubator out.

Once I had enough money I was going to buy a bigger and better incubator because this one is so small.

Needless to say I won't be using this incubator any longer.

I wouldn't avoid using the incubator. Just don't trust the reading.
Set it 2F cooler and see when eggs hatch. If they hatch at day 21, you're good. If they still hatch early, lower it for the next hatch. If they hatch late, raise it a bit.
Just put a piece of tape next to the control and write the proper setting on it and use it to your heart's content.
All things being equal and appropriate, you can set your watch by when chicken eggs hatch.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

It hurts me that it was my doing that caused the chick to be deformed.

Please... don't blame yourself or feel guilty. You did the best you could with the information you had at the time. You are learning more and will be better armed in the future. That's why we are here so we can learn from and support each other!

Congrats on the babies your did hatch!

You don't have to ditch your bator all together... just figure out what its' quirks are and adjust or tweak it accordingly. All bators have some issues imo. Hang in there!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are notoriously inaccurate. And it's often the difference between life and death.

If you did have other chicks hatch on day 18... guaranteed your temp was higher than it should be. They should not hatch until day 21... with maybe a couple earlier on day 20 or as late as day 22. That is since you said the eggs came from your birds, I presume they were stored correctly and not already developed before going in.

While I agree that cross beak could be genetic.. all the deformities indicate something gone very awry.

It's only due to the hundreds of chicks I have hatched and things I have seen... never any as bad as what you describe even with power outages or old bird. Day 15 quitters would be nutritional deficit in breeding stock or at least where I would start my research. The reason I suggest culling now is there doesn't seem like a real chance at a normal life and with so many obvious deformities, I just can;t imagine the inside being fully and correctly developed... and chopping the head off with scissors (or other method you are most comfortable with) is the most humane thing to do. Otherwise it is mist like to die slowly over the next few days... starving the whole time. Learning and being able to make these type of calls is likely the MOST difficult part of hatching... but it is necessary. It isn't a recommendation that I make lightly. It comes from my personal experience with things more minor than what you describe which continue to get worse for the bird despite my best effort and care. And it gets even harder after you poured all you have into saving this cutie and STILL have to cull or watch die slowly.

The gassing method might be easier for you.

Well put.
Not all animals are meant to survive. There would be a lot more deaths of infant children without millions of dollars of medical equipment and huge staffs of doctors and nurses.

 

[LunaMarieWolf]

They are notoriously inaccurate. And it's often the difference between life and death.

If you did have other chicks hatch on day 18... guaranteed your temp was higher than it should be. They should not hatch until day 21... with maybe a couple earlier on day 20 or as late as day 22. That is since you said the eggs came from your birds, I presume they were stored correctly and not already developed before going in.

While I agree that cross beak could be genetic.. all the deformities indicate something gone very awry.

It's only due to the hundreds of chicks I have hatched and things I have seen... never any as bad as what you describe even with power outages or old bird. Day 15 quitters would be nutritional deficit in breeding stock or at least where I would start my research. The reason I suggest culling now is there doesn't seem like a real chance at a normal life and with so many obvious deformities, I just can;t imagine the inside being fully and correctly developed... and chopping the head off with scissors (or other method you are most comfortable with) is the most humane thing to do. Otherwise it is mist like to die slowly over the next few days... starving the whole time. Learning and being able to make these type of calls is likely the MOST difficult part of hatching... but it is necessary. It isn't a recommendation that I make lightly. It comes from my personal experience with things more minor than what you describe which continue to get worse for the bird despite my best effort and care. And it gets even harder after you poured all you have into saving this cutie and STILL have to cull or watch die slowly.

The gassing method might be easier for you.

What am I supposed to feed my chickens when their eggs are used for hatching? Is it differenr than what I feed them normally? I feed them layer pellets, a bit of scratch grain before bed, oyster shell is always available in their coop, and they get to free range a large area. They get crushed baked eggshells and a handful of mealworms that I raise every now and then.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Layer feed is absolutely appropriate and adequate for egg production for eating, but may not be enough nutrition to build an embryo into a vigorous chick. That is especially true for older hens that don't absorb nutrients from feed as well as younger breeders.
Prior to collecting eggs for hatching, I add Nutri-Drench to their water a couple times a week according to the dosing instructions on the bottle.
Some companies make a breeder feed but it isn't easy to find. It basically has a bit more essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Breeder feed is usually 17% crude protein rather than 16%. It isn't necessarily the crude protein number but the essential amino acids that make up that number.
With that said, keep in mind that too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

 

[Kris5902]

When I had to cull some chicks from my hatch I used the gassing method. I was concerned about being able to cleanly dispatch something so small with shears. It worked well and the chicks did not seem to suffer, there is still twitching, but it looked fairly painless.

So sorry for your loss

Consider a test run with some infertile eggs and a calibrated thermometer to figure out your incubators settings? That way no embryos are risked and you can get a good idea of how far out it is.

Don’t let the setbacks deter you from hatching... if you didn’t feel badly for the chick we would all be worried about you, but you did your best and future chicks will benefit from your experiences with this hatch.

Hugs

 

[EggSighted4Life]

What am I supposed to feed my chickens when their eggs are used for hatching? Is it differenr than what I feed them normally? I feed them layer pellets, a bit of scratch grain before bed, oyster shell is always available in their coop, and they get to free range a large area. They get crushed baked eggshells and a handful of mealworms that I raise every now and then.

Many people will hatch just fine feeding nothing but layer. The best hatch rate was shown at 22% protein.

I personally feed 20% protein (Purina flock raiser) with the oyster shell on the side. Since my birds also free range on fairly lush and bug inhabited pasture... I realize I don't quite have the control I like to think I do but will still share the info I have, which will include a fantastic link to hatch analysis that give very specific details on what nutrient might have been the cause according to day of embryonic death. But you might have to adjust your though for your last hatches since the day wasn't truly accurate with the high temps.

Will be back soon... gotta catch the short break in rain to say hi to the ladies.. Check this link out for starters...
https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/IR00004437/00001