Hands on hatching and help

[Jcatrett87]

I am in need of immediate assistance. I have a batch of 6 eggs in the incubator. Day 29 is coming to an end. I assisted yesterday by poking a hole in the bottom and just tried to zip one but it was a white sac, there was no visibility to see as far as veins or not being absorbed. There is no movement in any of the eggs. Can someone please guide me on whether I should proceed?

 

[LynnaePB]

I am in need of immediate assistance. I have a batch of 6 eggs in the incubator. Day 29 is coming to an end. I assisted yesterday by poking a hole in the bottom and just tried to zip one but it was a white sac, there was no visibility to see as far as veins or not being absorbed. There is no movement in any of the eggs. Can someone please guide me on whether I should proceed?

This is a good article to read on how to assist.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

What kind of eggs are these? If they are chicken eggs by day 29 of incubation they likely aren't alive anymore. You can moisten the membrane slightly to help give you better visibility of any blood vessels if they are present.

 

[NickiePA]

Full assisted hatch. Question about AFTER you’ve full helped gosling out.... here’s the set up. Gosling is fully formed, malpositioned in egg, head looking dow and tucked under wing, yolk sac wasn’t 100% absorbed but is now (day 2 after hatch). Gosling is dry and fluffy. Here’s my concern: gosling is laying, not standing. Head is tucked under body (looking down between legs). She flips herself onto her back often and can’t get herself “righted”. She’s very alert and interest in anything that’s directly under her (as if she’s unable to lift her head to see anything more than right under her). I’m currently giving her niacin and Hydro-Hen in water. She doesn’t drink much yet. Has anyone experienced this? It’s almost like her neck can’t hold up on it own? Like she’s stuck in the same position she was in the egg... going on 3 days later. Suggestions? Advice? I’d like to add, otherwise her energy and stamina are quite good!

 

[Mommamolly]

Hi I have a guinea egg that was accidentally put in an incubator with chicken eggs. It was removed after the hatch and put in a new incubator on day 23. The egg pipped yesterday afternoon day 25 and humidity dropped unexpectedly down to 40% (new incubator still learning its quirks). There was no progress on the egg for about 20 hours. I decided to assist. The membranes were a bit dry, and I opened it a bit and got the keets face free, I initially thought it was dead, it was very lifeless. When I freed its face it made a few gulping motions. There were still some blood vessels so I put it back in the incubator, but it still isn’t showing many signs of life. Is it normal for it to be so still or is it weak and dying? I haven’t heard it make any peeping sounds the entire time. Is it just too early?

 

[LynnaePB]

Hi I have a guinea egg that was accidentally put in an incubator with chicken eggs. It was removed after the hatch and put in a new incubator on day 23. The egg pipped yesterday afternoon day 25 and humidity dropped unexpectedly down to 40% (new incubator still learning its quirks). There was no progress on the egg for about 20 hours. I decided to assist. The membranes were a bit dry, and I opened it a bit and got the keets face free, I initially thought it was dead, it was very lifeless. When I freed its face it made a few gulping motions. There were still some blood vessels so I put it back in the incubator, but it still isn’t showing many signs of life. Is it normal for it to be so still or is it weak and dying? I haven’t heard it make any peeping sounds the entire time. Is it just too early?

It very well could just be early. I don't have experience with guineas but a lot of the silkie chicken chicks I've had to assist aren't very vocal until much closer to hatching (and even then some aren't and are still fine). Given that there are still blood vessels it's definitely not quite ready yet anyway.

Chicks make a sort of nibbling motion when they are still absorbing yolk and/or blood vessels. This may have been what the gulping you saw was.

Hopefully your little one is fine and just needs time to finish up. At this point making sure the membrane stays moist and waiting for the blood vessels to finish absorbing is the best course of action. Sometimes they just don't make it even when you've done everything right but it sounds like you are giving the little one its best chance.

If you haven't already this is a good assisting article to read that might help

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Good luck, I hope your little one pulls through for you!

 

[KeptSane]

Hi, New to hatching and trying so hard to figure this out. I found this Thread 4 days ago and have learned some things. But some I am still not very good at. One identifying what I am seeing while candling and what I need to do with my Bator to get better results. I am on my 3rd clutch and the prior 2 were resounding failures. I am needing to know if my egg is needing a lower humidity level and how the development looks for 11 days in. I set my clutch up on 3/31. My eggs are local eggs and all under 7 days from lay when set. I am using a Chinese HHG Version Bator. Humidity was high at 50-60% the 1st 6 days and temp at lower egg level was very low at 92.8F. I honestly didn't know any better and am trying to fix these issues. As of 9 days ago on Day 2 I created a styrofoam case to help maintain better temp. At turner, egg level reads 98.5F and humidity has been high in the 50% range. I have been hands-off until today when I pulled 1 clear out of 44. The rest are very even in growth and development as the egg below. I have movers and shifters but when I looked I can't identify the air cell and match development. I know I've caught this with enough time to fix it by dry hatching if needed. I have read sooo much of this thread that I have learned the error of my ways and I would like a better hatch rate. My flock depends on this success. I currently have 1 lone Khaki ling that needs friends! He externally pipped with no internal. I waited 36 hours before I assisted since he was sounding weak and had not zipped. It was scary because I nicked a vein. Somehow my instinct, without knowing, of blood bad put back was right and he is happy and healthy now 4 days later. My plan is to use my 1602 Hovabator as my hatchery and already have it going. Its maintaining good temps and humidity dry is 18%+/-. I am planning to stop turning these guys as an experiment on day 14 to see if I have a better hatch rate. But the humidity and candling to identify air cell really gets to me. I have now done 4 duck eggs, Khaki Campbells had 3 DIS in LD and 1 Hatch. All because I didn't know the bruises were them trying to pip and couldn't. SMH now I know and am going to try again in a couple of days with some Barnyard Mix cheap shipped eggs. Thanks to AMY, WV, Ruby, Blooie, and many more I'm confident on what to do for those. But please help me with these chicks so I can get my flock started. I got them free but still want my babies. I have the bug and I don't do anything half measures. I have another bator coming Wednesday so I have 3.....I have 9 different temp/hygro for the bators, but I don't know how to do the testing for Humidity with a digital temp/hygro....Hatching 411 has been great but these questions still have not been clarified between BYC & Google. Please help thank you! Oh If you need more info besides this novel please let me know.

 

[aart]

temp at lower egg level was very low at 92.8F.

egg level reads 98.5F

These temps are too low.
The most important thing to do before incubating is test/calibrate your thermometers and hygrometers. I've found a good food thermometer is the best for comparing to others.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Here's some light reading for you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[KeptSane]

These temps are too low.
The most important thing to do before incubating is test/calibrate your thermometers and hygrometers. I've found a good food thermometer is the best for comparing to others.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

Here's some light reading for you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-beginners-guide-to-incubation.73350/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Thank you for the Articles and Light reading. Unfortunately, I have already read these articles and yet my question remains. I also have Gail Damerow's Books, Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry, Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, The Chicken Encyclopedia, Hatching and Brooding Your Own Chicks, The Chicken Health Handbook...So as I said I am very prepared just having a tough time with the Practical Application and knowing what I am seeing in my candled egg and how to fix it. I have watched a million or so Youtube Videos of all different kinds of Poultry being hatched and even those aren't answering my question. I know my temps were too low in my incubator, I have found ways to achieve a higher number but also keep in mind one is a forced air Bator and the other is still air. So one is of course going to be different from the other. Back to my question of how does the air cell in my 11 day Egg Look? I'm not really seeing it. If not should I do a dry incubation for the rest of the time? Then Jack the Humidity up when they begin to hatch?

 

[spartacus_63]

Back to my question of how does the air cell in my 11 day Egg Look? I'm not really seeing it. If not should I do a dry incubation for the rest of the time? Then Jack the Humidity up when they begin to hatch?

It looks like you are candling from the small end in the picture. Try candling from the other end. It looks like you have a normal air cell for day 11, but it is hard to tell with the angle of the light.

 

[KeptSane]

It looks like you are candling from the small end in the picture. Try candling from the other end. It looks like you have a normal air cell for day 11, but it is hard to tell with the angle of the light.

I absolutely was! Darn, I didn't realize that made a difference. I will candle the other way to check on the air cells.