Hands on hatching and help

[AmyLynn2374]

lol... it's just been irritating me lately since the first thing someone usually says is too high of humidity, but I run low humidity and still get it too sometimes... I think there's more than one reason and egg doesn't lose enough moisture...

I figured it was duck, but had to make sure, lol... I run similar humidity, but still get some like that... usually it's the odd eggs, the ones not as similar sized as the majority...

Do you mist or sponge the eggs? Just curious...

As for surviving the goo, it depends on how much goo you're talking about... a little tends to not be a big deal, in fact when they start spinning for zipping, it twirls back and under their butt into the bottom of the egg... a lot of goo is hit or miss... sometimes you can clear enough away to get them safely out, but the biggest issue is them breathing some in... if it gets into their lungs it dries rock hard and will stop their lungs completely...

When I read it at first I was like, it's the same thing....lol But then I got what you were saying. High humidity does cause not enough moisture loss, but not enough moisture loss isn't necessarily due to your humidity being high, it could be a less porous egg that individually didn't loose enough moisture. I've told people you can have a chick shrink wrap and one drown in the same hatch because each egg is different and we can not provide optimal conditions for each egg. It just took me a minute to get that's what you were getting at...lol

 

[Ravynscroft]

Leftover albumen is my guess... I wouldn't think it's bacterial cuz it doesn't have a smell... usually bacteria contamination is very closely followed by a foul odor...

I never misted mine before either, air cells usually looked good, but that's when I got the worst gooey babies... bathing was a necessity before fluffing up or the ended up like a turtle stuck in a shell...

Now I mist the last couple to few days before the 'Homestretch', even if air cells look good... I think the cuticle wear does help get that goo down enough for them to spin it to the bottom of the shell...

Also, I've been closely watching my 2 broody Calls... when they take their breaks, they ALWAYS bathe... and if they bathe at the beginning, they will usually return for a quick dunk right before they return to their eggs... they slough off most of the water, but when they get back on the eggs they are definitely damp... and they shuffle the eggs around, rubbing across them all...

 

[FridayYet]

Gloss and color can make a huge difference in water loss. That's why I recommend to newbies to set eggs from the same breed the first few times. Like all Ameraucana or all Leghorn. That way you are monitoring eggs of similar porosity as you learn to incubate. Mixed hatched can be hard, because some will lose more and some way less under the same conditions.

There will still be variation, but it's often less dramatic.

 

[Ravynscroft]

When I read it at first I was like, it's the same thing....lol But then I got what you were saying. High humidity does cause not enough moisture loss, but not enough moisture loss isn't necessarily due to your humidity being high, it could be a less porous egg that individually didn't loose enough moisture. I've told people you can have a chick shrink wrap and one drown in the same hatch because each egg is different and we can not provide optimal conditions for each egg. It just took me a minute to get that's what you were getting at...lol

Exactly... and a broody doesn't stress ove a single egg or a couple that aren't developing like the rest... she just sits til whatever hatches makes it, and walks away from the rest without looking back...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Gah... sorry for all the typos... I can't seem to type anymore... :/

 

[reyecat]

so, I hope someone's around.

I had to take the shell off one little one cause the membrane was too dry and it couldn't zip... and was drying out in there... the shell came off quite easily and no blood or anything but now the chick seems stuck in this little ball. will that eventually sort itself out? I know it's cause he couldn't stretch and use his neck muscles but I didn't know what else to do.

 

[caesargirl]

Well then, since I'm in the homestretch, misting it shall be. And yes, broodies do walk away, but they don't need/want education. Over the last 3 years, my hatched have continually improved. Mostly because of what I've learned here. This is also my only, non staggered, perfectly collected and stored, no problem set! (I'm ignoring the power outage!) every single other set was an emergency set. Abandoned nest, nest in bad area, ...... I actually got the bator to save some important duck eggs, never intended to be a "hatcher"!! Yeah, I know, even I'm laughing at that!
Now, misting.... What water temp? Delicate mist or wet eggs? How many times a day?

 

[Jeep-LH]

Hey! So I got a hen sitting on 12 eggs. She did this last year, only sitting on three, but only one hatched. I went out and saw an egg in the nest with a little hole in it, so I assume the chick pecked the hole, then died. I really don't want it to happen again (the more chicks the better) but how can you prevent it? I read something about not turning the eggs after they start hatching.... Anyway, any advice is helpful. I've read the "Chickens for dummies" book like, a hundred times and it's a big help.

 

[Ravynscroft]

so, I hope someone's around.   


I had to take the shell off one little one cause the membrane was too dry and it couldn't zip... and was drying out in there... the shell came off quite easily and no blood or anything but now the chick seems stuck in this little ball.   will that eventually sort itself out?  I know it's cause he couldn't stretch and use his neck muscles but I didn't know what else to do.   


 

If it's wet and not sticky, just let it rest and give it time to relax and stretch... if it's got hard dried, crusty stuff, rinse it off with very warm water, 95 degrees... just keep it's head out of the water... pat dry and put back in the bator...

Well then, since I'm in the homestretch, misting it shall be. And yes, broodies do walk away, but they don't need/want education. Over the last 3 years, my hatched have continually improved. Mostly because of what I've learned here. This is also my only, non staggered, perfectly collected and stored, no problem set! (I'm ignoring the power outage!) every single other set was an emergency set. Abandoned nest, nest in bad area, ...... I actually got the bator to save some important duck eggs, never intended to be a "hatcher"!! Yeah, I know, even I'm laughing at that!
Now, misting.... What water temp? Delicate mist or wet eggs? How many times a day?

Oh, I wasn't saying education and learning wasn't good, just making a point if it's just a single egg or a couple out of many not to let it stress you...

I mist once a day with warm water... if you can, get a small spray bottle you can lay down inside the bator to stay at temp... works best so you don't have to refill each time with warm water... wet it enough so it just starts to drip off... let the air cell guide amounts of time to mist... if you feel it's slightly small, go more times per day... getting to big, go less...

Humidity will spike while they're wet, don't worry... after it dries recheck humidity... sometimes I've found it causes a drop later on in the bator...

 

[caesargirl]

Sounds good! No room in the bator, but when I make pigeon formula, I have to use water at 99°, I'll just mist at feedings! Now, I'm going to go yell at Mother Nature, this windstorm needs to fricken stop! I refuse to lose power again!!