Hatch going wrong!! Humidity problems HELP!!

[Gracie123]

We left some eggs in the incubator whilst we went on holiday with the plan to be home before they hatched.

2 days ago my chicken sitter told me the alarm was going off so I asked her and it turned out the water reservoir had run out (hot weather?) and humidity dropped to 40%. I told her how to top it up and she said it was climbing so I didn't think too much of it.

I've come home today and there are three pipped (they aren't due until Sunday!!) and one has taken a whole piece off the shell, but appears to be stuck in the membrane.

They're all still cheaping, but I don't know what to do. Humidity is still only 60%. I've added two wet cloths and it's starting to rise, but the chick I can see has white papery membrane. What should I do?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Several things can cause them to hatch early, the main one is your thermometer being off---maybe to hot?? But if only a few hatch early and the rest hatch on time---then the temp is probably correct. I do not know what type incubator you are using----but its probably a forced air being it has a alarm.

As far as the chicks hatching now----"I" would leave it shut and monitor---If they just pipped----give them a day to see what they do. "I" personally am a hands off hatcher so if I have a bantam egg---which some times hatch a couple days early----it just has to sit tight until the rest hatch because "I" do not open my incubator For No Reason during the "hatch" until after the hatch date is over or unless all hatch before then. My Reason is I have a lot better hatch rate with little problems waiting until after the hatch date to open----opening during the hatch makes so many not hatch for me, But I also did not take the eggs out and try to help during that time? Your call.

Edited to add I also want my hatching humidity in the 70's for my hatches. Works best for me!

 

[chickens really]

Congrats.....Keep waiting....

 

[Gracie123]

Thanks for the advice.

I guess I just have to wait and see. It's so nerve wracking!!!

 

[Gracie123]

Okay, so 24 hours later, here's what it looks like.
I did end up using a pin to break the membrane (I know you said leave it, but over several hours it slowly stopped moving at all and I panicked. After breaking the membrane it immediately started gasping).
I've been using a dropper (away from the mouth) to keep the membrane moist every couple of hours (it goes completely dry and white in between).
The beak is still moving open and closed, but it doesn't cheep at all and is making no effort to break the egg any further.
What do you think?
Is it just going to die?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Post it on Amy's post "hands On Hatching" and some of those will tell you what to do! Good Luck

Edited to Add, see for some reason with all my hatching in the last few years (10,000 in the last 3 years) I rarely have a problem with chicks that pip and not hatch, but the few that does not hatch seem to hang in there until I open the day after the due/hatch date then I just break them out completely in seconds----no bleeding, etc. The reason I do not open during the hatch is because I had really bad hatches when I did, but as I said above---I did not try to help the pipped ones---I mainly was removing the hatched ones as they hatched. Hands-Off-- I just have real good hatches---usually 95 to 100% on eggs in the hatcher(non-fertile/bad already removed at the time eggs go into the hatcher) So I do not do Hands On!!

 

[Gracie123]

Post it on Amy's post "hands On Hatching" and some of those will tell you what to do! Good Luck

Edited to Add, see for some reason with all my hatching in the last few years (10,000 in the last 3 years) I rarely have a problem with chicks that pip and not hatch, but the few that does not hatch seem to hang in there until I open the day after the due/hatch date then I just break them out completely in seconds----no bleeding, etc. The reason I do not open during the hatch is because I had really bad hatches when I did, but as I said above---I did not try to help the pipped ones---I mainly was removing the hatched ones as they hatched. Hands-Off-- I just have real good hatches---usually 95 to 100% on eggs in the hatcher(non-fertile/bad already removed at the time eggs go into the hatcher) So I do not do Hands On!!

How do I find Amy's post? I searched hands on hatching and this is the thread that came up(!) Is it on this forum?

 

[chickens really]

If its seams stuck?...take it out and chip a tiny bit of the shell away...I am a hands on hatcher if needed...

 

[chickens really]

@WVduckchick

 

[Ridgerunner]

@AmyLynn2374

Send her a PM.