Hatching eggs

[Chicken Egg 17]

I hatch eggs about five months ago but I was wondering why I had to help all of my eggs hatch but one egg. They are all still alive and almost fully grown but why did I have to help them all hatch but one. All replies are welcome thanks

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad they were okay, though.

Sometimes it can be how they were handled, causing the air-sac to settle in the wrong place or shape.
Sometimes it is because the chick just was in the wrong position, such as a wing was over its beak or it was upside down.
Sometimes the chick was weak genetically or just as an individual, such as not getting proper nutrients from its mother.
Sometimes the humidity or temperature was wrong and may have caused the chick to "shrink-wrap" inside the membrane or to drown without enough oxygen.
Bacteria, poor oxygen, chemicals, all of these can also cause issues, as can shells that are too thick or eggs of the wrong shape or size.

If the eggs were shipped then that is a good reason for why they needed helped. If they came from your flock then perhaps your hens are laying too thick eggs or the incubator malfunctioned.

I just started a thread on helping eggs hatch if you want to take a look: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1075785/assisted-hatching

I hope this helps!

 

[nchls school]

I'm assuming that hatch was from an incubator.

1. Incorrect humidity where the membrane becomes dry and sticks to the chick preventing hatching.

2. Eggs not turned enough so that the chick is stuck to one side and cannot zip.

3. Over anxiousness on your part/not waiting long enough for nature to take its course.

4. Not having a lockdown or looking/opening incubator throwing the humidity off.

5. Weak stock.

6. Incorrect temperatures causing slow/fast and weak development.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Yes and my incubator has an automatic egg turner and I think it turns the eggs every half hour to an hour I think it was and it has a fan to circulate the air sorry for any words not spelled correctly my hands are cold I just came inside

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad they were okay, though.

Sometimes it can be how they were handled, causing the air-sac to settle in the wrong place or shape.
Sometimes it is because the chick just was in the wrong position, such as a wing was over its beak or it was upside down.
Sometimes the chick was weak genetically or just as an individual, such as not getting proper nutrients from its mother.
Sometimes the humidity or temperature was wrong and may have caused the chick to "shrink-wrap" inside the membrane or to drown without enough oxygen.
Bacteria, poor oxygen, chemicals, all of these can also cause issues, as can shells that are too thick or eggs of the wrong shape or size.

If the eggs were shipped then that is a good reason for why they needed helped. If they came from your flock then perhaps your hens are laying too thick eggs or the incubator malfunctioned.

I just started a thread on helping eggs hatch if you want to take a look: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1075785/assisted-hatching

I hope this helps!

I was already reading it that's were I thought about why did I have to help almost all of mine hatch but one but thanks though

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Were they stuck and crusty needing to be washed after? If not then maybe you didn't need to help them. If they were this happens at high humidity then drying back and high and back low. As they all pip and start to zip your humidity will go sky high turning the inside to sticky glue. If you don't have 70% base line for when that lowers back to normal then it will dry sticking chick to shell. It ont be able to move to finish zipping or break out. Again, if you didin't have crust and need to wash off pieces of shell from chicks then that was not your problem and perhaps there was no need to assist.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

They weren't no but I seen on a website that if they set for about an hour or two you are to help them or the membrane gets all dry and makes it harder for the chick to get out so I let them set for about an hour and I helped them out one after the other

 

[Egghead_Jr]

24 hours sitting from pip to possible aiding them is more the standard for those that aid hatching.

The key to not drying out is to keep the humidity at 70%. To not get the glue effect the key is to not let the humidity spike. That is impossible to do. I use to run 60-65% RH at hatching and lift lid now and then to release excess moisture when a bunch were piping. Worked great. Problem is I do sleep now and then and last batch running that lower humidity had a bunch pip while I was asleep. Humidity spiked, turned inside of egg to glue, went back down to 65% and I awoke to most hatched with two incredibly stuck. I now run 70% as it's just high enough that if things turn to glue wont let it dry out.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

I did have humidity at 71 percent not 70 percent and when they were hatch I misted the eggs that were cracked/piped