Hatching problems, please help!

[beerbaron05]

Hi Everyone,
From our first hatch we became parents of only 2 little darlings (Isa Browns) out of 42. Four days after the hatch date we cracked open the eggs to see what was going on. We found another 15 fully formed chicks. One of these was breathing, I tried to save it but it died 10 minutes later.

We are currently 2 days after our new hatch. So far we only have one chick. Please help me by telling me what went wrong and what I can do to remedy this!

Sarah

 

[KellyHM]

We need more info about your incubator settings, etc, to be of any help.

 

[Mahonri]

Sounds like perhaps the temp was a tad low and perhaps the humidity as well.

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

yeah prob temp and/or humidity probs.

have you calibrated your hygrometer and see how accurate it is?

are using a water wiggler and probe for thermometer or just measuring air temp?

if you are using ww & probe have you checked the temp inside the ww with a medical thermometer (the ones you stick under your tongue) to check how accurate your thermometer is?

 

[beerbaron05]

My husband and I have a styraphome incubator. We have been keeping the temperature on 100.2 degrees F. Humidity was about 65. I don't know what water wrigglers are.
Sarah (Australia)

John (husband), Gizmo (Boxer-staffie), 2 maskovie drakes- one white, one black, 2 Mascovie female ducks - one white, one black, 4 Silkie bantom hens, 2 silkie roosters, Richard (isa brown rooster), 16 isa brown hens, 3 fish, 2, 3 week old chicks and 3 day old chicks.

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

Quote:
for the whole 21 days?? if so that's probably the problem or at least part of it. 65 at the end (last 3 days) is ok but if it's like that all the way through then the egg may not lose enough fluid and when the chick breaks through the internal membrane it can drown inside the shell. most people are shooting for more like 30-35% days 1-18 then 60-65% for hatch (days 18-21).

 

[FLWB039]

Do you have directions with your incubator?

 

[beerbaron05]

Sorry, yes 65 humidity for the last 3 days, I now have 5 out of 42 but one chich has a flesh looking substance comming out of its behind. Does this mean it's going to die?

Sarah

 

[SpunkyTheMonkey]

from its' behind? that's a new one on me, some of them have navels which haven't closed up properly and part of the yolk which hasn't been drawn up inside them properly so they have wierd looking stuff hanging out, sometimes even part of the guts hanging out of the navel, could it be something like that? you sure it's his backside? if it's "stuff" hanging out of its' navel then it's hard to say, some of them heal up and make it, some of them don't. i have no first hand experience of this...

pics might help some of these old-timers see what's going on if you can.