I have tried and tried to hatch many eggs, I thought I was doing good, I have 2 baby ducks and a baby chick,...... I have several more in the bator now and I can see they broke the air sack, but nothing more has happened, they were due to hatch Saturday, Cant see em move or hear them. I have one chick PIP through the Shell and It was 2 days I left it alone, and then it died, never pipped anymore or hatched, the same with one of my ducks (saved it though) When I got up he hadn't made any more progress from the night before, and was barely moving his beak that was sticking out, so I assisted him out of the shell, he was VERY VERY dry on his feathers from being in there for 2 days, and was dehydrated, My Humidity was running around 65-70% at the time. Now my others I think have died. I am not sure what I am doing wrong here, I have a LG bator. Any ideas anyone!!
having Serious problems
- Thread starter ladyomaha
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Quote:
I have a problem with the natural humidity being to high down here and even when I try to dry incubate the chicks will still sometimes have trouble hatching! Some say help others say don't
If you decide to help search for post from Pete55 he has some good info on helping
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- #3
At what point do you help them, I could of saved a chick and a duck Had I known when to help, Letting them go 2 full days worn them out and they died, and thats so sad when I could here them, and see them pipping, but then they are gone!..... its is so frustrating to make it that long and then not make it!.
I just had the last of my ducklings hatch this monring. I ende dup helping all but 2. Anyway I had 7, 2 PIP'd, and the enxt mornign I found 2 had died and were sooooo dry (one had PIPs internally and the other not at all). So I decided to assist the other 5. I opened shells on all of them and kept their membranes moist. 3 eventaully came out of their membranes and "half shells" on their own. This morning one was partially fluffed but still int he egg, and the emmbrane was stuck to it. I took it to the sink and mositened it down with my fingertip and out he came...anxious to be out and moving. The other I started to do the same with, and his foot was already out, but I could see yolk still...so back to the bator and he eventually hatched out but is lethargic.
I swear though, not a single one was makign progress on their own after about 3 days past hatch date. Their membranes were dry & tough!!
I swear though, not a single one was makign progress on their own after about 3 days past hatch date. Their membranes were dry & tough!!
Quote:
I have been reading up on the humidity for incubating trying to figure out how to correct it but so far I am really confused! One source I read says if the humidity is to low during the first days of incubating it can cause the membranes to be to tough! I'll be glad when I have a nice fat broody to do it for me
I'm glad you helped
I used to have four mallards and they were so awesome
I have been reading up on the humidity for incubating trying to figure out how to correct it but so far I am really confused! One source I read says if the humidity is to low during the first days of incubating it can cause the membranes to be to tough! I'll be glad when I have a nice fat broody to do it for me
- Thread starter
- #6
Quote:
I have been reading up on the humidity for incubating trying to figure out how to correct it but so far I am really confused! One source I read says if the humidity is to low during the first days of incubating it can cause the membranes to be to tough! I'll be glad when I have a nice fat broody to do it for me
I'm glad you helped
I used to have four mallards and they were so awesome
I am not sure on what I need to do now, I think I can hear them in the Eggs, there are 3 that need to hatch, Dont want to break em open and kill em if they are alive, but dont want them to die either, If you break em open where do you start, Not even a lil pip has started
I have been reading up on the humidity for incubating trying to figure out how to correct it but so far I am really confused! One source I read says if the humidity is to low during the first days of incubating it can cause the membranes to be to tough! I'll be glad when I have a nice fat broody to do it for me
I am not sure on what I need to do now, I think I can hear them in the Eggs, there are 3 that need to hatch, Dont want to break em open and kill em if they are alive, but dont want them to die either, If you break em open where do you start, Not even a lil pip has started
If you need to start a pip hole, I think you should do it on the part of the egg where the air cell is. The chick's head will already be pointed toward that. You can tell where that is by holding a flashlight behind the egg & looking for the light area.
I sometimes have used a spray bottle of very warm (but not super hot) water to help with humidity in the bator in general & a few times directly on some eggs. I imagine you could spray a little into a partially open egg if needed, also.
There is a great thread on assisting chicks in hatching at https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316.
I sometimes have used a spray bottle of very warm (but not super hot) water to help with humidity in the bator in general & a few times directly on some eggs. I imagine you could spray a little into a partially open egg if needed, also.
There is a great thread on assisting chicks in hatching at https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316.
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- Thread starter
- #8
If you literally just "break them open" they are likely to die very quickly. You need to chip away slowly to inspect the membrane first.
When I PIP a compltely intact egg, i use the tip of a steak knife to "drill" a tiny pinhole in the end of the egg where the air cel is (usually the fat end). By setting the point of the knife gainst this end, you can gently twist (do not wack at it) until it drills a tiny hole. Once there's a tiny hole you can use blunt tipped tweezers to chip away enough of the outer shell (avoid the 2 membranes inside), then se warm water on your fingertip to moisten the membranes. CAREFULLY peel back the outer membrane so you can moisten the inner to look for veins. If they are there, stop.
It's not a matter of "crack it open" and look inside. Before you even PIP an egg you really need to do a few things.
_candle it. DO you see movement? If so leave it alone.
_if no movement by candling it, hold it up to your ear. Do you hear peeping or a beak tapping? If so, leave it alone.
_if no movement by candling and no sounds by listening, try the float test. I'm pretty sure I've described that to you before? If it rocks in the water, it's alive and leave it alone to finish hatching.
_if no movement by candling, no sound by listening, and no rocking by float test, then proceed to what I described above if you feel you need to. Even if it fails all these "tests" and you think it's died, still PIP and proceed slowly incase it's alive in there.
When I PIP a compltely intact egg, i use the tip of a steak knife to "drill" a tiny pinhole in the end of the egg where the air cel is (usually the fat end). By setting the point of the knife gainst this end, you can gently twist (do not wack at it) until it drills a tiny hole. Once there's a tiny hole you can use blunt tipped tweezers to chip away enough of the outer shell (avoid the 2 membranes inside), then se warm water on your fingertip to moisten the membranes. CAREFULLY peel back the outer membrane so you can moisten the inner to look for veins. If they are there, stop.
It's not a matter of "crack it open" and look inside. Before you even PIP an egg you really need to do a few things.
_candle it. DO you see movement? If so leave it alone.
_if no movement by candling it, hold it up to your ear. Do you hear peeping or a beak tapping? If so, leave it alone.
_if no movement by candling and no sounds by listening, try the float test. I'm pretty sure I've described that to you before? If it rocks in the water, it's alive and leave it alone to finish hatching.
_if no movement by candling, no sound by listening, and no rocking by float test, then proceed to what I described above if you feel you need to. Even if it fails all these "tests" and you think it's died, still PIP and proceed slowly incase it's alive in there.
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