HELP can chicks have nutri drops/ nutri drench?

[cmom]

I don't know what incubator you're using. I started out with a Little Giant incubator many years ago. I initially had poor hatches primarily due to my humidity which was between 50 and 60%. I lowered it to around 40% and my hatches got better. Now I have the humidity around 35% during incubation and raise it to around 70/75% at lock-down and now the hatches have been very good. Awhile, prior to collecting eggs from my breeder coops, I put the birds on higher protein feed, 20%. In my opinion it helps to make healthier chicks if the parent stock is. I don't think regular 16% layer feed is adequate. I was buying some high protein feed from a certain manufacture but they discontinued it so now I give the parents Game Bird feed which is 20% protein. Currently my birds are molting so they are on the higher protein feed because their feathers are primarily made of protein. I do think the feed makes a difference, but everyone is different so each has their own opinion.

 

[cmom]

Thanks unfortunately the little one passed away this morning I’ve been having some chick problems recently all hatching quite weak might there be a problem with my incubators? I’ve not had a problem early this year all from my own birds many thanks

Were these eggs shipped eggs or from another source, not from your birds?

 

[won023]

What are you feeding the parent birds? Poor nutrition of the parent birds will produce weak chicks.

Also 'late hatchers' tend to be weak. Make sure your temps are steady in your bator and determine if you have hot and cold spots in the bator. If you find that it does have hot and cooler spots, you can move the eggs around, alternating between the the two different areas of the bator, it will help in evening out the temperature differences, give a better average temperature for the eggs, thus reducing the odds of early and late hatchers. HTH

Thankyou and they have been late to hatch recently What diet is best for silkies? And laying at the moment they are on layers pellets

 

[won023]

I don't know what incubator you're using. I started out with a Little Giant incubator many years ago. I initially had poor hatches primarily due to my humidity which was between 50 and 60%. I lowered it to around 40% and my hatches got better. Now I have the humidity around 35% during incubation and raise it to around 70/75% at lock-down and now the hatches have been very good. Awhile, prior to collecting eggs from my breeder coops, I put the birds on higher protein feed, 20%. In my opinion it helps to make healthier chicks if the parent stock is. I don't think regular 16% layer feed is adequate. I was buying some high protein feed from a certain manufacture but they discontinued it so now I give the parents Game Bird feed which is 20% protein. Currently my birds are molting so they are on the higher protein feed because their feathers are primarily made of protein. I do think the feed makes a difference, but everyone is different so each has their own opinion.

Thanks for this info this is really helpful I will follow this now instead I used only layers pellets and vegetables before

 

[won023]

Were these eggs shipped eggs or from another source, not from your birds?

The first batch I had in August was shipped and hatched 4 days late and weak but the rest of the hatches were from my own birds

 

[007Sean]

16% layer was developed for battery hens. They don't have much space to move around and therefore require less protein, they don't get much exercise and the higher protein would just put fat on them, plus battery hens aren't used for breeding, so there's no concern for producing healthy chicks, just eggs.
A good, balanced and complete feed of 20% protein will certainly help to produce stronger, healthier chicks, than a 16% protein layer feed.