Help, do the membrane look too dry???

[offshorewife]

We have several eggs pipping and one that has zipped about 80% around the egg. This is our first hatch and some test eggs from home. Does this membrane look too dry? It feels pretty papery and dry to me however I have nothing to compare it to. I did set it in a warm damp towel that I had in the bator to try and keep the humidity up. The humidity is around 62%. This is an old GQF 800 model cabinet bator and it is giving me fits with the humidity. I have both back vents open and we are in Louisiana so I wouldn't think humidity would be a problem but it is getting dry again. Anyway, does this membrane look too dry? I hope they are not sticking!!!
Thank you.

 

[offshorewife]

I wanted to add that one BBS bantam orp just hatched out and it was barely pipped when I noticed the large egg chick looking perhaps a tad dry this morning. Maybe the humidity is okay?? Are LF chicks slower to hatch than bantams?

 

[pips&peeps]

That chick looks stuck to me. It appears the membrane has dried out, probably from opening the incubator too much.

How long has it been that way? You may have to help it now.

 

[cluckingcanadian]

I am no expert, as I have only had one successful hatch, but the way the membrane is coming away from the shell and the white, paper look to it, suggests that indeed it is too dry.

I had a chick I needed to help out because the membrane was sticking to it. I got it safely out of the shell but it had a little membrane stuck to its wing for several days.

SOOOOO important to leave the incubator closed during hatching. Even a couple of openings will drop your humidity drastically.

I *think* (and correct me if I am wrong) if your humidity has been at acceptable levels during the incubation process than your better off to have slightly higher humidity than to low during the hatch.

Good luck with the remainder of your hatch.

 

[offshorewife]

Yes, it was stuck. I just helped it a bit and it's out now. My humidity is not dropping but 1 point when i open the door. I've had 2 hatch on their own just fine and this one. Two more pipped and 4 haven't even pipped yet. I hope they are still alive. They were last night anyway. The bator is on lock down now and i have the humidity up to 68%. I just couldn't stand if that chick was stuck and died since it was my fault. Thanks for the quick replies.

 

[offshorewife]

Well crap, looks like I messed up somewhere along the way. Two hatched just fine, I had to help 3 that were stuck, 3 died and one is still alive and kicking but hasn't pipped yet. I was trying the dry incubation method but apparently that's not going to work with this bator. I have 2 more batches of eggs in there so I hope that buy keeping the humidity higher from this point until hatch will help with the sticking issues. I feel like a total failure and need some tips to keep this from happening with the next sets.