help emergency incubator problems

[fenwick]

i am new to incubating eggs, i have an incubator that automatically turns. i have 2 that have hatched so far but lost 2. when they begin to hatch the yolk around it is so thick they can't finish pecking what am i doing wrong?

 

[Razzle]

first off, is the egg turner still in the bator? if so it shouldn't be, on day 18-19 you're supposed to take it out, however, opening up the bator is a big no-no so if it is still in there, i'd turn it off,

also, considering that this is your first hatch, i tend to doubt that it's you, the chicks can break through an egg shell, they should be able to break through the sack, my first hatch i ended up by only 12 hatching out of 20,

i ended up by helping 3 out of their eggs because some were hatching from the wrong side... things like that, i would however strongly discourage doing so, simply because the 3 i assisted, came out deformed or hardly breathing and ended up by dying shortly thereafter, i know it sounds horrible to say, but if they can't get out of the egg, they are very likely to have something wrong with them, something that won't allow them to live regardless,

hatch rates can be as low as 40% and for a first hatch, you just need to get the hang of it, good luck though! i know this time was very stressful and scary for me, however i hope your experience ends up being just as worthful for you, as mine was for me!

btw, if you have any other questions and such feel free to pm me, as i've finally gotten used to the ropes of having baby chicks!

 

[cjschickens]

Have you kept the humidity at 55-65 % since lockdown ? And the temp at 99.5 for fan forced incubator, or 101 for a still air? It sounds to me like you have had humidity / temp. issues. If the humidity is too low, it makes the membrane way to tough for the chick to get out. Also you need to take the eggs out of the turner on day 18, and lay them on their side. This allows the chick to turn around in it shell so that it can pip and zip properly. A good thing to invest in is a hydrometer/thermometer combo. you must calibrate this before placing it in your bator. They usually come with instructions as to calibration. Keep trying -- it took at least 3 tries for me before i got the hang of it ! Now I am getting 98% hatches.

 

[fenwick]

thanks for the tips, i lost 4 last night and was so disappointed.

 

[Razzle]

i know that feeling, but what made me feel better was thinking to myself that the ones who were not strong enough to make it in the world, happily and healthily got to die in a place where some one loved them and took care of them as best they could opposed to some factory where they are shoved into dark tunnels with thousands of other chickens in the worst conditions imaginable,

they got to die in a happy cozy loving environment before they were fully aware of the fact that they were even living, without growing up to have health issues or pointless difficulty in things none of gods creatures should ever have to endure,

still, i am sorry for your loss