Help First Time Hatcher!!

[MarionIN4Chickens]

Looks like you might have a tuxedo chick! The color shouldn't have contributed to its hatching difficulties.

...this is making me realize most of my "pharoah" guesses on my current hatch are probably roux or rosetta. Only one chick so far is yellow and black, most of mine are brown/black.

It might be worth incubating at a slightly higher temp next time. Some people say it makes for more vigorous chicks - personally I've had more luck setting my incubator at 100.5 (but I've also have changes in roos, seasonal changes, etc, so who knows?) If nothing else, they hatch faster. Mine are on day 16 and most are pipped.

Thanks I have another set of eggs waiting to incubate starting tomorrow! I’ll try the higher temp. I didn’t think the color contributed to the hatching problems but it is interesting that the only one differently colored is also the only one that took forever to hatch but seems healthy! I am guessing the other chicks are all pharaoh but I’m really not sure and when I looked at tuxedo chicks they looked so much darker I thought the little gold one couldn’t possibly be one it will be so interesting to find out

 

[007Sean]

I would lower the Rh% to 50 -55% during "lockdown". I would also incubate them at 30 to 35% Rh.
High humidity ( 60% or higher) during the hatching phase will cause several issues, 'stuck chick's', crooked toes due to the length of time it takes them to hatch, and wry neck to name but a few!

 

[MarionIN4Chickens]

I would lower the Rh% to 50 -55% during "lockdown". I would also incubate them at 30 to 35% Rh.
High humidity ( 60% or higher) during the hatching phase will cause several issues, 'stuck chick's', crooked toes due to the length of time it takes them to hatch, and wry neck to name but a few!

Thanks so much for your reply! We ended up hatching 19 healthy babies, two that died for unknown reasons and 7 with wry neck that was bad enough they ended up dying from being unable to get themselves off their backs. I’m definitely going to try your humidity levels for this next batch

 

[ChickenBreeder70707]

I would lower the Rh% to 50 -55% during "lockdown". I would also incubate them at 30 to 35% Rh.
High humidity ( 60% or higher) during the hatching phase will cause several issues, 'stuck chick's', crooked toes due to the length of time it takes them to hatch, and wry neck to name but a few!

That's so interesting. I just am hatching some today and I have had several with a tiny pip but nothing else and just now have a wry neck one with a stuck shell that just couldn't hatch herself. Then we gave her a hand and her legs look deformed. I am going to try that next time for sure with the lower humidity. I have been following the instructions that come with my incubator for hatches and they haven't been super successful with about a 30-40% hatch rate. The humidity it says is 45-55% 1-18 and 65-75% at lockdown. I learned to set it at 100.5 degrees instead of 99.5 like it says because they weren't hatching at all at 99.5. So now I'm wondering if their temp and humidity are both wrong!

 

[007Sean]

That's so interesting. I just am hatching some today and I have had several with a tiny pip but nothing else and just now have a wry neck one with a stuck shell that just couldn't hatch herself. Then we gave her a hand and her legs look deformed. I am going to try that next time for sure with the lower humidity. I have been following the instructions that come with my incubator for hatches and they haven't been super successful with about a 30-40% hatch rate. The humidity it says is 45-55% 1-18 and 65-75% at lockdown. I learned to set it at 100.5 degrees instead of 99.5 like it says because they weren't hatching at all at 99.5. So now I'm wondering if their temp and humidity are both wrong!

Do you have an independent, calibrated hygrometer and an accurate thermometer or 2 or 3? Never, ever relie on the instruments sensors, they are notorious for being inaccurate and unreliable.
100°F is OK, if thats what an independent thermometer is reading! but the humidity is wrong!

Wry neck and crooked toes, 'stuck chick' syndrome and drowning are just a few of the many things that high humidity can cause....but wry neck can also be linked to a vitamin E and B plus selenium deficiency in the parent stock.

 

[ChickenBreeder70707]

Update! Maybe she doesn't have wry neck, she is walking around fine now. We almost culled her. She had an eggshell stuck to her neck and she still has a membrane stuck to her back right now but she's hanging with the rest now and seems fine, eating and drinking.

I am going to try new humidity levels on the next batch, will check for more accurate tools as well. Thanks!