help me figure out what I'm doing wrong please

[bobshammy]

My chicks don't fluff up. The just dry crispy..They are fine. Just look wet but are dry.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My chicks don't fluff up. The just dry crispy..They are fine. Just look wet but are dry.

It sounds to me that they have a bit of "sticky" chick. What was your humidity during the first 17 days of incubation. It could be a case of too high humidty.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Sticky chicks are usually caused by overly high humidity during incubation that did not allow the chick to grow as large as it should have or let the egg lose enough moisture as the chick developed, so at hatch time those chicks are coated with more liquid (albumen) than they should be. A sticky chick's movement is restricted, but the stronger chicks usually manage to hatch ok (just extra sticky). The weak chicks will expire trying to hatch because they just don't have the strength. if they can't spin, and can't zip, they expire. Sometimes that extra sticky liquid can clog the chick's nostrils (aka drowning the chick), and the sticky liquid can also cause the opening of the internally pipped membrane to glue down onto the chick's nostril shortly after they have pipped internally, suffocating it.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/08/shrink-wrapped-or-stickey-chicks-why.html

 

[bobshammy]

I incubate dry so idk how the humidity can be too high. I have two hydrometers in there too.

 

[WalnutHill]

Are you hatching extra large eggs? Are they hatching a day late? Both can contribute to "glazed" chicks.

 

[bobshammy]

They are average size and they hatched on day 20.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I incubate dry so idk how the humidity can be too high. I have two hydrometers in there too.

Hmmmm... I do dry incubation too.

 

[WalnutHill]

Is the down stiff, or just flat? I also have observed that if I only hatch one or two chicks/poults, they don't have much body contact, and don't fluff well or evenly. When I have a crowd, they bump and nudge and fluff each other. If you only have a few, a rolled terry towel can serve as a substitute. They will also use it as a pillow.

 

[lazy gardener]

Sticky chicks are usually caused by overly high humidity during incubation that did not allow the chick to grow as large as it should have or let the egg lose enough moisture as the chick developed, so at hatch time those chicks are coated with more liquid (albumen) than they should be. A sticky chick's movement is restricted, but the stronger chicks usually manage to hatch ok (just extra sticky). The weak chicks will expire trying to hatch because they just don't have the strength. if they can't spin, and can't zip, they expire. Sometimes that extra sticky liquid can clog the chick's nostrils (aka drowning the chick), and the sticky liquid can also cause the opening of the internally pipped membrane to glue down onto the chick's nostril shortly after they have pipped internally, suffocating it.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/08/shrink-wrapped-or-stickey-chicks-why.html

I thought that overly high humidity caused chicks to grow larger. I've got to go do some reading now!!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I thought that overly high humidity caused chicks to grow larger. I've got to go do some reading now!!!

I thought the same...that's what I've always told people...lol.. I only quoted the article to back my suspicion it may be high humidity.