help needed with Chicks

[ladyomaha]

I have 4 incubators running 3 ducks, and 1 chicken.... I had 1 chick hatch about a month ago out of 30 eggs. The ducks have never hatched. They start and look good, in the incubator, and then they stop developing, and one chick I heard Chirping, when I took it off the turner and waited 4 days and no hatch, Broke it open, DEAD. The humidity is between 55-65, and temp is 99-101. And Ideas on what I am doing wrong and what I need to change. PLEASE HELP.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Your humidity is too high, try lowing it to 40-45%

 

[ladyomaha]

Is that why they are all dying, do you know what the Ducks humidity should be set at? They start and then die, and are real yolky and never fully develope. At lockdown what should the humidity be for my Chickens?

 

[cmom]

Quote:

I agree. The eggs need to loose a certain amount of moisture during incubation. If you initially incubate at a higher humidity then you can drown the chicks as the water accumulates in the air sack and when the chick pips the air sack it drowns. I used to incubate at around 50% humidity but have found if I keep my humidity down to around 35% during incubation and keep it around 75% during lockdown I get much better hatches. The plugs need to be out during lockdown. The eggs need the added airflow. If the humidity goes down during lockdown I put a straw in a hole and squirt a little warm water on a paper towel in the bottom of the incubator. The moisture will spread out some but that is ok. My hatches are or near 100%. I know it is heart breaking when the eggs don't hatch. Since I have been doing my hatching like this my hatch rate has went up and I have had 100% hatches which i never thought before was possible. Good luck on your hatch...

 

[1muttsfan]

Ladyomaha, so sorry about your bad hatch it is so disturbing. And welcome to BYC

 

[ladyomaha]

Thank You, I have been commin on here Reading things, and thought its about time to join in on the conversations.

In My incubator I didnt realize I needed to pull the plugs, and get air flow, I am having a hard time with this, and trying to get my chicks and ducks to hatch, I have a Duck Now who started cracking the shell late last evening, and has not broke anymore, I can hear him, and the egg moves, When do I need to help him, or just let him do it on his own, I dont want him to die, as I have tried about 100 eggs and none has even made it this far. Any advise?

 

[MamaMarcy]

Ducks can take 36 hours or more to emerge after PIP...as long as he's PIP'd I encourage you to leave him be. With my ducks, I see PIP then usually well over a day later they start to zip and it goes faster then

Good luck!!

 

[ladyomaha]

Thanks Marcy, I will continue to wait, and keep an eye on him. Hoping for the best on this lil one, Would be my first Duck born, I am excited.

 

[MamaMarcy]

I did my first hatch of ducks about a week ago...so fun and they are so cute!! They were zooming in the brooder last night when I gave them a small soup pot of water, SWIMMING TIME!! I got 8 out of 10 to hatch, one died mid hatch (it was in the egg wrong) and another died before PIP. One of the 8 that mde it out died almost 2 days lter, it had tourble breathing & drinking and had a crooked wing.

But the 7 remaining are so cute. I sold 3 and have 4 left. Indian Runners. I also have 3 muscovy eggs in the incubator and 11 under mama duck.

What kind of duck are you hatching? Also what kind of incubator are you using?

 

[ladyomaha]

I am hatching Runner ducks, and Muscovy. or a mix of the two, lol, They are all with each other so who knows what they will be. I have had no luck, I look at them about a week after I start the incubator, and they are Fertile, and I have an automatic turner, and them come hatch time, They never developed, and are all dead.

I use a Little giant incubator Still air