Help with first-time hatch?

[kaylee gee]

I have an incubator with 5 chicken eggs. #5 was never fertilized, #4 is a quitter, and eggs 1, 2 and 3 are wiggling and peeping. Egg #2 pipped last night, on day 20. I am having a really hard time keeping the humidity right. The hydrometer said it was at 60% so I added a bit of water to the reservoir, but then it said its at 45%. I can't figure out what's correct!
Anyway one of the chicks fell out of its egg, #2, but its egg is bloody and its attached to the chick. Any advice or anything? Thanks.
It is chirping and moving, seems strong.
I have a photo on my phone but this website wont let me post it without a URL.

 

[AwallRooster]

when you added the water did you add luke warm water? always add luke warm water to your incubator.
my suggestion is to get the old water out,an add new warm water,an make sure your temp. is no less then 99.5 or no higher then 101,if that doest get the humity up , try puting a warmer wet sponge in a small bowl in the incubater,hopefully this will help the chick, it will probly grow away from its shell,

but it also needs to be able to move around so it can eat an drink.
come on peeps help Kaylee Gee out here!!! yall mite have some better advise!!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

They have this site set up so you have to have a certain number of posts before you can post photos or links. It's a form of protection for us. There are too many scumbags out there that think messing other people up is fun.

You adjust the humidity by adding water surface area. Unless it is running dry, just adding water to a reservoir won't raise the humidity since it does not increase the surface area. Either add water to another reservoir or put in something to wick water out like a paper towel or a cloth. I use this to add water to my incubator without opening it. I go in through a vent.



Also check to make sure the lid is on correctly. I messed up that way once.

It's also possible your hygrometer is messing up. If a chick hatched, the humidity should have increased from the wet chick and the moisture in the egg. Something just doesn't sound right so check that lid. But if the chick made it out of the egg shell, it sounds like your humidity is high enough.

Chicks go through a complicated process for hatch. They learn to breathe in air instead of liquid, absorb the egg yolk, dry up blood vessels they don't need anymore and many other things. Occasionally one hatches before it completes doing everything it should. Sometimes these don't make it but often they do. It's not anything you did wrong and there is nothing you can do to help. I know it is stressful but the best thing you can do is to just watch. Don't try to help because you cannot make anything better. You can only do harm. That may sound harsh and ruthless but it is really for the best.

 

[AwallRooster]

good advice Ridgerunner, and yes i'm glad BYC trys to keep the trash out, so we as true chicken lovers, farmers,ect.

can have a clean web site, to chat an help each.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Kaylee Gee, how did the hatch turn out? Did that chick make it?

 

[kaylee gee]

3 of 5 eggs started wiggling. The first one to hatch was the one I posted about. It seems to be very healthy and strong. The second to hatch seemed to be strong at first, got out of the egg within a few hours, but now seems to be doing poorly. The third died in the egg; I opened it and saw the chick had a crooked beak. Anything I can do for the poor one?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know what you mean by "doing poorly". They normally don't have to eat or drink for a few days after hatch, and they usually don't eat and drink a lot at first, but if it is lethargic after drying out for several hours, maybe a day or more, you might try giving it a few drops of sugar water with a medicine dropper. Just put a few drops at the tip of its beak. Don't drown the chick by forcing lots of moisture down its throat. The idea is to give it something that will give it energy so it can eat and drink on its own. I've used that hummingbird syrup with an injured hen.

I try to not be too quick to help. Hatching is a long hard process. Sometimes they recover slowly from that ordeal. You are watching them and I am not, so I can't make those decisions for you.

Good luck! Not all hatches are this tough. Better luck on your next one.

 

[CindyJeann]

Baby chicks just like baby humans sleep a lot just after birth. It take them a day or two to perk up and become real active. Just make sure they have food and water and are kept warm.

 

[kaylee gee]

He is acting like he can't get his lgs under him. They are on paper towels so he has plenty of traction. He stood up after several hours but now he can't seem to.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'd try patience. It's not always easy to know what to do, but you often come out ahead by not rushing things.