help with hatching

[shroomlover]

Is it normal for a lot of eggs to hatch 2-4 days after day 21?

 

[alaskanchickens]

From my understanding that usually means your temps were slightly lower than recommended. I have discovered hot and cold spots in my incubator so have to move the eggs around at least once a day into a new spot

 

[shroomlover]

Thank you. Now a new problem only seven chicks hatched and ten chicks dead in shell in the last stage. they were fully developed but dead. I feel like I am a murderer. I am so sad.

 

[alaskanchickens]

were they shrink-wrapped? May have been a humidity issue. Shipped eggs or from your chickens? Theres so many things that could have caused that. Sorry for your loss, I got upset when I lost 2 at day 12.

 

[shroomlover]

They were not shrink wrapped. Local eggs from a neighbor. The 7 that hatched are fine and hatched perfect, that is why I am so confused. It makes me not want to try again. I don't want to be doing something wrong.

 

[ScrmnWoody]

I've hatched a lot of chicks and never had a 100% luck. Stuff happens. As sad as it is, it's not always your fault. Sounds like you brought life to several chicks. That's got to feel good.

 

[brokenhobble]

I just finished a hatch and had the same issue, I even had a couple eggs start hatching and then they never finished... what do you think that happened for???

 

[ScrmnWoody]

I think humidity has something to do with the ability of a chick to break out of an egg. I've had some trouble with this, as well. It was very tricky, but I've had to help them out in some cases. I don't think this approach is recommended, but I've had good luck with it. The chicks are usually pretty stressed out by the time they've struggled and had my help. So, it takes some extra babying to get them through the first few days.

 

[lazy gardener]

shroomlover: You had a great first hatch. don't kick yourself over the ones that didn't make it. You are to be commended for investigating, to try to figure out what went wrong. If you hadn't tried to hatch any eggs, they just would have ended up in a frying pan! So, the fact that some didn't make it, needs to be viewed in the context of the bigger picture. You are now a more experienced hatcher than you were a month ago. If they weren't shrink wrapped, I'm guessing that your humidity may have been too high. If the eggs are too wet inside, when the chick pips the air cell, she encounters water instead of air, and drowns. Have you read the threads regarding "dry hatching". That may help you.

 

[shroomlover]

Thank you so much. I feel a lot better now. And i had my first duckling hatch today and hopefully the other 5 will hatch tomorrow. Wish me luck. I do believe high humidity was the cause of death for my 10 babies that didn't make it.