Horrible hatch - what went wrong???

[chubbydog811]

I had 14 eggs set (of my own) from WLH, Sexlink/WLH, and a few mixed bantams...
I almost ALWAYS have 100% hatch rates, and no issues with the chicks hatching...I have my incubator and hatcher down like a science, and know exactly what my eggs need to survive and come out with awesome hatch rates.

Well...

This hatch was BAD!!! And that doesnt even explain it well enough... Out of the 14, I had to help out 3 of them (got stuck half way through zipping), 2 pipped on the bottom of the egg (both were deformed BTW), 1 I think is dead (gave up around d18), one is peeping but no pips yet, and the rest hatched out fine. On top of all that, they started hatching on day 18 (I hadnt even had the chance yet to put them in the hatcher!)
Now, the chicks that pipped at the bottom of the egg, had deformed feet (they started breaking out, but again got stuck, so I helped them)...

The humidity in the incubator for the first 18 was 30-35% . The temp was 99* give or take a few (crazy weather up here in NH!). In the hatcher, a consistant temp of 98* and 65% for humidity (raised it to 70% when I saw they were getting stuck)...

Any ideas why this hatch is so bad??

Maybe it was just a bad batch of eggs?

Anyway, any ideas would be great...I'm always up to learning something new!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If I had to guess I would think your thermometer has failed. Hatching on day 18 makes me think the eggs were keeping an average internal temp of 102 or 103.

 

[chubbydog811]

I know that the thermometer is good...I keep testing it to make sure (one of those indoor/outdoor w/probe)..The good thing about it is I can look at the highest and lowest temp...Checked it - It must have spiked during the warmer days (when I wasnt home to check) because that is showing 102* as the highest...Maybe that was the problem...

Then it would have gone back to normal temp when I got home (cooler) and I would have never known...

Oh the fun of hatching!

 

[MissPrissy]

Hatching early is a sign that the temps were too high and the chicks developed too fast.

Being stuck and leg issues is often a case of humidity issues.

The indoor/outdoor with a probe thermometers can give you wrong readings especially if the battery is not fresh. You need to check the calibration with the damp salt test - Google it.

Also, how do you sanitize your incubator? bacteria can linger and do crazy things to the developing embryos.

If your incubator does not have a fan your temps should be at 101.5 at the top of the eggs. Usually they have to be moved around in position so that each egg is not in a hot or cold spot for the entire incubation.

If your incubator has a fan the temps should be around 99.5.

I have found a 45% humidity for the first 18 days works best for me. Then it is boosted up to 65-70% for the final days of hatch.

Stuck and sticky chicks often have had too high of a humidity and the proper moisture hasn't been able to evaporate through the shell in gas exchange.

Also remember that not every hatch will go like clockwork. Just when we think we know it all something like this happens and stands us on our heads.

For first step interventions I suggest checking the thermometer for accuracy. Sanitizing the incubator with bleach and a day or two of full on sunlight before setting another hatch.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i've had chicks hatch maybe a day early. But day 18 is way too early. i see others have questioned the temps. Perhaps your counting was off on the days? Did you count Day 1 as the day you put them in?

On the humidity, i've generally done 45-50% humidity until day 18 then up it to 65-70%.

i'm so sorry. i had some bad hatches this past Spring. Strongly suspect bacteria in my incubators. Won't be using them again until i can disinfect them properly.

So sorry again. i know it can be heartbreaking.

 

[chubbydog811]

I calibrate the thermometer every 3 or so weeks to make sure it is in check...The battery gets changed when the time on the screen is off, so I know that it has a good battery.

I know the dates weren't off - I have a "hatching journal" that I keep UTD. Every egg I remove or put in, gets documented on the date it happened (...lol this is coming from a kid who is going to school for accounting...My teacher's voice is in my head...As soon as we get off the phone {meaning make a transaction}, what do we do?? MAKE A JOURNAL ENTRY! hehe).

I clean my incubators with a bleach-y spray. The main incubator gets cleaned every 3-4 weeks depending on what is in it (after the chicks move to the hatcher) and the hatcher gets cleaned very well after every hatch.

Both incubators are LG 9200 circ. air.
For my eggs, I found that the best temp to get them on time is 98*, and the best humidity for my area is 30-35% for the first 18, and 60-70 (depending the time of year) for the last 3.

Besides the temp spike that I just found out about, I am going to bet it might be bacteria....I'll have to clean everything out again!

Thanks...

 

[Julie08]

Quote:
I agree deformaties also point to average temp being to high throughout the hatch

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Battery issues do not only manifest as a blank screen.

Due to the amount of humidity those little digital thermometers go through in a couple hatches that are not always accurate.

The batteries should be changed at every other incubation period otherwise you are taking a gamble.

I use the same type of thermometer. Trust me, I know what I am telling you.

With your issues and deformities you have temp problems.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Battery issues do not only manifest as a blank screen.

Due to the amount of humidity those little digital thermometers go through in a couple hatches that are not always accurate.

The batteries should be changed at every other incubation period otherwise you are taking a gamble.

I use the same type of thermometer. Trust me, I know what I am telling you.

With your issues and deformities you have temp problems.

Thanks for that info! I had no idea. I seem to learn something new every single day here.

 

[Penturner]

As far as I know nothing will account for hatching on day 18 other than temps being to high. Deformities would be consistent with that evidence as well. I am not sure that deformities would contribute to early hatching and have further doubt that even if it did it would result in completely formed chicks hatching. So two solid points to suspect high temp.

Infection also would cause deformities, but again not result in early hatching,

It is not a given that only one problem caused all the symptoms.

You do not give much information concerning the eggs themselves. where did they come from, how long where they stored, any reason to suspect maybe they started before being set or anything like that. but it could simply be bad genetics or poorly cared for parents.

If these are eggs you got from your own flock, how long have you been in the practice of "Helping" chicks hatch? I ask this because I have a theory that people in the practice of helping chicks are introducing a weakness into there flock that will result in more and more chicks unable to hatch. Since helping chicks results in birds living that naturally would have been culled. the results could very well be broad and numerous.

Finally sorry that you are having such a hard time, in my all things even out way of thinking, This could be the curse of having had such success in the past. maybe fate just saved up all the troubles from those past hatches and put them all together in this one for you. It does sound like you managed very well considering it was such a huge disaster.