Incubators Anonymous

[Dawnrenae]

At 68% humidity, I thought they would be ok.

It is the egg. I don't know why it hasn't been absorbed yet. But, little one has plenty of time. Just hatched yesterday. Will see what happens.

 

[DMRippy]

8 out of 15. With 15 internal pips.
Baby number 6 still has what looks like his intestines out? No assists this time. Looks like maybe shrink wrap inside the egg? Everyone was perfect at lockdown...

Thoughts?

They can't really shrinkwrap inside the egg. That could only happen if they externally pipped. What day are you on? Did you have any issues with temps like the power go out or something? What was your humidity during incubation and then at lockdown?

Did I miss anything? LOL. I have had some hatch several days late for some odd reason.... so you may not want to give up just yet. I have even tossed eggs only to hear chicks peeping in the trash.

 

[DMRippy]

At 68% humidity, I thought they would be ok.

It is the egg. I don't know why it hasn't been absorbed yet.

But, little one has plenty of time. Just hatched yesterday. Will see what happens.

If it is yolk don't worry about it.... intestines probably will not make it. Sometimes they can either not close at the umbilical cord or they can pull them out when they hatch...... I have seen chicks squish them out of newly hatched chicks too....

68% is kinda high at hatch even..... it must have really spiked when they started hatching. I would think 50-60 is good and it will go up from there.

 

[Dawnrenae]

They can't really shrinkwrap inside the egg.  That could only happen if they externally pipped.  What day are you on?  Did you have any issues with temps like the power go out or something?  What was your humidity during incubation and then at lockdown? 

Did I miss anything?  LOL.  I have had some hatch several days late for some odd reason.... so you may not want to give up just yet.  I have even tossed eggs only to hear chicks peeping in the trash.

I have no intentions of tossing until the weekend. We are on day 23, so there is plenty of time to wait.

That being said, my humidity during incubation was 35% during hatch, I upped it to 65-68%. Temp fluctuated MUCHO during incubation. Between 102° and 105° because we were in triple digits.

But the incubator had to be moved and it was unplugged for 3 minutes, I don't think that is enough time to cause problems, but...

On lockdown, 15 babies were VERY much alive. Today, I have 8 hatchling plus a gosling. And, I don't know, but, everything else...?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: Well if they were alive at lockdown the temp didn't kill them. The 65-68% is a bit high. They can drown in the egg.... if they internally pipped and died then they either couldn't get a good breath or there was something wrong with their lungs..... It does happen. I have had it happen just in some breeds for some odd reason. My Ams for example would go to lockdown and when I eggtopsied them they were fully formed chicks.... still don't know why that happens. Just were not ready to hatch for some reason.

 

[Dawnrenae]

This time, it didn't hurt my heart as much to have failed eggs. I am getting stronger.

Next set is about two weeks off. I am getting a new incubator. So, I am giving all the tots a chance to grow up a bit, and then start again.

In the incubator now, I still have 3 gosslings, and a couple 6 day embryos I brought in from the broody, when the nasties, started to eat her babies.

 

[CashandTracy]

Ive read the splayed legs are from slippery surfaces in the hatching area and brooder. I use one of those anti slip mats that you get for your car or chopping boards etc. theybare cheap,so chuck it away after each hatch they get a bit dirty and seem a little porous.

It might be something else though, nutrition of the parents, genetics passed on. Who knows.

I think I have a nutrition problem, the chicks just are not as vigirous as they should be. The hatchery chicks I have ordered in the past are so much more active. So I'm going to try tweeking my feed.

I am going to try the anti slip mats though, if even just to give them some padding on the wire.

I've discovered an easy fix for shrink wrapped chicks. I wrap a warm sopping wet paper towel completely around the egg except I keep a hole open around the pip hole so they can breathe. In a very short while the membrane is moist and pliable again and they have no trouble hatching out. Or rather, they have no trouble if you do that quick enough after catching the problem. If they've been struggling for two days already, they are too weak to get out of the egg.

Thank you I'll give it a try!

shelf liner material... the rubbery kind.

Thank You!

 

[ladycat]

I've discovered an easy fix for shrink wrapped chicks. I wrap a warm sopping wet paper towel completely around the egg except I keep a hole open around the pip hole so they can breathe. In a very short while the membrane is moist and pliable again and they have no trouble hatching out. Or rather, they have no trouble if you do that quick enough after catching the problem. If they've been struggling for two days already, they are too weak to get out of the egg.

I did this today. I don't think it took more than an hour before the chick got out of the egg. It had gotten half zipped last night, and made no further progress. When I checked it was shrink wrapped, so I did the warm wet paper towel thing and it's hatched and resting in the incubator.

The real trick is catching it early before it's too tired to hatch.

 

[Kelsykin]

Staggered hatch can it be done in 1 incubator. I am going to see. I have Welsummer eggs due to hatch June 28th. D'Uccle eggs due to hatch July 1.

These are not set yet, but should go in tomorrow. Sebright, Ginger Reds, and mixed mystery eggs due to hatch July 3rd.


I have been waiting a week for these to ship. We will see if they get here. May have silkies to add that would be due July 4th or 5th.

 

[ladycat]

Staggered hatch can it be done in 1 incubator. I am going to see. I have Welsummer eggs due to hatch June 28th. D'Uccle eggs due to hatch July 1.

These are not set yet, but should go in tomorrow. Sebright, Ginger Reds, and mixed mystery eggs due to hatch July 3rd.


I have been waiting a week for these to ship. We will see if they get here. May have silkies to add that would be due July 4th or 5th.

You can do that, it's tricky. I avoid it when possible, but when you're getting a lot of shipped eggs, sometimes you can't help it. It's best to separate the eggs by due date so that some aren't hatching on top of younger eggs and contaminating them.

If I have several due dates, I separate only the ones that are closest to hatching (I don't want a zillion dividers).

Pictured are dividers I made for the Brinsea and for the styro that doesn't have an auto turner so that I can separate eggs. I put paper towels in the bottom to help keep things clean.