January 2020 Hatch along

[FortCluck]

Need help on figuring out what's wrong with these free eggs...

Before I start, all the other eggs from my flock and the organic flock have hatched flawlessly so far.

One of the free eggs had a chick that externally pipped and died. So we did an egg topsy and the yolk was not absorbed yet.

What could've happened?

I have hatched 100 eggs and never had one externally pip and die.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Need help on figuring out what's wrong with these free eggs...

Before I start, all the other eggs from my flock and the organic flock have hatched flawlessly so far.

One of the free eggs had a chick that externally pipped and died. So we did an egg topsy and the yolk was not absorbed yet.

What could've happened?

I have hatched 100 eggs and never had one externally pip and die.

Have you already seen this article on diagnosing incubation problems? Seems like the following may be possible (non-incubator) causes or contributors (from the article):

• Nutritional deficiencies
• Disease in breeder flock
• Rough handling of egg, causing embryonic injury
• Eggs stored too long prior to setting

I've hatched a few eggs, too, and external pipping but failing to hatch is unusual in my experience. Without knowing more about the "free egg" flock, I'd personally suspect nutritional issues. Maybe you could casually ask him what he feeds his chickens..?

 

[FortCluck]

Have you already seen this article on diagnosing incubation problems? Seems like the following may be possible (non-incubator) causes or contributors (from the article):

• Nutritional deficiencies
• Disease in breeder flock
• Rough handling of egg, causing embryonic injury
• Eggs stored too long prior to setting

I've hatched a few eggs, too, and external pipping but failing to hatch is unusual in my experience. Without knowing more about the "free egg" flock, I'd personally suspect nutritional issues. Maybe you could casually ask him what he feeds his chickens..?

Only issue with that is we have a language barrier I speak English. He speaks Russian and limited English. I'll text him at some point to ask him. I'm hoping he won't find what I say offensive.

I'm kind of sad if my boys I gave him aren't being treated well because my flock has a 90% hatch rate. Those boys were treated well and fed well before they left my home.

 

[FortCluck]

My first chick ever to have deformities or blindness... I made a thread here's what it says:

Can someone tell me what's wrong with this chick... I know it's blind in 1 eye, but why are it's eyelids like this?

It's not from my flocks eggs, but I'd like to know it's survival chances. I feel sad for it, I know that sounds ridiculous



Blind eye

Other eye

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@FortCluck, I wouldn't risk damaging your relationship if it would be too awkward to ask him about the feed. Who knows - maybe their nutrition is fine. Maybe they were stored for too long (too old)..? It's difficult to get to the bottom of the problem, though, without more info.

Are you under the impression that he's just raising the roosters and not eating them? I assumed that he was taking them to eat because you can only keep so many roosters...but you know what happens when you assume.

 

[FortCluck]

@FortCluck, I wouldn't risk damaging your relationship if it would be too awkward to ask him about the feed. Who knows - maybe their nutrition is fine. Maybe they were stored for too long (too old)..? It's difficult to get to the bottom of the problem, though, without more info.

Are you under the impression that he's just raising the roosters and not eating them? I assumed that he was taking them to eat because you can only keep so many roosters...but you know what happens when you assume.

He puts all the roosters together in a bachelor pad then rotates them in. He doesn't eat them and was insulted when I asked if that's what he was doing with them

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

My first chick ever to have deformities or blindness... I made a thread here's what it says:

Can someone tell me what's wrong with this chick... I know it's blind in 1 eye, but why are it's eyelids like this?

It's not from my flocks eggs, but I'd like to know it's survival chances. I feel sad for it, I know that sounds ridiculous



Blind eye

View attachment 2011667

View attachment 2011669

Other eye

View attachment 2011671

View attachment 2011672

What a cute baby! It's difficult not to be sad for it, but you probably already know that visual impairments don't necessarily mean a poor quality of life. From what I can see, it looks like its eyelids didn't develop properly.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

He puts all the roosters together in a bachelor pad then rotates them in. He doesn't eat them and was insulted when I asked if that's what he was doing with them

Oops!

 

[FortCluck]

What a cute baby! It's difficult not to be sad for it, but you probably already know that visual impairments don't necessarily mean a poor quality of life. From what I can see, it looks like its eyelids didn't develop properly.

Looks like both were cut by scissors. Pretty weird.

I don't want to breed it into my flock because I don't want those genetics carried on. If it's a Pullet I would like to keep it if it survives. It can be considered a rescue. I mean it should still lay eggs.

 

[rascal66]

@FortCluck, I wouldn't risk damaging your relationship if it would be too awkward to ask him about the feed. Who knows - maybe their nutrition is fine. Maybe they were stored for too long (too old)..? It's difficult to get to the bottom of the problem, though, without more info.

Are you under the impression that he's just raising the roosters and not eating them? I assumed that he was taking them to eat because you can only keep so many roosters...but you know what happens when you assume.

I second this!