Kindergarten incubator

[carabear133]

Im a parapro at a school and own chickens at home.The kindergarten classes are incubating chicken eggs and they all should have hatched by yesterday. One of the teacher's batch of eggs had a rough go.. Only three out of ten hatched property and a fourth needed assistance hatching by the teacher. She admits she doesn't know what she's doing and asked for my advice since I have chickens but I have never incubated eggs before. Only one egg has a hole but all dried out inside, and the rest of the eggs haven't even started to have. I can only assume now that it has been 24 or 25 days that they're a lost cause and they will not hatch. Is there anything I could do to kind of help the one with missing feathers? It seems alert. Do you think that one will make it? I just don't know what to tell this teacher or those kindergarteners. The farmer will be back next week. What do you do with eggs that don't hatch?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If the one piped egg is dry it will need assistance to hatch. 90-100F water and apply liberal amount with fingers to loosen the now glue. Don't peel the shell off if any resistance. Keep wetting until it slides off. Wash the chick of all that glue when done with particular attention to the butt. That area needs to be clear or the bird can't poop. Don't get water in sinus or mouth.

At 25 days I'd say the others are lost. You'd hear peeping if stuck inside but usually can at least pip the shell. The problem is they are not raising humidity for hatching. It should be over 70% RH before they start to pip the shell. Day 18 or 19 is a good time to do that.

Often the problem with novice incubating is when using still air incubators too. Without a fan the air temperature is dramatically layered. Incubating temperatures of 99.5 F don't apply in a still air due to the vast rang of temp in them. Consistently measure in same place at the level of top of eggs. Go for 101-102F measured there. In doing so the internal temp of egg will be correct. Eggs standing upright 101-102 F at top of egg, eggs laying on side 100-101 F.

 

[carabear133]

Oh my gosh.. Ok well I feel awful but I have to stick to my schedule today and didnt have to help until now.. I hope it goes ok. Im scared lol

 

[carabear133]

K I did it... Hope it lives!