Low temp first 4 days of incubation

[KelseyBoxer]

Day 7 of incubation. Candled 25 eggs that were at low temp for the first 4 days. Only 10 are still in the incubator. Most of the rejects had begun some sort of development but showed no veins or movement. There were large empty spaces and just did not look as if anything was progressing. Some had blood rings and a few were clear. I kept the best ones possible. I filled the LG with 24 more eggs from my flock. Now I have a staggered hatch. There is a possibility that my GLW rooster is not fertilizing his girls. I need to verify my wyandotte eggs so that is the driving force to get some good strong chicks.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I use an LG w/fan and I actual like it. My first hatch. Bought a new thermometer didn't check it for accuracy (because it was new so it has to be right, right? Ya-no.) Bator was holding ok, I was there to catch it if it flunctuated. Wasn't too worried. I was seeing growth and the movement was amazing. Day 18-lockdown 17 eggs moving and developing. I thought they looked a little behind in development but I chalked it up to inexperience and locked down. Day 24 I had my first egg hatch. Beautiful lively yellow chick. A second egg pipped and it hatched the next morning, but died within the first 24 hours. Nothing after that. Next day I discarded the eggs. (No eggtopsies and regretted it later.)

Now, I gave up, wasn't going to hatch ever again. Awful experience. Three weeks later my son and I talked and decided to try again. Bought THREE thermometers. Checked them (I learned that lesson.) Found that my thermometer from my first hatch was SIX degrees off. So when I thought my temps were 99/100 it was more like 94. It was a miracle I had one survivor. He is now 5 months old and beautiful. As a chick he appeared normal and healthy. Very active and (since he was an only) very people oriented. He was feathering out very slowly though. Around 2 months I started to realize the older (and bigger) he got the more effects I was seeing from his delayed development in the egg. He has balance issues. Never has used the perch in his quarters as he couldn't balance on it. Now at 5 months old he still has a significant amount of down feathers under his adult feathers at his back end and when he gets real active and running around he will mouth breathe from time to time. I attribute all this to the development. He is quartered in our playroom and I don't know if he will ever transition from home to coop this spring. I will try him out there, but I don't think his being with the other 2 roos is going to happen. He may need his own mini coop and run...lol We love him and glad that he made it regardless, but it just showed me the complications that I have to be prepared for if we ever have any more late hatchers.
(Second hatch=13/16. So glad we didn't give up even though it has given me another addiction...lol)

 

[KelseyBoxer]

So happy you shared your story AmyLynn. I was hoping you would join in. We seem to have alot in common with our LG bators and dry hatch method. Do you have any advice on my staggered hatch? I have another LG still air. I was going to lock down the first eggs if they make it in that bator. I'm sure I can dig up a fan and install it in the second LG if I have too. Do you anticipate any problems going from a forced air to the still air?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So happy you shared your story AmyLynn. I was hoping you would join in. We seem to have alot in common with our LG bators and dry hatch method. Do you have any advice on my staggered hatch? I have another LG still air. I was going to lock down the first eggs if they make it in that bator. I'm sure I can dig up a fan and install it in the second LG if I have too. Do you anticipate any problems going from a forced air to the still air?

Staggered hatches are not something I've done, and not eager to try...lol I don't think and have never read anything that stated an issue of using a still air as a hatcher. As long as the humidity is up and vent plugs are opened there shouldn't be any issues.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Put 10 eggs in lock down on sunday. I candled but its very hard to see anything other than a large dark mass. The blue eggs are the hardest to look thru. I did see some movement in 2 of the eggs. Anyway, all 10 are now soaking in the sauna of +/- 70% humidity. Due to hatch on Wednesday. I hope the low temps in the first 4 days don't affect these chicks.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Put 10 eggs in lock down on sunday. I candled but its very hard to see anything other than a large dark mass. The blue eggs are the hardest to look thru. I did see some movement in 2 of the eggs. Anyway, all 10 are now soaking in the sauna of +/- 70% humidity. Due to hatch on Wednesday. I hope the low temps in the first 4 days don't affect these chicks.

Hopefully they will all hatch on time and not be delayed!!!

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Got 2 little ameraucana chicks as of this morning! I had to remove them from the incubator. One chick had alot of goo and I didn't want it to dry and get stuck. The chick is doing great. The egg shell was glued to the bottom of the incubator. This is the 2nd time that has happened, but this time the chick hatched with no help from me. I also wanted to listen to the other eggs. I hear peeps in 2 more. I added water and closed up the bator. I do believe the eggs are a little behind but its better than I had hoped for.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Got 2 little ameraucana chicks as of this morning! I had to remove them from the incubator. One chick had alot of goo and I didn't want it to dry and get stuck. The chick is doing great. The egg shell was glued to the bottom of the incubator. This is the 2nd time that has happened, but this time the chick hatched with no help from me. I also wanted to listen to the other eggs. I hear peeps in 2 more. I added water and closed up the bator. I do believe the eggs are a little behind but its better than I had hoped for.

Great! Congrats!

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Four now. I will candle remaining eggs tomorrow when I take out the new chicks. And I'll post some pics too.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Final update on the hatch: 6 bouncy fluffy chicks. 4 eggs did not hatch out of the 10 that went to lockdown. 24 eggs were set at first. My older chickens in 1 pen are still iffy on egg quality so alot of those eggs that didn't go to lockdown were not good from the beginning. I did open the 4 eggs that did not hatch. 2 were quitters after day 10 (very small development) 1 was soft with alot of moisture and 1 was fully formed and not too wet. I believe that last one might have made it up to day 20. All said, I would not give up hope for eggs that were incubated at low temps for the first few days. Everyone was so helpful and I thank you all for your replies.