May 2023 Hatch-a-long

[Waterfaery]

130am and yes I am checking the incubator....I found pip 2!!!
Pip 1 hasn't made any progress all night....

It can take up to 24 hours.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

215am...found another pip...wrong end of egg....

 

[Honora]

I wish I knew. I'm running into the same issue. I have never had less than an 80% hatch with my own (the lowest hatch rate included a 10-hr power outage and was just over 80%), and most of my hatches prior to this year were 100%. Even with shipped eggs I've rarely had less than an 80% hatch. Yet this year I'm struggling to get 50%. Most all of the eggs make it to lockdown, and several even make it to external pip, but then that's it. Yet those that do hatch normally are active and seem just fine. I'm beginning to wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with the feed.

It could be the rooster’s diet or his age. I have heard for example that if you give roosters layer feed it affects their fertility. I suppose trying a different type of feed couldn’t hurt anyway! Or maybe try a different rooster?

I have been having great hatch rates this year but I am seeing a rise in the number of clears. My main rooster is 3 so I am thinking his fertility might be declining due to age. Either that or I need to bring in some new genes.

 

[lilwanderer]

Messed with my smaller eggs as they are the ones where I can see the bodies in the air sac, and sure enough I found "a" chirping chick who has internally pipped. Only around 11 hours into day 18, they won't be on day 19 until 6pm tonight. (Eastern).

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I have two that are starting to zip. The one just knocked a piece off and the other...(further along in the zip) has some tiny bubbles coming out of the egg as it was pushing...I hope it's ok....

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Pip 1 died during the zip...
Perfectly formed, yolk absorbed, no blood vessles....and died at the zip...WTH!!!

Sorry abt the photo...but I thought maybe someone can see something I can't

 

[Lydia Huizenga]

I guess somebody told this guy about early birds.

 

[Waterfaery]

Pip 1 died during the zip...
Perfectly formed, yolk absorbed, no blood vessles....and died at the zip...WTH!!!

Sorry abt the photo...but I thought maybe someone can see something I can't

I'm so sorry!

Is that just wet yellow feathers on it or is it yellow goo? And the fleshy part sticking down from its abdomen isn't normal either. I've never seen one like that before but I wonder if it looks like the yolk sac might have ruptured.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

What makes you think it could be something to do with the feed?

I'm quite interested in that because I'm starting to suspect weird issues with feed as well and have noticed lots of people mention it, not necessarily in relation to hatching but in all sorts of different threads.

I've hatched and raise birds for decades and have never, ever, in all those years seen issues like this. Same incubators, same incubating, hatching and brooding process...even with my broodies the hatches are not as they usually are. I've noticed the feed doesn't smell like it used to. Not bad, per say, but definitely not the same. It's no secret all the unhealthy additives that are added to store bought food and fast food. Livestock feed would be a next logical step.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

It could be the rooster’s diet or his age. I have heard for example that if you give roosters layer feed it affects their fertility. I suppose trying a different type of feed couldn’t hurt anyway! Or maybe try a different rooster?

I have been having great hatch rates this year but I am seeing a rise in the number of clears. My main rooster is 3 so I am thinking his fertility might be declining due to age. Either that or I need to bring in some new genes.

Using various roosters. Clear eggs are not the issue.