My broken air cell experiment/first hatch plus pics

[kvmommy]

So when I ordered my assortment of 24 eggs from ebay, I had really cold eggs and every egg that I could candle had severely broken air cells. I had two of each breed, so 1 of each on the grate, and 1 of each in carton. My polish eggs never developed at all. 2 that I could see developed then died. One went bad. And so of the 10 on the grate, 6 pipped, 1 died after pipping and one had to be helped has a deformed looking leg. Can't stand at all.

NONE of the carton eggs have hatched or pipped. My husband swears he saw one move, but I haven't seen anything. My daughter with her wonderful nose told me it smelled in there again, so I kept an eye out and found a weeping rotten egg. Just got it out. I took my deformed chick out into the breeder since I had to open it anyway...Bad idea. The others swarmed it and tried to peck it to death. Not a good sign. But it is only about 5 hours out of the egg, so I put it back into the bator. Hope it fixes itself.

So, I tried both carton and grate. Tried to minimize the variable. I know the top of the eggs in carton are closer to the heat source, so even though it was still air, I kept the heat in the 99-100 degree range so the carton eggs wouldn't be too hot. I tipped it over 45 degrees each side every time I turned the eggs. And still not a single carton egg hatched. So, my assessment is that even with TAC eggs, its better on their sides. If none hatch I'll eggtopsy and maybe I'll have a better assessment.

Easter Egger, born #1



Partdride Pendescena



Light Sussex (I think)



White Empordanesa

 

[CDennis]

I did my hatch half in egg cartons and half just on the floor of the bator. So far, the first one to hatch was a egg carton baby (BCM shipped) the rest have all been floor of the bator. I am not sure if the air cells were broke or not in shipping the packers did AMAZING jobs. I do have some more pips in egg carton eggs so I hope to get some more babies.

 

[kvmommy]

My packer did a good job as well, but the air cells were scrambled nonetheless.

I read on here that during christmas time is the worst time to have eggs shipped. Hope yours all do better than me! But i'm so very happy with my 4 healthy ones, and i'm praying for my little Welsummer with his twisted legs. He's trying so hard, i'm not going to give up on him yet.

Quote:

 

[CDennis]

I heard that you could use painters tape (blue tape) to make little splints for legs and toes...I haven't tried it. But it might be worth researching or attempting. Glad you got some out of your hatch, its my first as well and I was afraid it would be a complete failure. I needed at least one fluffy butt to make it worthwhile. So far I have 7 but one is weaker than the others, he got forced into hatching by the two other eggs that hatched on either side of him.

As soon as I start pulling them out of the incubator I will post some pictures.

 

[BHep]

I tried the egg carton last hatch, 1 hatched fine, then nothing. I peeked in the bator and found pips on the sides of the eggs, pulled all the eggs out of the carton and 10 more hatched, all pipped on the side. I won't do that again. Just MY opinion!

There are a great many threads here on how to fix leg & feet problem. I think you need to do it sooner then later for better results.

Good luck & Congrtas...

 

[kvmommy]

I looked at the splints and they all seem for spraddle legs, but Idon't know if its spraddle legs or not. I'm gonna try something tonight when my husband gets home. I can't do it alone.

 

[Baralak]

On your chick with problems... I would go to the drug store, walmart, or somewhere and get a bottle of Poly-Vi-Sol With OUT iron.. Put it in her water. I have made it common practice in my hatches to mix a little in with their first water. But that's just me.

 

[kvmommy]

I actually have some on hand...I used to give it to my daughter before she was old enough to take chewable vitamins. I've been wondering how to give it to the chicks. Just drop it in their water?

 

[Baralak]

Yep... If you are using one of those regular chick water bottles (white plastic bottle with red drink pan) Fill it only half way, and hit it with a couple of dropper fulls of the good stuff. lol. For your sick chickie.. Take a bottle top, or something you can mix it with I would go 1:1 and give them a drop of the dilution 3 x for the first two days. You don't need to mix a lot of it. Just enough for about 6 drops. If you make more, then just put the remainder in the normal water.

 

[kvmommy]

Awesome..thank you! I just gotta figure out how to separate me little sick one. I only have one warm light and am using a cardboard box, so I'm trying to devise a way to make its own seperate pen because the others just want to peck it to death. My dog and my daughter are actually more excited than me and I didn't know it was possible! I just hope my dog isn't interested in eating them. lol She was good with ducks at our old place, as long as you warned her before you went out. Otherwise she'd chase them but never hurt them.