My turkey chicks hatching failed twice :(

[Bassant]

Hi everyone.
I need help with my turkey eggs.
I tried to hatch some eggs twice and I failed.

The first time was naturally, as The eggs turkey mom laid on the eggs, but at the end of the period only 3 chicks hatched and the rest of the chicks died within their eggs and never hatched. I thought it was becuz she left them cool down after the first 3 of them hatched ( from which she killed two by stepping on them :'( ).
So i decided to buy an automatic incubator with automatic control of temperature and humidity. I placed 56 eggs within. Knowing that it took turkey chicks 28 days to incubate and hatch. I did everything written within the user manual.

In day 29 a healthy chick hatched and survived till now and it started to learn to eat by himself.
Another one died while trying to crack its egg.
One died immediately after hatching.
Two died in day 3 and 4 of hatching.
Two hatched in day 31, one is very weak and seems like it's dying and the other is surviving.

Today is day 33 and the other 49 eggs show no signs of hatching
I don't know what to do or what went wrong ?!!
Should I try assisted hatching now or they would be dead already?

I need help, my heart is broken
I want to know what can I do for the current not-hatched egges.
What should I do for those poor three chicks that already hatched.
and What could possibly go wrong during the incubation?

please

 

[Kdmorrill12]

I hope someone experienced comments because I just went through the same experience they developed great up till hatch time. I lost all but 1!
:-(
I have sucesssfully hatched many chicken eggs without issue. Im bummed!! I've given the turkey a chick friend so it doesn't get to lonely seems great and eating and drinking but I wish I knew what went wrong with the other eggs. Im sorry for you losses.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Try giving your turkeys a really high protein feed like 28-30% for a couple weeks before you collect the eggs to hatch. It sounds like they are not having energy to hatch or to thrive, and since the yolk is their first nutrition = that's where I'd start.

 

[Bassant]

I hope someone experienced comments because I just went through the same experience they developed great up till hatch time. I lost all but 1!
:-(
I have sucesssfully hatched many chicken eggs without issue. Im bummed!! I've given the turkey a chick friend so it doesn't get to lonely seems great and eating and drinking but I wish I knew what went wrong with the other eggs. Im sorry for you losses. View attachment 2172834

It really breaks my heart. If I learn anything that could help I will let you know
Cute chick though

I am going to incubate some chicken eggs this time and see if it works. Just to exclude that it wasn't the adjustment of the incubator the reason it didn't go well.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

When you incubate again try hand turning on their sides and not up and down.

 

[Bassant]

Try giving your turkeys a really high protein feed like 28-30% for a couple weeks before you collect the eggs to hatch. It sounds like they are not having energy to hatch or to thrive, and since the yolk is their first nutrition = that's where I'd start.

Thank you, I will definitely try this.
but if I may add this observation as I took the rest of the eggs out of the incubator today and examined them by torch and carefully cracked two of them, trying to figure out what happened.
I found the embryos's development in 29 eggs out of 39 arrested in various points in between day 10 and 18.
and 10 out of the 39 contained a fully developed chicks that failed to crack and died inside.

what do you think?

 

[Bassant]

When you incubate again try hand turning on their sides and not up and down.

hmm, I am not sure what do you mean " on their sides and not up and down"??

Here's a picture of the tray I insert within the incubator ( from day 1 to day 25 of incubation) where the eggs are placed on their tips and it automatically turns them to the right, middle and left side every two hours.

is that fine??

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I still think it's a nutrient deficiency. I'd feed a high protein feed and vitamins with probiotics in their water for a while.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

hmm, I am not sure what do you mean " on their sides and not up and down"??

Here's a picture of the tray I insert within the incubator ( from day 1 to day 25 of incubation) where the eggs are placed on their tips and it automatically turns them to the right, middle and left side every two hours.

is that fine??

They incubate better without an automatic turner.

 

[Bassant]

I still think it's a nutrient deficiency. I'd feed a high protein feed and vitamins with probiotics in their water for a while.

I will make sure I will provide them with the nutrients you recommended next time .Thank you.