Need Advive On Dead Chicks(!!!WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS!!!)

[codyjoe]

I had a batch of 7 Silkie eggs that were 21 days yesterday and all hatched but 2. I candled the unhatched eggs and saw no movement. When I put the 7 eggs in the hatcher all had movement upon candling. I decided to open the unhatched eggs to see what happened. When I opened them they were dead and their guts or yolk were out. I don’t know what causes this? Incubation problem??? I need advice. I have been hatching chicks for a while the same way and never had this happen. They are in a sportsman incubator at 99.5 and humidity at 45-47. Then in the hatcher on the evening of day 18 same temp and humidity 65-70. But like I said I hatch chicks every week and never had a problem. Don’t want this to happen to anymore poor chicks!!!! Has anybody ever had this happen to them??


(!!!WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS!!!)

 

[scbatz33]

They stopped developing. Maybe they were just not viable birds. Since you had several hatch, I'd think it was the chicks, not your hatching method.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

For me this is a chronic problem in hatching silkies. They get right up to day 18-20 and then don't pip and die. The one on the right has a fairly large vaulted skull which I think can possibly hinder turning in the egg. The other one...not so much.

They do look pretty wet. Do you think maybe the humidity was a little too high for them? The yolk is supposed to look like that, but when they begin turning in the shell at day 10-21, they absorb the yolk. That's why it's important not to mess with them and try to "help" them hatch. If they hatch with the yolk unabsorbed, they usually die anyway.

Sorry...I'm on day 21 with 11 silkies and don't even have a pip yet. I'm concerned that ALL of mine are like that. Just wish I had the answers.

 

[chkinut]

i wonder if silkie eggshells are unusually hard? maybe that's a dumb question. but i had a silkie egg that was cracked with a air bubble moving around in it and i chunked it, but before i did, i cracked it open and the shell seemed very tough!

 

[MuranoFarms]

Even if the eggshells were unusually hard, they would have pipped internally had they been viable. If you're hatching other chicks at the same time...I would think something was wrong with these particular chicks not your hatching methods. Are these eggs from your flock? If not, maybe they just had a bad blend of genes. Or something hereditary. Who knows. 5 out of 7 still ain't bad.

Oh...that's not their guts sticking out. That is just the yolk sack. One of the last things that happens is they absorb the yolk sack and all those blood vessels 'dry up' into the chick.

 

[codyjoe]

These were shipped eggs. I bought 6 eggs and recieved 8. One never developed and the others all did. I have 5 live chicks. Pretty good for shipped eggs!!! I was very happy with the hatch despite the two with the yolks out. These were Cuckoo Silkies.

 

[Penturner]

The same spasms that cause the chick to pip also cause the yolk to be drawn into their bodies, these expired before that. Maybe they die of Co2 poisoning before it causes the spasms needed to pip the egg. That might explain a bit if it is breed specific, maybe low tolerance to Co2. Just trying to think through some other ideas more than anything. but these look like they where going strong right up to the time hatching should have started but did not get very far in that direction. My bet is there is nothing that could have been done to save them though. they need that carbon dioxide overload but if they cannot tolerate it. well makes it sort of hard to get a good escape level. Since you hav eprior experience and a track record I also say it is more the chicks than your system.

 

[Nefertiti]

Poor little babies..Looks to me like maybe the cord thingy may have gotten wrapped around their feet. Instead of the yolk drawing up in to the chick, it get becomes disstorted and/or ruptures. Either way, the chick usually dies. I really don't know if there is anything that can be done to prevent it. I thought of it as something akin to a breech birth.

 

[codyjoe]

Thanks everybody!!!!!!!!!!! I feel a little bit better that I didnt cause it.