Newbie hatcher

[AltonaAcres]

What was your humidity at?

 

[Ladyroe571]

Humidity was between 40-60 % from day 1 -18. From day 18 and hatching was 75-80%, with misting no more than twice a day.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Sounds about right. there are a million factors that can change the hatch rate. Were the eggs clean? How were they stored prior to setting? What breed? My best guess would be one of the hatchlings rolled the eggs around while they were supposed to be completely still and gearing up to pip. That's why I remove babies right away

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm confused, what day did they hatch on? You have 2 different posts with 2 different times

 

[LynnaePB]

I've seen shrink wrap defined a few different ways. I've had to assist a lot of chicks from shipped eggs and added safety holes if they don't externally pip within a certain amount of time from internal pip. A lot of the little ones are what I've seen a lot of people call shrink wrapped, but they hatch out just fine as long as they aren't malpositioned (those I have to help more).

I only consider a chick shrink wrapped when the tough outer membrane (not the thin inner membrane) has constricted around the chick. I have experienced this once or twice (both times happened when a chick made a large external pip in a forced air incubator). The thin inner membrane is pretty delicate and it's usually easy for them to get through. The outer membrane once it dries is very tough and it really is a death sentence for them if that has constricted around them and they don't get help.

If it was just the thin inner membrane wrapped around the chicks it probably wasn't shrink wrap that made them unable to hatch.

Were the babies internally pipped? Did they appear to be in the correct hatching position? Yolk absorbed or unabsorbed?

 

[Ladyroe571]

I'm confused, what day did they hatch on? You have 2 different posts with 2 different times

Sorry the birds hatched on the 19th and 20th days.only 3 hatched. We left them for 24 hrs then removed them quickly.they were in an incubator that turned them automatically. We waited for the others to hatch but nothing. We waited a couple of days then candled. We could see them and they were chirping but it all stopped. On the 25th day we put air holes in the air socket but there was no movement or chirping. Today we opened them and they were shrinkwrapped and dead.

 

[Ladyroe571]

Sounds about right. there are a million factors that can change the hatch rate. Were the eggs clean? How were they stored prior to setting? What breed? My best guess would be one of the hatchlings rolled the eggs around while they were supposed to be completely still and gearing up to pip. That's why I remove babies right away

We believe that they may have been jostled around a bit from the newborn hatchlings.

 

[Ladyroe571]

We believe the new hatchlngs may have moved the eggs around. Some of them were pipped on the inside but not the outer shell.

 

[LynnaePB]

The eggs being kicked around might have had some effect, it does sound like you lost a lot though? I always take my babies out as they hatch as well so they can't disturb the hatching eggs (plus the newly hatched chicks fluff up faster, you just have to be careful they are warm enough). I doubt that many chicks would have quit just due to being jostled by hatched siblings though it is a possibility.

Humidity being too high has been one of the biggest culprits in poor hatches from what I've seen. The humidity you had during incubation would have been too high for me. I usually have to keep mine between 20-40% the first 18 days to get good hatches, I make sure to adjust based on air cell size. What works in one area/incubator won't necessarily work in another area/incubator though. If the air cell growth was good throughout than your humidity was probably fine.

Age of the eggs, improper storage, and issues with the genetics or nutrition of the flock can all greatly affect the hatching ability in chicks as well. One or more of these things may have affected your hatch.

Your eggs were bought locally and not shipped? If they were shipped those often have a really hard time hatching and it is very common to get late quitters unfortunately.

 

[Ladyroe571]

The eggs were purchased from a local farmer.. and pretty fresh. Thanks we will try again