Opening eggs

[aalbury]

Will do!

 

[the simple life]

Yikes! That is alot of blood, I would not touch this one.
I do not help them unless I think its something I have done to screw them up, like opening the bator to take out the chicks that hatched the day before and even then only if they have a big chunk of shell already gone and they are getting shrink wrapped.

If they are just late to hatch I let them go a few days, there is no harm in letting them sit in the bator for a few extra days.
I have had the same hatch where chicks hatch on day 20 and some on day 23.
If they are slow developing for whatever reason I don't touch them, if they hatch they hatch if they don't then they were not meant to.
After day 23 I toss them out without opening them.

The ones I have helped out have gone either way, one is running around the yard, a full grown cochin rooster and another died right after hatching.
The only time I have interfered is when like I said I opened the bator to remove chicks and the ones that were pipping started to get shrink wrapped and they had previously been actively hatching out.
I realize when its shrink wrapped its my fault and screwed up the humidity but any other reason for them not hatching I leave them alone.
I learned to not open the bator ever during a hatch if any of them are pipping so I wouldn't be put in the position where I have to help one out because I messed up the humidity.
Even though you opened the bator to add water it was not a factor here, this chick just wasn't ready to hatch,
If you had messed up the humidity you would have seen the membrane wrapped tightly around the chick, literally shrink wrapped all the way around.

This one should just be left alone at this point, if you continue to help it out it will die.
It may have hatched on its own, just later than the rest, its just not ready or it may have been to weak and not meant to hatch.
The chick not hatching was not because you opened up the bator to add water it just wasn't developed enough.
Sorry for your situation, hatching is a learning experience for sure.

 

[aalbury]

This one was at day 24, and I was opening the bator to toss the two remaining! I thought I'd see if I should open them to see what went wrong when I heard peeping as I'm walking to the kitchen with it....

I am leaving it alone, thanks everyone for all your help! I am learning for sure. Reading the Texas Ag article now!

One thing I have definitely learned is that I need a digital therm/hydrometer or at least a much better thermometer. I think they must have been too low though it read 100 degrees...

 

[sonew123]

oh that is alot of blood-definately leave it alone at this point-if that poor little bugger cant make it out on its own at this point it wasnt meant to be...I wish the best and wil continue to watch the update...

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
sometimes bators have "cold spots"-so maybe it will only affect 1 or two eggs by a degree or so making them hatch a day or two later-I just have to say at day 24 id be checking and opening them too and Im sorry if I offend people on that statement-but I would and thats just me-when I had a hatch on day 25 I was throwing out the remaining leftover-unhatched eggs-I had a handfull of eggs and heard one peeping-put it in the bator-and cranked the humidity back up-it was too late though-shink wrapped-I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and left it in over night-next day nothing-so I opened it and the membrane little by little watching for blood-still alive-so following the awesome advice of the great BYcers I did as suggested and by that night I helped out a gorgeous healthy chick-She is in my flock at 6 months old and laying the prettiest blue eggs now. Would I do it again-yes, in certain circumstances-that was one of them. I have thrown out many eggs that didnt hatch without looking inside.

 

[aalbury]

According to that article I just read, he should be culled. I am going to give him a chance though, and if he makes it, he can be a pet. Well, all of these in particular are meant to be pets for my daughter and a trial run for me. She loves the chickens....

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Only time will tell if it is healthy-after hatching out. Even ones I never helped hatched out with deformed feet-beaks etc...those all were culled one by one. Once in a while I will help it and once in a while it would have been worth it -to me-good luck and love those pets for pets-not for breeding

 

[aalbury]

Quote:
sometimes bators have "cold spots"-so maybe it will only affect 1 or two eggs by a degree or so making them hatch a day or two later-I just have to say at day 24 id be checking and opening them too and Im sorry if I offend people on that statement-but I would and thats just me-when I had a hatch on day 25 I was throwing out the remaining leftover-unhatched eggs-I had a handfull of eggs and heard one peeping-put it in the bator-and cranked the humidity back up-it was too late though-shink wrapped-I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and left it in over night-next day nothing-so I opened it and the membrane little by little watching for blood-still alive-so following the awesome advice of the great BYcers I did as suggested and by that night I helped out a gorgeous healthy chick-She is in my flock at 6 months old and laying the prettiest blue eggs now. Would I do it again-yes, in certain circumstances-that was one of them. I have thrown out many eggs that didnt hatch without looking inside.

I could not toss one that was peeping either! At least give em a chance especially as I'm the one responsible for the incubator! If it was done completely without human interference and that was the whole point, there wouldn't be incubators.... but if the point is not breeding weak, sick, chicks I do understand whether it's my fault or not.


Want to see the ones that did make it? There is one who sleeps standing up sometimes with his head on the ground. Is that a problem? A sign? None of the chicks I've ever bought before did that....

 

[sonew123]

sleeping chicks standing up is typical Most of mine do and fall over on eachother the cutest thing to watch-love to see pictures-what kind of chicks will we see??

 

[the simple life]

I have had chicks sleep standing up but not with their heads on the ground. Do you have a picture of that? Is it acting normally?