Preventing Hatching & Incubating Problems Advice Please

[annaschicken01]

5 of my eggs out of 15 hatched. Three had trouble hatching out of there eggs and died. The third one neck was bent, and was really hot and sticky, wet. Died out of the blue. What caused them all to die but two? When should you place food and water in the incubator for the chicks?

 

[nchls school]

5 of my eggs out of 15 hatched. Three had trouble hatching out of there eggs and died. The third one neck was bent, and was really hot and sticky, wet. Died out of the blue. What caused them all to die but two? When should you place food and water in the incubator for the chicks?

Sounds like the humidity was incorrect; too low.When the chicks are surrounded by a sticky membrane they are unable to turn within the egg and hatch. Assisted hatching is tricky. Too soon or too late the chick dies. Check your thermometer to be sure it is correct also.

I do not put food and water in the incubator. Chicks can easily go the first day without either. I start feeding/watering after the chicks are removed from the incubator and moved to the brooder.

 

[FortCluck]

What was your humidity at? What incubator were you using? What temperature was the incubator at? Were you hand turning?

I had an assisted hatch on Saturday (it was two days late). I wasn't expecting anything to be alive when I did eggtopsies... This little one was barely making it but is thriving now!

 

[Ted_Harrell]

I thought my NurtureRight 360 thermometer was correct but it was a degree too low. When in doubt check it against several know thermometers and hygrometers to confirm accuracy. I did this last hatch and got 100 percent of what was going to hatch. Good luck...

 

[FortCluck]

Yes, definitely get a hygrometer and a thermometer to put into the incubator because usually the incubators reading is wrong. My incubator is 10% higher on humidity and a degree of in temperature.

 

[annaschicken01]

I don’t know what my humidity level is in my incubator cause it stopped reading humidity levels. That’s exactly what my Cornish Americana Chick Cross looked like. I should put more water in the incubator.

 

[FortCluck]

I don’t know what my humidity level is in my incubator cause it stopped reading humidity levels. That’s exactly what my Cornish Americana Chick Cross looked like. I should put more water in the incubator.

I'm running mine dry. It all depends on your location and what your humidity is in your house. If you have high humidity in your house, run it dry and use a hygrometer to read what the humidity is. Then you can go from there to see how much water you need.

 

[annaschicken01]

Do

Sounds like the humidity was incorrect; too low.When the chicks are surrounded by a sticky membrane they are unable to turn within the egg and hatch. Assisted hatching is tricky. Too soon or too late the chick dies. Check your thermometer to be sure it is correct also.

I do not put food and water in the incubator. Chicks can easily go the first day without either. I start feeding/watering after the chicks are removed from the incubator and moved to the brooder.

Do you have any tips for keeping the humidity levels high in the incubator? I just put in two cups of water. Would a damp paper towel do the trick too?

 

[annaschicken01]

I'm running mine dry. It all depends on your location and what your humidity is in your house. If you have high humidity in your house, run it dry and use a hygrometer to read what the humidity is. Then you can go from there to see how much water you need.

The humidity is pretty low in the house. The only time it gets high it’s because someone took a shower. The humidity outside went down for the winter.

 

[annaschicken01]

My healthy baby chicks.