Problems with High Altitude hatching 7800'

[coyote_hunter]

Chicks dying before pipping, Need some help. Running a Gennise at 99.5 40-50 rh. Chicks dying at about 17-18 days. Out of 34 eggs three hatched- only the bantom, none of the large size. Thoughts? Heard it might be ventilation. Did put q-tips sideways in corners for more air. Need Help??

 

[greathorse]

Are they shipped eggs or are they yours. I have a terrible time with shipped eggs at altitude and in my experience it has a lot to do with loose tremulent cells that have been shipped.

I wish I could help. I am going to try hatching in an egg carton or some such device to keep the air cell up top. A good freind of mine that hatches a lot requested I try that.

Good luck

 

[azelgin]

Could it be the higher evaporation rate at high altitude, is allowing the air cells to get too large, leaving the chicks unable to position themselves for hatching? I really don't know. Just a thought. If, they are getting to day 18, the air cells must have been OK to start with. Maybe try a higher RH next time. I'm only at 5300' here. Good luck.

 

[coyote_hunter]

Thanks for the help. More thoughts/info. The first batch I had at 50-60RH and found fluid on the top of the air sack, Assumed they drowned. Now with lower Rh no fluid. ??? I have both personal eggs and shipped eggs. I have read other threads that say ventilation. I don't want this to discourage me but it is working..

 

[coyote_hunter]

Forgot, I do have them in an auto turner so the air cell stays at the top. Does this neutralize the egg carton or do I need to use that went I transfer them to the hatcher?

 

[Luvducks]

Good Topic. I am at 6800' and my Duck Egg Air cells are VERY large. Temp and Humidity seem fine. I opened one egg and duck is fully developed but dead. I had them shipped from New Jersey and will not do this again. I am going to give my other 4 eggs a couple of more days but not real optimistic. Thank you all for your input.

 

[peaceful]

there is a long thread somewhere about humidity and different results, possibly depending on the altitude. Don't know if it's relevant to your situation but might be worthwhile.
Basically the theory that people seem to have more success with higher humidity in higher altitudes or dry desert climates. The thread is in the sticky "read me's on hatching" at the top under incubating and hatching eggs.
Is yours a forced air incubator? If you have a still air incubator then your temperature should be higher than 99.5.
Are you making sure to raise the humidity in the last three days and not to open the incubator during that time and until they've all hatched?

 

[greathorse]

Coyote, the person (Jamie) is the one that recommended to me that we hatch shipped eggs with the cell upright because of the looser cells. I am going to try it. She has hatched for a long time and tells me that her hatch rate on shipped eggs went from about 50% I beleive to 80%. At any rate it went way up.

There is a very long thread from just a couple weeks ago regarding RH and high altitude. I was in the thick of that with a lot of theories and no real conclusions. One of the thoughts on that thread was the ventilation was a huge consideration.

I did change my incubation practice to include a higher RH in the hatching room, which allowed for the vents to be open for for ventilation. I just set a bunch of shipped eggs with loose cells, most of those are developing, we will see how long that lasts. They are on day 10 now.

I am not nearly as high as you I am at 5200 feet. The eggs I produce here on the place hatch at nearly 100 %.

Again good luck and keep us informed.

 

[coyote_hunter]

Great horse,Thanks for the mention to the other thread. "Ventilation is the key not humidity!" I pull put some holes to increase ventilation. I have a humidfier that keeps the small room at around 55-60 rh. This allows me to add very little water to my forced air humidifier. I may have to add more water but I hope this will help. I just checked and I have a guinea zipping and chirpping..

Yea.... But I don't think the rest well do anything. We will see.

Side note, had a canadian goose abandon her nest as a fox has been harrassing her. Left it few days, she had not returned. Put the eggs in, will see what happens.