Questions regarding trouble hatching BCM eggs

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

Okay so I had 17 viable eggs at lockdown. 14 were unknown assorted mutts and 3 were BCM.

The first of the BCM to hatch pipped then died in the shell(I could see him breathing, and then he wasnt) upon examination he had not fully absorbed his yolk sac.

The second BCM pipped and then was having a lot of trouble getting out. He had about a dime size hole in his egg and after a while(24 hrs maybe) of me NOT touching it and 'sitting on my hands' his peeping eventually got really loud and distressed. So I finally figured I might as well interveen.(he would probably die if I didn't help, and he might die if I did. A chance I was willing to take as I got all the eggs free so I was not going to be out a bunch money.) Some of the feathers around the hole were dryed to the membrane. I got him out with a LOT of help from the little guy he seemed quite strong! He's now in the bator drying off and doing just okay. Theres no signs of him deteriorating YET but no signs he's thriving either!! I guess only time will tell!! oh and I dont know if this has anything to do with it. But he seems to have a chattery beak.. like it moves open and closed and clicks.. like a human chattering their teeth. none of the others did that!

ALL 14 of the mutt eggs hatched out fine.

And the 3rd egg is just sitting there!! 1 lone solid egg in the bator!!

So what could it be? could the shells have been to hard(it was hard for me to chip away the shell with tweezers!)? Humidity? -but why would all the other ones not have had any problems(I opened it minamally!)? Genetics? anything im missing?!!
Thanks!

 

[bargain]

Hi, I've sent you a pm. I think it will help! It's what works with ours.

Have a blessed day.

 

[BirdBrain]

Bargain,
Tell us all please.

 

[Joyryder]

Please do tell Bargain.

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
I think keeping secrets violates the user terms and conditions. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.

Spill the beans please.

Mary

 

[dovecanyon]

I just had a problem hatching my BCM eggs also. Bargain, please share!

 

[bargain]

Okay friends, basically it's the issue of higher humidity during first 18 and the last 3......

I wasn't trying to be secretive. I know that there is such a controversy regarding my "theory", that I didn't want to go public again and get clobbered. These birds as I understand are native to the swampy area of France...Where they were raised....To me it makes genetic sense to respect that. It has worked for me in my very old wooden cabinet incubator and so I'll continue doing it.

I've worried about them drowning but in our incubator, they love hatching out at 82 and even 83 percent humidity. I even up the humidity the first 18 days and go a tad above the recommended Percentage.

Each incubator is different, each thermometer and hygrometer may not be calibrated. I use 2 therm/hygrometers in this incubator and every one I use...

I'm also scrupulous about sanitizing between hatches. This is sooo soo important.

Also, sometimes these characters will drag out a hatch until 24 days and still be just perfect.

Short of a duck or goose, I've never seen such a strong tough shell, it's amazing.

The man from whom I bought them, Copper King on this board, highly recommended the high humidity and I've followed his advice...

That and I don't do any more assist with babies trying to get out..... It's hard and heart breaking to me, but I know from having watched our poultry over time that this is where the egg yolk is being absorbed and that they are gaining strength for their lives. When I first started incubating, I helped everything and everybody....I wasn't seeing the strength and vigor that I see now. Mother hen is not peeling the babies out of the shell....She sits patiently and waits and waits....So that is the hardest part because even now I WANT to help...

Okay a few of the hatching tips I've used are now public....No clobbering please......

I think it's important to have fresh eggs. I purposely have set delayed hatches....by this I mean hatched eggs with the same time frame as my gathering and then shipping and customers receiving the eggs. And results have been very good.... I check the fertility of eggs on an ongoing basis...This will also help you if you have your own flocks of any birds you want to hatch.

Hope this has helped. Have a blessed day.

 

[BirdBrain]

Bargain,
Thanks!

 

[kathyinmo]

I hatch my Marans at the same temp and humidity as all my other eggs, without a problem. I respect bargain's theory, however I disagree. Historically the Marans may be from a swampy humid area, but that was in the past. Birds, people, animals, etc adapt to their environment. Evolution has many examples. These birds have been in the USA for many generations now. I see no relationship between their history and a different requirement for hatching.

I believe an important factor is the condition of the parent birds. Most good breeders make sure their breeders are in tip top condition, and feed them accordingly. It really surprises me that more people don't ask about the breeder stock, their diets, etc, when buying eggs. Rather, alot of talk of how to package them.

Of course there are many possibilities.
Here is a really good site, "Hatchability Problem Analysis."

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I don't hatch mine any different either. I agree it probably has more to do with the parent stock than it does with the egg shell.