Red Golden Hatchling help

[EMantooth]

This is my first year to have fertile eggs. My male is 1 this spring and my female is 2. I've set 4 eggs at a time in my incubator (I get 4 eggs in 10 days or so). Out of the first batch of 4, 3 began to develop but one quit. By my count they were running late when other 2 pipped then stopped for over 24 hours. I finally helped them both since I was afraid the membranes were getting too dry & they were just too exhausted. 1 was already dead -- had not absorbed the yolk. The other was alive but extremely weak. It acted like it had a pinched nerve in its neck. I started the poly-vi-sol vitamins and infant cereal with chick starter mush. It could stand on its own if it could lean against my hand, but it had no neck control. It lasted 3 days then died. My second group of 4 eggs only had 2 that began to develop. One quit. One pipped on time Saturday morning but then nothing else happened for 24 hours. I helped unzip the egg more then let it push the rest of the way out. It has okay head control but has not stood in 24 hours now. It scootches around on its "elbows". When it rests, it keeps its legs tucked up under it. Again, I've started the poly-vi-sol & mush. I've tried to support it to stand, but it keeps its legs bent all the time.
I really need ideas and advice on what is going on! Is this a parent/genetic thing? Can I do something to get better quality eggs or stronger chicks? The parents are on a high protein diet with greens and occasional meal worms or crickets. Is there something I'm doing with the incubation process? 99.5 degrees & humidity around 60-70% is my normal right now. I'm turning the eggs 3 times a day. My next batch is coming up on May 1st. I haven't candled them lately to see what is going on. I'm trying to tell myself that this group hatches on their own or else...but I don't know if I have the will power to stick to that.

Thanks for reading the long post! I really would appreciate any constructive advice.
Eliza

 

[destinduck]

Have the will power to let them hatch on their own!!!! If you have a window in the incubator then Leave them alone. This is a huge problem for alot of first time hatchers.Everybody wants to candle,lift the lid, and worry too much about all of it. Trust me,Leave them alone. Sounds to me like you are doing everything right BUT that. Sometimes they may be a coupla days late. Who cares? If you got the room and your bator isnt slap full Leave them alone. It aint like the eggs are going to explode. Maybe they might explode after ANOTHER 3 weeks.LOL! You are not the first and definitely not the last to do this obsessive behaviour. Welcome to BYC!!! Oh yeah PS Did I tell you Leave them alone

seriously though, leave em alone! Also let us know how the next batch turns out. Good luck

 

[EMantooth]

Well #4 (egg number = name) only lasted a couple of days and never did stand.

Out of the next 7 eggs, only one began to develop. It was due yesterday but nothing seems to be happening -- no rocking, etc. I'll leave it in the incubator for awhile. I haven't candled it for almost 2 weeks. I've left 4 more in the incubator that were a week in when I checked them just in case they are slow starters. One thing I've changed...instead of waiting until I had 4 eggs to go in at one time (around 10 days), I'm doing 2 at a time so they don't sit as long between laying and being put in the incubator. I'll see if that helps any when I candle them this weekend. My male is molting right now...should that affect fertility?

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Hello,
It sounds like you don't have fertile eggs. But it could be a number of reasons
1-You don't have your temp right
2-Don't have your humidity right
3-Could be waiting to long to place in incubator.
4-Are you placing your collected eggs in a controlled place and turning them and storing them with the small end
If you are neew at hatching I would buy some eggs from a breeder or company and try hatching those to try to learn what to do and then you may be able to elimanate your problems.
Good Luck
Patty

 

[drowe005]

I would second the opinion on leaving the eggs alone and letting them hatch no matter how bad you want to help. Alot of my Chukars and Ringneck Pheasants take up to 48 hours or so after first starting to pip before they zip, while others start to pip and are zipping in a couple hours. (this is assuming you have the humidity somewhat correct, anywhere between 45% and 65% in my opinion, but Im sure others would say a different number) If for whatever reason humidity was extremely low due to failure somewhere in the system, as in around 20%, would I ever possibly consider helping the hatch, but thats just me.

 

[mrgreenjeans53]

drowe005,

I have 51 Ringneck Pheasant eggs, (3 different breeds), in lockdown in my 2 LG Still Air hatchers. On day 22, I had 1 that had barely cracked the shell. Today is day 23 and it still hasn't zipped, or made ANY more progress, for that matter. Plenty of "peeping" and plenty of movement though. The other 50 eggs have done nothing so far.

The temp. in both hatchers is steady at 99* and humidity is 76% in one, 73% in the other. I am not sure if the temps and humidity I am using are correct in my hatchers as no one has answered my posts requesting help on what temp, humidity and red plugs in, or out during lockdown in my LG's.

I also have 11 Turkey eggs, (2 different breeds), in one of the hatchers, with 12 of the 51 Ringneck eggs. I have heard that turkey eggs require 90% humidity during lockdown. I cannot reach that humidity in my hatchers. I did get it up to 81% in the one with the turkey eggs but I was afraid that much humidity would drown the 12 pheasant that are in there with them, so I lowered the humidity back down to 76%.

Any info or suggestions on what temps and humidity I should be using would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,


Tim
mrgreenjeans53
[email protected]

 

[mrgreenjeans53]

Pheasantfrenzie tried to help but at age 59 my brain doesn't seem to comprehend things like it used to. Thank you pheasantfrenzie.

 

[drowe005]

mregreenjeans, I also use the LG still air incubator, and seemed to have the same things happen to me on the first go as are happening to you. On my first hatch with the LG still air, I maintained a temperature of 99 degrees at the top of the eggs, but later found out that you want around 102 degrees at the top of the eggs ( NEVER exceed 103 deg), and around 97-98 at the bottom of the eggs for still air incubators. When I have 102 degrees at the top, the bottom usually stayed around 98. For the first 21 days or so of incubation, you want to have 1 of the 2 red plugs removed. When you enter into lockdown, you want to remove both red plugs for maximum circulation. By having only 99 at the top of the eggs with a still air, has the bottom of the eggs about 95 deg, and will delay the hatch. When I did it with 99 deg temp at top, Chukars took 24-25 days to hatch and Ringnecks took 25-26 days, so be patient! Just remember, when you see the hatching date of a bird, that is the average hatch time assuming all factors are correct in the incubator, cooler temps slow the hatch, hotter temps can kill the hatch. I might also add that I have 95% + hatch rate on my Chukars with around 48%-55% humidity and about 80% rate for my pheasants in that range. Hope that helps

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Try adding wet sponges in there to increase the humidity but make sure you keep them wet because they will dry out and your humidity will drop down again.
Patty

 

[mrgreenjeans53]

I incubated in an LG w/fan and auto turner. I transfered the eggs, (32 Blueback Ringneck and 7 Chinese Ringneck), on day 20 to the LG Still Air that I am using as a hatcher. One of the Blueback started its journey into the world on the morning of day 22 but didn't hatch completely until the morning of day 24, which was this morning. Another Blueback hatched a couple of hours ago and I have 6 more that have broken their shells. One of the 6 is a Chinese. I have 2, 1/2 pint mason jars filled with water and strips of sponges sticking out of the tops of them in each of my LG Sill Airs (hatchers). I also have folded paper towels on the left and right bottoms under the wire and in between the air holes that I keep wet. This has really helped to keep my humidity up in the low to mid 70% range in the hatchers. The 11 turkey and 12 Black Ringneck eggs I have in hatcher #2 are due to hatch tomorrow, well, today since it's 2:30 a.m. right now....lol. Seven Bourbon Red turkey eggs go into lockdown today too. Thank you for your advice and feedback on this hatch. And thank you too Patty!!!! I'll keep you posted on how the rest of the hatch goes.