Self Blue (Lavender) Silkie Thread

[Dylan's Silkies]

Hi, I just hatched out 2 batches of lavender eggs two weeks apart and had the hardest time to get them to hatch or even survive once they hatched. I have no problems hatching blues, splashes, whites so I know my technique is good. I think I've hatched over 200 chicks so far this year so I'm not a novice with my incubation techniques. I get about 90% hatch rate on my own eggs and 75% on a recent batch of shipped white silkie eggs.

So with the lavenders, on day 21, my eggs start to get shrink wrapped at 80% humidity. I actually had to crack open each egg, locate the beak and popped a small hole in the membrane so the chick could breathe, otherwise, it would have suffocated.

In my first batch, I lost 8 chicks because they suffocated in the egg. I left them to hatch on their own and realized they were dead on day 22.

So in the second batch (yesterday), I cracked open 11 eggs and was able to save 8 chicks. It's been a stressful 24 hour period for them and me.

I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. I've never had such a hard time hatching before. Any ideas about what's going? Is it with just lavender genetics?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Dylan's Silkies :

Hi, I just hatched out 2 batches of lavender eggs two weeks apart and had the hardest time to get them to hatch or even survive once they hatched. I have no problems hatching blues, splashes, whites so I know my technique is good. I think I've hatched over 200 chicks so far this year so I'm not a novice with my incubation techniques. I get about 90% hatch rate on my own eggs and 75% on a recent batch of shipped white silkie eggs.

So with the lavenders, on day 21, my eggs start to get shrink wrapped at 80% humidity. I actually had to crack open each egg, locate the beak and popped a small hole in the membrane so the chick could breathe, otherwise, it would have suffocated.

In my first batch, I lost 8 chicks because they suffocated in the egg. I left them to hatch on their own and realized they were dead on day 22.

So in the second batch (yesterday), I cracked open 11 eggs and was able to save 8 chicks. It's been a stressful 24 hour period for them and me.

I was wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same thing. I've never had such a hard time hatching before. Any ideas about what's going? Is it with just lavender genetics?

I don't understand what you mean by shrinkwrapped at 80% humidity?

You need to lower the humidity level in your incubator, and when was the last time you thoroughly disinfected it? If my hatch rate goes down, I've found that that is the first thing I need to do.

Lavender genetics does not have hatch rate problems, but E-allele chicks can have a down issue that makes hatching difficult. There is also the possibility that something else is going on with the chicks--illness of a sort that is passed to the egg--if your two batches were from different breeders, then I would doubt that.​

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I know another breeder that hatches tons of silkies but is having problems hatching lavenders from her own eggs.

 

[robin416]

Same here. They're getting to almost hatch stage and quitting. Even using a hen. I've put one of my lav girls with a split black roo to see if that improves hatchability. I'm considering adding either Red Cell or Manna Pro to the feed to see if that helps too.

 

[Dylan's Silkies]

Quote:
When I crack open the egg, the membrane is dried up/rubbery and you can see where the chick is trying to pip through the membrane but couldn't. When my humidity is lower I have problems hatching out my own eggs so that's why I have it at 80%.

I typically disinfect after each large hatch. Plus, I had other eggs (from my flock) hatch with these lavenders and they all came out fine. If it was a bacteria problem, it would have affected all eggs and not just the lavenders.

I have another dozen lavender eggs in the incubator so I'm hoping I figure something out before lockdown. Thanks!

 

[bacres]

We need to fine the solution because I have lavender eggs going it the bator today. AHHHH.

 

[ninejw]

I read somewhere that if the shell is too thin the membrane will become thicker in the bator as it develops b/c of it drying out and then be difficult for the chicks to hatch out...so maybe calcium or other nutrition considerations for the breeders. That's frustrating though...

maybe rechecking all the devices and therms humity gage etc on the incubator especially if you have to use 80% humidity. You prob tried this but just an idea... Are these eggs from different breeders or from your own flock? Could it be the age of the egg? Idk

all the chicks I've needed to help out in that situation was usually b/c the humidity was too low, I was in the incubator too much, or just slightly smaller chicks/ less developed chicks or malpositions with the blood vessels in the egg. hope you figure out the answer and the solution!

 

[robin416]

Lavenders have had hatchability and survival issues. That's why I'm resorting to the split black to see if that improves the hatching.

 

[Dylan's Silkies]

Quote:
Thanks for the ideas, Ninejw. These are shipped eggs from the same breeder. I checked with the breeder yesterday and she hasn't had any problems with hatching them.
One thing I noticed is...they are smaller chicks compared to the chicks that hatch from my flock. So I don't know?????

Here is a picture of the little guys that hatched a few weeks ago.

 

[bacres]

Where did you get your Lavenders!