Serama chick incubation

[PAPACABOT]

We went and bought some serama chickens from a person, saw she had some eggs in the yard, said she doesnt collect them, so i picked up a few, took them home found out one was almost 2 weeks along. Put it in the incubator that was already going, and waited. I saw a PIP this morning, so I put it in the hatcher, about 6 hours later I had a blonde serama running around, or not so much running around, seemed to want to sit. Tried showing water numerous times, I didnt take her out of the hatcher until she was all fluffed out. But still wasnt wanting to stand on her own. But hatched nicely Incubator was at 60 percent humidity and temps were at 100 degrees. This was about 5pm when she hatched. I took her out at 10:30 with her looking like she was gasping for air. I held her in my hands looked her over to see if there was anything wrong with her, couldnt see anything and then it was one final breath and she was gone.

How can one have such a bad start no hen sitting on the egg , to be being placed in the incubator, having hatched on her own, and then just up and die. So strange how you would think she had gone though the toughest fight of making it out in the Texas heat for 2 weeks or so.

The other eggs I picked up 18 total including the one above all 16 are veinig nicely only been in there a week, one was a foul rotten mess, that ended up in the trash the day i got them. I candled all, and found the rotten one and one that was moving that was obviously far along.

My question is, once she hatched is it necessary to bring the humidity down , like remove water , sponges and so on. I did notice what appeared to be water coming from her nose after she passed. Did she drown fom the humidity being so high at 60 percent? I thought it was ok to leave them in there for 24 hours or so. But I did open it up and give her some water, she seemed to drink it, i never leter her beak fully submerge. And I didnt hold her in the water.

I dont want to make this mistake with others.

My very first hatch I did I had 100 percent, the next two were a total loss with losing everythign around 16 to 18 days. I had nothing else in the hatcher Just that one egg.

 

[Eifelhexe]

this does sound like it drowned.
had one of my recently hatched Seramas die the same way because i did a mistake, wich was
i accidently filled up one of the water containers too high with water so when it hatched it went with its beak through the grid into the water and i didnt see this


usually you have more then one egg in the incubator and sometimes its many hours between the hatches so you need to keep the humidity up and it does not hurt the already hatched ones.
so maybe the little one had the bad luck to fall with its beak into water somewere inside the incubator ?

 

[PAPACABOT]

No telling, I used a small red milk plastic cap, so I dont know. I just dont want to repeat what I did wrong. That is what I was thinking is that humidity can be kept higher and not bother them. Well I put another 13 in the hatcher tonight that was from a different batch, So I already had the hatcher going to stabilize for the ones I have going in there. I only guessed about what time to put her in there as well, cause I had no way of knowing how far along she was. I saw her though the air sac about an hour earlier than I saw the PIP. Thats when I put her in the hatcher. Now that I am on a full 18 days with the others I put them in there and hope for a much better hatch.

 

[Eifelhexe]

wish you good luck
i also have put 15 Serama eggs in the incubator on Sunday so maybe we hatch together

 

[yo burrill]

Humidity should be at about 45% the first 18 days then up it to 60-70% only for hatch time. You can even wait till you see the first pip to up it if your not sure of the hatch date. If it is too high for the whole time there is too much fluid still in the egg and when they try to break into the air sack they end up with water along with air.

 

[cluck-cluck]

They don't need any food or water for the first few days, as they have at least a 3 day reserve in their belly. They have to be able to hang out under mama while all their siblings finish hatching and until mama takes them out to eat and drink. They're not that steady on their feet at first and can fall and drown in shallow water, so I wouldn't even give them water for at least for 24 hours, and when you do, put some marbles in it so they have to drink between them and can't fall into the water so easily.

I really don't think you had a humidity problem!

 

[yo burrill]

Some chicks just dont thrive and most of the time it is nothing that we did. There are so many variables that are out of our hands. Sounds like you did everything fine. I usually put a little food on the bottom of the hatcher just so the ones that hatch first have something to pick at other than their sibling that are still hatching out. I dont put water for them to drink in the hatcher, just in the brooder, and I use a flat cover for a waterer the first couple days and put the marbles in it. When they go in the brooder I dunk the end of the beak in the water so they know where and what it is. Yes they can stay in the high humidity of the hatcher and it wont hurt them. I usually move them to the brooder at about 24 hours even if there are some eggs still hatching. They are usually racing around the hatcher and bumping the rest of the eggs by that time.

 

[PAPACABOT]

I went to bed with one PIP in the eggs from the 13 I set after this and woke up to 4 newly hatched chicks who seem to be acting alot better than the last one, and the all but one of the rest have pips. But today is 21 for them. So Im not too worried yet.

 

[yo burrill]

Yeah!!

Im waiting for four under Black Broody to hatch right now. Today is 21 but the first five under her were a day late so these ones probably will be too. Just put 19 ee eggs in the bator yesterday.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Yaay!!! Congratulations! So sweet!