Serious Hatch Issues?? - **Sad Ending**

[littlelemon]

Well, I think I was able to save one. This one had pipped all the way around the egg, it's beak was sticking out and I could see a pulse on the skin through the broken shell. She started to pip 36-48 hours ago. I searched on here for the post about helping out the chicks, and everything that poster said was true about my chick. It looked as if she should just be able to get out with one good push, but the membrane had turned white and was rock hard and glued to her. I took a warm washcloth and laid the egg in it and began to chip away at the shell with tweezers. I used an eyedropper to drop warm water on the membrane. I left her for a couple of hours and when I came back the membrane seemed to have softened a bit. I was able to snip some of the membrane off in places around her feet, wings and head so she was able to actually break free from the shell. She is free now, and she seems to be okay, but she has lots of membrane still stuck to her body, including over one of her eyes. Hopefully it will fall off as she dries off and it won't be a problem for her.
I did not bother with the other four eggs. They had only just started to pip and I suspect that those chicks have already died.
I will NEVER, NEVER open the incubator again during a hatch. I feel so bad about what happened to those 5 eggs. What a painful way to learn a lesson

 

[mangled]

So disappointed.

2 of the chicks died in the shell. I assisted another, and the membrane was just glued to her. She had actually pooped inside the shell.

The humidity remains very high, on both hygrometers. One is reading 78%, the other is reading 79%.

There are two more pipped, and after seeing the way the other was I helped out, I'm sure they are either deceased or will be soon.

Em

 

[coopist]

Quote:
You'll need to put a tape boot on the curled toes to try to straighten them. The sooner you put it on the better. That does happen sometimes when they take a long time to hatch, but they may come out straight with a good splint.

Sorry your hatch is not going well. It does sound as if there was a humidity problem.

 

[mangled]

I'm thinking it was probably having to open the bator all the time to hand turn. I don't know. The humidity has remained stable throughout the hatch, it's actually gone up.

I have 17 eggs with no pips. Is it normal for a chick to poop while their in the shell, or is that an indicator they were past due coming out?

The 2 who were deceased were formed perfectly, they were just so crammed and turned around they couldn't get out.

I was planning on buying some different breeds for hatching, but with this hatch not going so well so far, I'm thinking I'll run a couple more batches through of my own eggs before I fork out the money on other breeds.

Em

 

[coopist]

If you mean the greenish goo inside the egg shell, yes, that happens. The embryo expels waste while it's still in the shell.

Were the eggs pullet eggs? Sometimes the chicks really are too crammed in there to get out...

 

[mangled]

No, all my hens are mature. The youngest would be the EE, but she's even 9 months old, and her egg hasn't pipped yet. My roo is a BO, and these eggs are all crosses. My hens are 9 SLW, 1 EE, 1 RIR, 3 BR, 2 Australorpe, and 2 "mutt" hens.

Could my BO just be too big of a bird for the smaller hen breeds? He is huge. I'm just trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Em

 

[coopist]

I doubt that's the problem, with the hens being standard sized, even with an Orp, but I do know what you mean about the chicks being crammed in with little room to turn. I've seen that before, but I've seen it with purebreds too. Really, it could be a combination of factors, humidity slightly off, slightly larger chicks, etc.

 

[mangled]

Thanks, coopist.

I appreciate all your help.

Since I'm on day 21 and technically the other eggs aren't late yet, should I just let them go for a couple more days?

Em

 

[mangled]

Well, another finally hatched, but has what I guess you would call a rough navel. The area on his backside is red and a bit bloody, and he's just laying there exhausted.

Oh, and I miscounted. There are 15 with no activity what so ever.

C'mon chickies!!

Em

 

[the simple life]

I just bought my first incubator today and the woman at the feed store said I really didn't need the automatic turner and I could just turn them myself.I felt a little uneasy about it since its my first time and I don't want to make any mistakes.
I am now thinking I definitely need to go get the turner.
After hearing this I am afraid of taking any risks, I am too nervous.
I know that things could still go wrong but if opening the bator causes it to lose the humidity then having to open it every day to hand turn them must wreak havoc.
I wonder how people do it all of the time and espcecially the ones who make their own bators and hand turn them.
It must just come with experinece I guess.
I am sorry for all of you who had these problems, I am apprehensive about doing this next week.
Also, my son's classroom is doing one right now and I wonder what the kids would do if things go wrong.
Has anyone ever tried those real small bators that hold only 2-3 eggs? I was curious about doing one of those sizes for my kids since I don't want them to get too involved with the ones I am doing next week in case it doesn't go too successfully.