sigh, I just need to vent

[cafrhe]

We (my 13 yr old daughter and I) just had our 3rd incubator hatch (2 broodies also hatched some eggs for us). This time all the eggs that made it to lock down began pipping and zipping. We had 4 of our own eggs, a cross of our BR roo and EE hens and 6 BCM eggs my daughter wanted from a local breeder. All pipped about the same time on Sat morning and all progressed during the day and evening so that we had more than half hatched by bed time. The others were zipping and we thought we'd wake up to more chicks. I woke up to 2 more chicks and 3 of the marans still in their eggs even though 1 looked all the way zipped. I had not even considered helping as they hadnt been working for more than 24 hrs I picked up the zipped one, and heard cheeping and noticed that the membrane seemed very thick and somewhat dried. I picked open the rest of the zip and carefully made sure the membrane was separated. I put that chick back in the bator and let it finish getting out of the egg, which it did. I then checked the 2 other chicks which were 1/2 way zipped and saw no movement. Their membranes were also thick and it looks like one had had a small flap of it cover its nose. Both chicks were dead. Both had been between 1/3 and 1/2 zipped

I am very disappointed because I think there was nothing wrong with these chicks other than thicker or more dried membranes (3 eggs out of 10 had this problem and all marans). So we have 4 out of the marans alive and 2 who should have been alive, dead. I didnt even give helping them a thought because they seemed to be doing fine. Maybe I should think about it more if they have progressed quite a bit and still not gotten all the way out of their own. I did notice that even though the one was pretty zipped, other chicks were out before it was. Both were in the correct position. I know we are new at this and have learned quite a bit with each hatch, but I am sad this time that those 2 didnt make it.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We (my 13 yr old daughter and I) just had our 3rd incubator hatch (2 broodies also hatched some eggs for us). This time all the eggs that made it to lock down began pipping and zipping. We had 4 of our own eggs, a cross of our BR roo and EE hens and 6 BCM eggs my daughter wanted from a local breeder. All pipped about the same time on Sat morning and all progressed during the day and evening so that we had more than half hatched by bed time. The others were zipping and we thought we'd wake up to more chicks. I woke up to 2 more chicks and 3 of the marans still in their eggs even though 1 looked all the way zipped. I had not even considered helping as they hadnt been working for more than 24 hrs I picked up the zipped one, and heard cheeping and noticed that the membrane seemed very thick and somewhat dried. I picked open the rest of the zip and carefully made sure the membrane was separated. I put that chick back in the bator and let it finish getting out of the egg, which it did. I then checked the 2 other chicks which were 1/2 way zipped and saw no movement. Their membranes were also thick and it looks like one had had a small flap of it cover its nose. Both chicks were dead. Both had been between 1/3 and 1/2 zipped

I am very disappointed because I think there was nothing wrong with these chicks other than thicker or more dried membranes (3 eggs out of 10 had this problem and all marans). So we have 4 out of the marans alive and 2 who should have been alive, dead. I didnt even give helping them a thought because they seemed to be doing fine. Maybe I should think about it more if they have progressed quite a bit and still not gotten all the way out of their own. I did notice that even though the one was pretty zipped, other chicks were out before it was. Both were in the correct position. I know we are new at this and have learned quite a bit with each hatch, but I am sad this time that those 2 didnt make it.

Out of curiousity, what do you have for hatch humidity? Sorry to hear that. It's hard to loose them, especially that close.

 

[cafrhe]

I will have to ask the boss when she gets home from school--she's the one who has done all the reading. But I think 40% until lock down and then up to 65-75% for hatch. We have a still air hovobator.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I will have to ask the boss when she gets home from school--she's the one who has done all the reading. But I think 40% until lock down and then up to 65-75% for hatch. We have a still air hovobator.

If your thermometer/hygrometer is accurate those are good numbers.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have never tried hatching marans but of all the treads I've read on here, I have seen over and over where different people have had issues with successful hatching of these birds. There are of course some that have had no problems, but I do see it a lot.

 

[scflock]

I will have to ask the boss when she gets home from school--she's the one who has done all the reading. But I think 40% until lock down and then up to 65-75% for hatch. We have a still air hovobator.

Not that it makes you feel any better, but 4 for 6 isn't bad. It's a shame that they started and didn't finish, but maybe they weren't strong enough to finish on their own. That's an impressive hatch with still-air styrofoam, regardless

 

[scflock]

I have never tried hatching marans but of all the treads I've read on here, I have seen over and over where different people have had issues with successful hatching of these birds. There are of course some that have had no problems, but I do see it a lot.

I've read the same things, and that's why I said 4/6 was good. I haven't done BCMs yet, but I have done a few runs of cuckoo marans. Their eggs aren't nearly as dark, but still take an average of a day longer than my lighter egged breeds

 

[cafrhe]

We were pretty excited when all the eggs that went to lock down pipped at about the same time. This is the first time all that made it to lock down pipped. While we think we are counting correctly, our last 2 hatches hatched on day 20. This time we put them on lockdown a day earlier and 1 chick started on day 19 and the rest on day 20. I really thought all had made it.
Of course, after the fact I started reading more about zipping with out hatching and saw a few things about marans maybe having tougher membranes. I didnt think at all about the darker eggs maybe being different from the lighter eggs. Live and learn I guess. My daughter is in love with her fuzzy footed new chicks. They are pretty cute. And all of the easter egger chicks are black with white head dots, so I think they will be barred.

Thanks for the reassurances!