Small air sacks, What should Ido?

[just2rosey]

I am sure some one here can help me. I have eggs in my incubator with staggered hatch dates. I have 2 brown eggs I am hatching for my neighbor, and 19 shipped blue eggs for me. The brown eggs went in 4 days earlier and should hatch this weekend, I should put them on lock down and raise my humidity Friday and they should hatch on Sunday. Then my eggs are due to hatch on Thursday March 10th. My concern is this, my blue eggs have significantly larger air sacks than the brown eggs. I am concerned about the chicks from the brown eggs either drowning, or suffocating because they don't have enough air. I have been running my incubator with lower humidity the last few days to try and help them along. Any other recommendations? thanks for any help.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Have you candled the eggs at all? I know its a little harder with darker shelled eggs- but it could be that the two brown eggs have quit and thats why the aircell development has stalled.

 

[dominiquePL]

I have the same problem - except my eggs are all of the same kind, collected from 2 days (or that's what I've been told). Here's the link:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=458398

I think maybe the brown ones were fresher? That would explain it.

To give you a bit of comfort I can say that I hatched those eggs before, the air cells were even smaller than now (apart from this weird egg) and they hatched just fine - at least the ones which started to hatch. No drowning, no suffocating (btw - lack of oxygen stimulates a chick to break through the shell).

 

[just2rosey]

Quote:

Yes, I candled them, that's how I can see that the air sacks are smaller, and yes the chicks are moving and the appropriate size.

These eggs are easier to see thru than my blue eggs! Kinda makes me jealous.

Glad to hear that other people have them hatch out just fine when they are like this. I had read that lack of oxygen is what causes the muscle contractions which both causes them pip and absorb the yolk sac. But what if when they pip initially they miss the air sac...? I thought maybe my friend had possibly washed them or something that had caused it, but I am sure hers were far fresher since mine came through the mail. I will just hope for the best. Thanks everyone. Lisa

 

[duckyfromoz]

Good to hear they are at least alive if you saw them when candled...a good sign. They can still hatch if they miss the airsac. Rather than an internal pip then an external about 24 hours later- they just go straight through both. I have had plenty hatch the wrong way- and hatch without assistance- but I watch them carefully for leg defects now since I had a few with problems from being in the wrong position in the egg. I always candle eggs before I put them into the incubator too- you may be onto something with the posted eggs actually having started with bigger air cells because they werent as fresh.

At least you are now a day closer..Good luck with the eggs.

 

[just2rosey]

Thanks Ducky,
This is only my second time with an incubator. My first hatch was a very sad mess ending with only one live chick, and one other internally pipped, and I could hear it peeping in the shell, then died....

I think I over heated all the others, I was having wild temp swings. I think I have solved the problems with my incubator from last hatch, but only time will tell. I haven't seen that many eggs hatch in an incubator, so I am still learning to problem shoot. Thanks for the info, Lisa

 

[just2rosey]

Just an update.

Both eggs have pipped and are peeping away! Yeah!

My neighbor will be so tickled! I can't wait till she sees them!

 

[dominiquePL]

Fantastic news!!