Speckledhen Expired babies *GRAPHIC PICS*

[hinkjc]

They look awfully wet to me. Too large babies can be caused by too high humidity as well. Even though the hygrometer is giving you a number, it doesn't mean it is accurate. I'm so sorry these little ones didn't hatch for you.

 

[walkswithdog]

Too large or kind of "water logged" babies has been a problem in shipped eggs here and I know to watch for it now. Large and water logged and backwards babies usually make it just fine after a bit of assistance.

I also open every failed egg. I can pretty much tell when a chick isn't shifting properly now or is backwards and stuck.

Opening eggs is useful, exterior intestines, bad feet, twisted neck, it's all useful information and makes it into my notes.

I think those three were just a "mother nature sometimes sucks" event. I don't see anything that would indicate an incubation problem.

Sorry about the babies, hang in there.

 

[speckledhen]

Jody, we calibrated Cetawin's hygrometer and she was making the adjustment for how much it was off. They don't seem waterlogged in the pics to me. The hygro was reading about 7 points less than it really was, so she was getting 35-40 percent readings on the hygrometer and knew it was that much higher than the screen said.

 

[cattbird]

Ahh this is really really interesting.
I am trying to hatch shipped eggs and have only been sucessful once.. with the biggest egg. The others all die in shell, not shrink wrapped at all, yolk absorbed, not even pipped. I am trying to hatch miniature silkies, the eggs are so so tiny. The chicks that come out dead are tiny too but maybe too big to turn to pip. I had thought this before but put it to the back of my mind.
Quote:

 

[speckledhen]

When it comes down to it, all we can do is follow the guidelines for hatching, try to insure that our instruments are accurate, and beyond that, we still have no control over losing some chicks and may never know the real reason. It's just that when you have a few, valuable-to-you, eggs, you want every single one to produce a chick.

 

[walkswithdog]

Mother nature is always a crap shoot. Under a hen or in an incubator. Some loss is going to just happen.

I do still look to see if I can see why and keep track. Got a few wiggling eggs today. They're due so it's just sit and wait time.

 

[speckledhen]

I think I'd feel less inclined to open the eggs if I was hatching 100 at a time, but we hatch 30 or less at a time, usually. If I was hatching 100 eggs and half of them didn't hatch, then I would certainly want to find out what was causing it, but you are bound to have few just not make it.

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
Heaven knows these were valuable to me...but I cannot stop my mind from wanting to know why, so I had to open them and see what did not look right. Especially since the delaware was moving so vigorously in my hand the night before. The Orp I knew had expired but just could not risk being wrong so it stayed in with the delaware and the EE (which I was just not sure about)


Oh Cyn, you missed the biggest argument after I got off the phone with you, I took babies to bury them and my roommate who has the sensitivity of a troll said "why are ya buring those?" I said "because they are babies that did not make it" his response nearly sparked a forest fire when I let loose. he said "They are dead chickens and nothing more".

Let me put it this way...if he does not move out today I will be amazed and secondly, if he even touches another egg in my house much less tries to eat one I will beat him senseless! My DH rescued him frim my wrath and as they were walking away I heard my DH say "You've done it this time...you know how much she loves her chickens and ducks"

He would be wise to steer clear of me today.


As for that hygromemeter, Speckledhen told me how and helped me calibrate it...it was running 7 percent low on the reading so I maintained my read out during hatch at 60% - 64% so it stayed right at 70% during lockdown...prior ot that I held it at 47 - 50% humidty the entire time. Temp stayed at 100.0 - 100.2 during first 17 days...lockdown held the same until the hatching started and then it got as high as 100.8 but went back down rather quickly.


PS I agree if I were hatching 100 and lost a few I would not be as concerned but I had a precious 7 there.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, boy, watch out, roomie! He should know better by now! Yikes.

 

[Cetawin]

I know...can you believe his stupidity? Lived with us for oh nearly 7 years now and still has not learned when to SHUT IT! I woke up still mad at him and he came out of his room for coffee and got "the look" and he went back to his room.

Last night I caught him trying to talk to the babies in the brooder and I snapped at him "stay away from my chickens, I do not want them upset. As intelligent as they are your stupidity may stunt their growth". DH about choked trying not to laugh.