They keep dying in shell, Please help! WARNING GRAPHIC PIC

[thecochincoop]

I keep having trouble with my chicks hatching. They will develop and go all the way to hatch date and then die in the shell

I have had a couple look like this (this one I helped out today but it died because of the belly. it's eyes were open and it was peeping) and the rest looked fine but were just dead and never pipped. The one today looks like the yolk is still there and almost looks like testicles or something hanging out? Has anyone had this happen and why? I hatched them out fine last year and this year is terrible for me and I don't know why, I even bought a brand new hovabator

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

What day are they on? That is a HUGE yolk...

Are you opening the incubator too much?

What is the humidity?

I hardly EVER help mine out of the shell...I figure it's "survival of the fittest."

 

[thecochincoop]

They are not all like that. A lot look normal, but this was the worst I've seen yet. They are on day 21 and every time I let them go to 22 they are dead in the shell so I thought I would go ahead and open that one up and see what I had. Normally I don't help them because they just die anyways when you do that. I am trying not to open the incubator at all except to add water and eggs (probably once or twice a week) I opened it all the time last year and it never hurt anything though but I thought that might be the problem so I only open it when I have to. The humidity is good on the meter 65 in the incubator and 80 in the hatcher give or take.

 

[ChickBond 007]

Lower your humidity and give that a try.
Try 38% but don't add water until it lows at 21% on days 1-18, then up to 65% days 19-21.
I had the same prob and this 'dry hatch method' corrected my situation.

 

[giasmom]

Is there enough ventalation in the hatcher ? Is 80 humidity too high for the hatcher ?

 

[MandyH]

LOWER the humidty. It's too high and is drowning them most likely. Also too much humidity is absorbed into the chick, thus making for too large a yolk to absorb into the stomach and seal off.

 

[thecochincoop]

On a standard % hydrometer what should it read. I have read several different numbers.

 

[giasmom]

I ran mine at 60 to 65 for the last 3 days,also same for the hatcher. First 18 days I ran my humidity between 30 & 40. 62.5% rate on 1st hatch.

 

[walkswithdog]

I'd think as they've said, that your humidity is too high. What is your ventilation like?

I dry hatch, only in the 60's range for hatching. But ventilation is so hugely important as well that details on what you are doing for that might be helpful as well.