Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Goin Quackrrs]

moved more chicken eggs into the hatcher this morning .. 2 more dates and I'm done for a while

... just too hard to keep the incubator cool enough

I'm down to two more hatches as well. It's not super hot here (in fact, sadly normal), but I'm sick and tired of cleaning brooders.

 

[marisabe]

Hi, anybody help? I lost one duckling on day 24 of hatching, he pipped and I left well alone as advised but 36 hours later he'd made no progress took him out and it appeared that his beak wasn't fully out of the membrane (I didn't realise how big their beaks were!) and he must have suffocated. Got two eggs left which appeared to have been developng normally but now on day 27, no movement, one egg has dark coloured patches near the air sac and the other one nothing!!
I have candled regularly and out of 6 eggs these three seemed to be growing. Should I just wait and see? It was so sad to lose the first one I would hate to lose the other two because of inexperience!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

Hi, anybody help? I lost one duckling on day 24 of hatching, he pipped and I left well alone as advised but 36 hours later he'd made no progress took him out and it appeared that his beak wasn't fully out of the membrane (I didn't realise how big their beaks were!) and he must have suffocated. Got two eggs left which appeared to have been developng normally but now on day 27, no movement, one egg has dark coloured patches near the air sac and the other one nothing!!
I have candled regularly and out of 6 eggs these three seemed to be growing. Should I just wait and see? It was so sad to lose the first one I would hate to lose the other two because of inexperience!

Are they pipped as well? Steam up your bathroom really good and candle them if you're worried and they're not pipped. If they're pipped, you can chip away a little tiny bit of shell and use a flashlight to peek inside. Usually discolored spots mean either that the baby is in the air cell or that they've passed.

I'm an experienced hatcher and I lost two ducklings this recent hatch that pipped, turned and suffocated themselves. Sometimes they just don't make it even if they are perfectly formed.

As a side note, I usually know by the end of day 27 whether or not the hatch is finished. After the second one suffocated itself last night, I candled the rest and they were done for. But I have 8 adorable babies in the brooder.

 

[marisabe]

thanks for you reply. Will candling them be ok now if they're due tomorrow? I'm almost prepared for worst anyway!

 

[marisabe]

OMG!! took the risk! candled! saw definite movement in one egg and I'm pretty sure an internal pip! humidity dropped to 60 when I opened incubator but immediately started climbing once I closed it!

 

[psue]

OMG!! took the risk! candled! saw definite movement in one egg and I'm pretty sure an internal pip! humidity dropped to 60 when I opened incubator but immediately started climbing once I closed it!

 

[marisabe]

Are they pipped as well? Steam up your bathroom really good and candle them if you're worried and they're not pipped. If they're pipped, you can chip away a little tiny bit of shell and use a flashlight to peek inside. Usually discolored spots mean either that the baby is in the air cell or that they've passed.

I'm an experienced hatcher and I lost two ducklings this recent hatch that pipped, turned and suffocated themselves. Sometimes they just don't make it even if they are perfectly formed.

As a side note, I usually know by the end of day 27 whether or not the hatch is finished. After the second one suffocated itself last night, I candled the rest and they were done for. But I have 8 adorable babies in the brooder.

HI sorry to sound dumb but do you mean if they're internally or externally pipped to chip away shell? I'm so worried now I've moved him I might have caused damage!!

 

[marisabe]

I am so not going to sleep tonight!! wasn't this stressed when my grandson was due!!!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

HI sorry to sound dumb but do you mean if they're internally or externally pipped to chip away shell? I'm so worried now I've moved him I might have caused damage!!

Internally pipped means they have broken through the membrane into the air cell. Externally pipped is when they had cracked the shell.

I've pipped for a couple internally pipped duckies, but they were rare bantam breeds that have a hard time hatching. I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't pip for them because if they cannot, they probably aren't ready or aren't strong enough to survive.

Don't worry. First hatches are always nerve-wracking. Assisted hatches are even moreso.

OMG!! took the risk! candled! saw definite movement in one egg and I'm pretty sure an internal pip! humidity dropped to 60 when I opened incubator but immediately started climbing once I closed it!

If I have to open the incubator during lockdown, I mist the eggs slightly when closing it back up. Opening during lockdown is a no-no, but there are exceptions to every rule.

 

[marisabe]

OK thanks so much! what temp should the water be to mist?