UPDATE incubator questions p.5 : Crossing all my fingers!

[ninjapoodles]

OK, so late last night, I broke the cardinal rule and helped. I couldn't stand it. The little pullet egg that Bella picked out and set had been pipped, with one little hole, for a couple of days. The chick inside was cheeping loudly, and if we tapped on the incubator, it would wiggle like crazy and "talk" back. Its beak was sticking out of that little hole the whole time. I had read on here that pullet eggs are often small and oddly-shaped, with irregularities in the shell, all of which can make it hard for a chick to hatch. So I took a wooden pick, and very gently, pulled away a section of shell about the size of a dime around the hole the chick had already made, and set it back in the incubator.

I went to bed thinking I'd probably killed the chick, but woke up this morning to a lively little peeper hopping around the incubator.

This chick isn't one I'm terribly excited about, since it's from one of my hatchery birds, but it meant a lot to my daughter. We marked it with a little piece of pipe-cleaner wrapped around its leg, to tell it apart from Jody's birds.

There is one final egg trying to hatch right now, and since its status had not changed in over 24 hours, despite the chick inside being very vigorous and vocal, I went ahead and enlarged the hole in that one, too. This is Day 24.

Assuming this last one makes it out OK, that would give us a 20% hatch rate on this batch. That kind of sucks, but it's a whole heap better than our last hatch rate, which was, um... 0%.

I'll post some pics momentarily.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Another update: The last chick is now out, less than 15 minutes after I enlarged the hole it had been working on for so long. Hopefully that means I did the right thing.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Sometimes you have to do it. Good that you just helped a little, and let it push the rest of the way out... they need that pushing to get their little bodies working properly.
Congratulations!

 

[hinkjc]

Congrats on the new babies!

I'm sorry to hear the hatch didn't go better. It sounds like the temp may have been slightly too low for day 24 hatchlings. Can't wait to see pics of the little ones.

Jody

 

[Solsken Farm]

Awwww. I just pmed you about an hour ago, as you hadn't updated us, worried for you. Of course your box was still full.

I am sorry your hatch did not go better, but glad you got some babies.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Thanks, Jennifer and Jody! I'm definitely thinking there are temperature issues with these incubators, and apparently we're getting closer than before. I'll keep trying, and keep practicing. Hubby is going to wire a PC fan into the incubator before next time, see if that helps.

All right, here are the further issues since last post:

We've had one post-hatch fatality.

The first chick to hatch, from the pic I posted earlier, never was able to get its feet underneath it. Occasionally it would be "upright" and resting on its belly, but it never stood or walked. It wound up on its back a LOT, and finally just died a few minutes ago, on its back. I wasn't really surprised, but it was a darn shame, because it was one of Jody's. So now we have three very lively beautiful chicks in the brooder, and one upstairs drying in the incubator.

Which brings me to my next issue, the chick in the brooder. This is the one who had been pipped for a couple of days, and was very loud and very wiggly, but couldn't seem to get out. I enlarged the hole around its beak, and it was out in 15 minutes. But it has a good bit of the white membrane stuck to its back.

First off--how do I get that off the chick?

Secondly--what does this tell me about humidity management in my incubator? I just can't seem to get it above 45%, at least according to the Accurite hydrometer, no matter what I do. Water channels were all filled, and this time around, I even added a large sponge full of water to the incubator on day 18 when I removed the turner. What else can I do?

(I'm uploading pictures as we speak, and will add them next.)

 

[needmorechickens!]

I had a little trouble with my hum. as well. Also had the chick with membrane stuck on its back.

I used a q-tip and very warm water and kept gently watering the membrane down and wiping it with a q-tip until it came off. I did it under the brooder lamp so it didn't catch a chill and it took me two different sessions.

Good luck and congrats on the chicks!

~Rebecca

 

[Solsken Farm]

Oh gosh. This is so sad.

I am wondering about the humidity issues. Are you sure your hygrometer is accurate? Do you know how to calibrate it for next time?

But I did have a chick hatch with yucky yolk contents that had serious genetic issues. I had to cull that one. But I had another that hatched last in one hatch that had stickiness on her. I searched here and found very little other than one person who said they quickly bathed the newborn in warm water and blow dried it. She noted this was somewhat controversial. Well I did it because my baby could barely move with all the dried yuck. I hated bathing her and it took a while to get the goo off. (albumen?) I then blow dried her and she looked awful as some of her fuzz did come off. I didn't even photograph her I was so distressed at how she looked. But today she looks fantastic and can not be distinguished from her hatchmates. She was a Copper Black, and I was so afraid of losing her....So if you need to, use warm water as quickly and gently as you can, and towel dry her, then use a blow dryer (obviously being cautious not to burn her). Gosh this is a tough beginning for her and you.

I am so very sorry about your hatches.

I have to go look and see what you have for an incubator. My genesis has been great.

 

[ninjapoodles]

I think this was the third hatchling:

This is the one who didn't make it, and this is how it spent a whole lot of its time while it was alive:

Here are the two that hatched last night:

Here you can see the little "droopy" chick in the brooder, compared to the two who hatched long after it, who are very alert a nd vigorous.

Here's the final chick, currently drying, with the membrane stuck to it. HOW DO I GET THIS OFF?

 

[lockedhearts]

Congrats on the babies!

I think the cooler weather caused me issues since mine didn't hatch until Day 22 & 23

I also helped the last one a bit, had pipped but not all the way through the membrane (a little piece of shell was gone)
The membrane was looking dry so I made a little hole, caw some blood so I quit. Then the other in the hatcher started picking at it and I was afraid it would bleed outif they kept on, so I quickly moved the others out. The little one hatched fine and is now fluffy and doing well.
I think sometimes you just have to trust your instincts about helping.