URGENT - Hatch problem - egg lining sticking to chicks

[kiaya611]

It looks as though I must have had the humidity to low during incubation (I guess) and so my chicks are hatching slowly and with difficulty and having the egg lining getting stuck to them. When it is drying, it is hardening and if it is on a wing or "moving part" it is limiting movement.

The chick that hatched last night and was dry and had egg lining in several places on it, I took out and washed in 100° water. I was able to clean all of the lining off and it is now mostly dry in the hatcher. The others though look like they are going to need the same.Is this the only way to "fix" this problem at this point or can someone suggest something else that will keep me from having to open the hatcher and remove the chicks to hand wash a only a few hours old?

I wish these hatchers had a small hatch that I could just get my hand in to peal off this stuff right after hatching without opening the whole hatcher and letting humidity out and lowering the temp.

The egg lining is like leather and really is tough until is gets re-wetted.

Please let me know any tricks ASAP.

Thank you,

 

[iopele]

Have you already put more water in the incubator to raise the humidity now? I'm not sure that'd solve the problem completely, but it might help out some. Keep us posted.

 

[kiaya611]

Yeah, I had filled all of the reservoirs in the bottom with water and added 3 sponges. My digital hygrometer doesn't even read a humidity reading now...it just says "High". I think that means 100%RH.

So far 8 of the eggs have hatched and one is about half-way finished pipping and the last, I don't think will hatch...I felt it was probably not going to even when I put them in the hatcher because the air cell was not nearly as big as all the rest.

I am just trying to hold out until they are finished and as long as their movement isn't being restricted or the egg liner isn't on their face, I am leaving them alone. I can take care of it later or it will come off by itself in a couple of days. It is just the first couple that were really bad and affecting their movement. They are still sticky and a couple have picked up shell pieces on their feathers, but that isn't a big deal.

Hopefully they will finish hatching and drying out so I can move them into the brooder and if I see anything really bothersome, I can take care of that then.

Thanks,