What can I learn from my drowned chick? GRAPHIC PIC

[BawGock]

I hatched 18 eggs in a Hovabator 1588.
Temps have been 99.5-100, days 1-17 humidity 40-50%, from day 18 on 60-70%
The eggs had great day 18 aircells, too

Had 11 chicks hatch no problem but late on day 21 I had a chick get stuck in it's egg and was able to help it without opening the bator, we used a wire through the plug hole.
Had another chick hatch no problem then had another chick get stuck and had to open the bator to help this time. That was early day 23.
We covered the last two eggs with a warm damp towel when we quickly opened the bator to help this chick and now another egg is hatching with no problems.

Except to rescue this chick I have followed the "do not open the bator from day 18" rule but I did open the red plug the times when the humidity got over 70% to get it back down to the 60-70% range. There was a spike in the humidity on day 21 when a bunch of chicks hatched at once and it did get as high as 77% even with the plug out

I had one egg left that never pipped so I candled and saw no movement. Carefully opened from the air cell and found a dead chick that had pipped the air cell and drowned from fluid in the air cell.

I had a humidity spike on my last hatch but I was hatching less eggs and the humidity dropped back down quickly. So, the sticking and drowning is a new experience for me.
Maybe I should run it from day 18 on with the plug out and stay closer to 60% than 70%?
Any thoughts from someone who has knowledge on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Carolyn

 

[Mahonri]

I had the same problem and I'm sticking as close to 64% as I can this next time.

BTW: Buster is from Shelley, ID and he has great hatches... do a search for his hatches, he keeps the humidity high and has a great percentage.

 

[bock]

It is possible it missed the air cell, but don't be blue that is a super hatch rate!!!

P.s congrads!!!

 

[BawGock]

Thanks Mahonri,
Thanks for sharing your info with me. I think I need to keep in the lower 60%'s too.
I did communicate on a thread with Buster once and he lives at a much higher altitude that I do. That's the reason for the higher humidities he works with.
The thread on ventilation today is definitely something to ponder, too.
It's sad to lose a chick that was ready to hatch but it just makes me want to hatch again and get it right.
Carolyn

 

[BawGock]

Quote:
Thanks Bock!
He definitely hit the air cell.
Here's a pic of the poor little guy, see how wet and saturated the membrane is?
You can see his beak pipped the air cell.

Carolyn

 

[silkiechicken]

Sometimes it just happens because that particular egg had a thicker shell too. So nothing to beat yourself up about since you did have lots hatch on their own. You just have to keep experimenting with the bator you have as even changing the room the bator is in can change how well it works.

 

[livin-green]

Quote:
What Day in the hatch did you open this egg? I'm just curious because one of the ones we opened today had pipped the air cell, too, but nothing else. It didn't look quite like this--the membrane was kind of dark and very dried-out looking.


edited: after you added the pic

 

[BawGock]

Thanks Silkiechicken,
I won't go too hard on myself but I do want to learn from this.
And you guys are helping me to do just that.
Hi BockBock,
I opened this egg on the end of day 23 and it did have fluid in the air cell.
It came out of the bator with it at 65% humidity.
The two other chicks that got stuck had fluid in the bottom of the eggs after they got out.
The membranes were wet and transparent, too.
Carolyn

 

[livin-green]

So, I kinda' don't think mine drowned then. The air cell area was really very dry. Maybe something else happened...after all, I had 8 that didn't make it!

 

[BawGock]

Quote:
Chicks dying in the egg can happen from just too low of humidity, too.
Maybe that's what happened to yours?
Carolyn