What causes this???

[daisychick]

What causes a fully formed and apparently full term chick to not pip the inner membrane and to die?? Is this drowning in the egg from too much humidity? Or is it from too low of humidity? I have found different and contradicting info on this. I need advice or opinions please. I have had 3 hatches where this has happened. In each of them I have had half of the chicks hatch just fine and then when I check the eggs that didn't hatch I find the chick all there but not pipping the membrane.

Oh and to add to this when I candle on day 18 the air cell is exactly at the level it is supposed to be according to the charts. So I need to figure out if I am messing up before day 18 or just during the final 3 days??

I have some special eggs coming soon and really don't want to mess up the upcoming hatch!!

Thanks so much!

***Chandra***

 

[Farm Frenzy]

It sounds like a definite humidity problem, what was yours at?

 

[crazy for chicken]

fully formrd chicks/embryos die befor pipping
1.incorrect temp.
2. insufficient humidity
3. imporoper egg turning
4. egg chilled prior to in cubation
I have the book hobby farms chickens by sue weaver tit. Tending a small-scale flock for pleasure and profit. It is awesome lots of helping info
sorry about your losss good luck next time

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I would guess to much humidity but it may be something else entirely.

 

[Wynette]

I've seen several posts lately regarding this same exact thing...I'm beginning to wonder if it's the season? Maybe too high of humidity in the surrounding air?

 

[Momma_Cluck]

ALL of ours (3 sets) had this problem EVEN THO being hatched by a hen..
our indoor humidity is only 37-42%..... they pip-- then the membranbe turns white and papery in as little as an hour!!! He've had to "help" all of them (5 chicks in 3 batches of 3 so far) by "zipping " just the shell and leaving the membrane and dampening it--then put em back.

So far so good-- all have been very healthy.

 

[Farm Frenzy]

See for some reason, I was thinking the complete opposite. I was thinking too low of humidity. That they cannot shift to zip or get into place. I'm at work so I don't have my chicken notebook with me, but as soon as I get home I can tell you exactly.

 

[daisychick]

I live in Colorado and the air is always really dry here and really low outside humidity...but if a storm comes through the humidity shoots up for like 3 hours. So I try to keep my hatching humidity at 60 to 65% and the first 18 days I keep it between 40 and 50%. I also have chicks hatch with that smeared wet look and stay that way with their down all plastered to their body like glue. Which I read was a sign of low humidity. So I used to think they were drowning in the shell and that is why they never pipped the membrane which would be from too high humidity.....but I am starting to wonder if it is the opposite and the humidity is too low and making things too thick??? It is sooo hard to tell from looking at them which it is?????

 

[Farm Frenzy]

I'm almost positive it is too low humidity. But don't quote me yet, I'll let you know. I keep my hatching humidity between 70-75 at all times, and have NEVER had that problem.

 

[daisychick]

I am also going to re calibrate my hydrometers after I let them sit out and "dry out" for a while. I really want to get this figured out so I can have a higher percentage hatch. They calibrated fine the first time....so I am just going to do it again to be sure.

Farm Frenzy Thanks for trying to help me and I will be waiting to see what your notes at home say. I have read every article on it I could and I even have a few good books. Will you check and see if you have anything on the chicks that hatch and their down stays sticky down to their bodies???