What did I do wrong, so I don't do it again??? I think I killed a chick... PLEASE ADVISE!!!

[JakeBremer]

It's Survival of the Finish. Some are meant to not hatch. Some are. Just let Nature take its course.

 

[NYREDS]

This is not necessarily true. I can just about guarantee I wouldn't have had to help any of mine except maybe the one in the extremely small egg if my children hadn't kept opening the bator to see them hatching. All are doing great now.

My comment is based on over 50 years experience with having bred, hatched & raised thousands of chickens. I suspect our goals & expectations are very different & for my purposes a bird living isn't enough.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree with NYReds, however, I do understand the intense desire to do something, just because you don't usually have 100-200 eggs in the incubator and every one counts to most small time hatchers.

If you have 200 eggs in there, it's much easier to just let nature take its course and if you're hatching that many, you're a most likely a serious breeder. If you have 15 eggs to start and you're down to 8 by hatch day, it's very tempting to help and I get that. I don't even like late hatchers, personally. I cringe when someone says leave them in until Day 25-they keep growing in there, if they're even alive in the first place, so it's unlikely they will make it out on their own.

If they haven't gotten out by the end of Day 22, it's highly likely that something is wrong with that chick in some way. I don't have 50 years of experience in hatching, but I've had my share of hatches over the last six or seven years and more often than not, even if a chick pips and starts to zip and stops to go no further, there is a reason. I had a group of them do that and almost every one had their innards on the outside--there is NO fix for that and not one should have even pipped.

 

[bethann33]

So I have another one who has been peeping inside the egg since yesterday morning. He cracked the shell this morning, but no further and it's been hours. Still just peeping and wiggling. I'm not touching it though this time... though my kids have opened the bator a couple of times....

Since I have NEVER done this before- I just don't know when to be alarmed. And since I only have so many fertile eggs from these chickens, every one counts. Once they crack the shell, how long does it take from there? What do they do next? This is where the last one got stuck, so I'd hope this one makes it.

And another question...

I put a light to some of the other eggs (candling?). What do I look for and by what day? I've got about 20 or so eggs in there, at about 3 different hatch dates. I know it's probably the worst way to do a hatch, but it's just how it's happened...

 

[sumi]

Maybe this will help:

Incubating & Hatching Eggs Important Topic Index - Please Review

 

[mstricer]

Thank-you very much. That was very helpful. This one was 'shrink wrapped'. What does that indicate?

Indicates don't open the incubator during the last 3 days. Humidity is very important, you let it out every time you open it. Maybe you could place a stool or chair for the kids to be able to watch, you could also use this to explain why they shouldn't open it. Lessons learned are the best ones.

 

[bethann33]

Maybe this will help:

Incubating & Hatching Eggs Important Topic Index - Please Review

Thanks- SUPER helpful!!

the pipped chick hatched!! yay.

 

[sumi]

That thread is awesome.

Helped me a lot with my hatches. So glad you got a chick. Show us what it looks like!

 

[Nsampsel]

I agree with NYReds, however, I do understand the intense desire to do something, just because you don't usually have 100-200 eggs in the incubator and every one counts to most small time hatchers.

If you have 200 eggs in there, it's much easier to just let nature take its course and if you're hatching that many, you're a most likely a serious breeder. If you have 15 eggs to start and you're down to 8 by hatch day, it's very tempting to help and I get that. I don't even like late hatchers, personally. I cringe when someone says leave them in until Day 25-they keep growing in there, if they're even alive in the first place, so it's unlikely they will make it out on their own.

If they haven't gotten out by the end of Day 22, it's highly likely that something is wrong with that chick in some way. I don't have 50 years of experience in hatching, but I've had my share of hatches over the last six or seven years and more often than not, even if a chick pips and starts to zip and stops to go no further, there is a reason. I had a group of them do that and almost every one had their innards on the outside--there is NO fix for that and not one should have even pipped.

At this point ALL of my eggs are boughten & shipped. I'm trying to get started & can't spend a fortune on eggs, so YES, EVERY EGG COUNTS!!! As for "If it can't get out on it's own, there's something wrong with it"...there was absolutely NOTHING wrong with most of my chicks other than I have an 8 yr old & a 5 yr old who can't keep their hands off the bator "cuz they wanna see". If I didn't rescue what chicks I could, I wouldn't get very many at all. I've already lost over half of my eggs, closer to 3/4.

 

[bethann33]

How long do I keep the lone chick in the bator?????? Is it ok that it is still set at 99.5 for the other eggs???? Should I lower the temp??

The others from his date aren't hatching or moving or peeping.... he might be the only one til next tuesday... :{