I have 16 Ameraucana eggs in the incubator, set to hatch today.
I tried a dry hatch with these guys, only adding small bits of water every few days and then upping the humidity for the last 3 days.
Temp has been pretty stable at 100 [in a still air hovabator], I did have 1 dip down to 99 for a couple of hours and 2 spikes to 102 for a couple of hours [our temps here in GA have been swinging wildly from 20 degrees to almost 80 and back again in less than 48 hour periods, so I've had trouble keeping it totally stable].
They were due today. One pipped and hatched 2 days ago [day 19] but he was all messed up - a lot of yellow goo came out of the shell with him and it looks like all his organs were not absorbed into his belly when he hatched.
I kinda figured that was from hatching too early.
None of the others have hatched [and they should be hatching today] except for one - and he has finally zipped his shell all the way around and a bunch of yellow goo has come out around the shell - he hasn't kicked the shell off yet, but it looks like he has the same problem the other chick did, and he is not early.
What am I doing to cause this? I feel very confident that these eggs are from good stock and were shipped well, so it wasn't the seller at all. It had to be on my end.
Any ideas? This is just sooo sad. I really wanted these because they are from Blue Ameraucanas of great type... *sigh* I need a blue roo for my girls!!!!
Is it possible I have some sort of bacteria in my incubator or something that would cause this? [I do clean it regularly between hatches with bleach and water solution and I let it air dry between hatches - it does not smell or anything]. I just want to make sure this won't happen with my next batch.
I am planning not to incubate any more eggs after I finish the last batch I just bought [which will go in tomorrow], I am waiting on several young pullets I have who should be good broodies [cochins, OEGs, silkies] to get old enough to brood. Then I am selling my incubators so I can stop killing these poor chicks.
But any help I can get to keep this from happening to my last batch of eggs in the incubator would be so greatly appreciated!
Kelly
I tried a dry hatch with these guys, only adding small bits of water every few days and then upping the humidity for the last 3 days.
Temp has been pretty stable at 100 [in a still air hovabator], I did have 1 dip down to 99 for a couple of hours and 2 spikes to 102 for a couple of hours [our temps here in GA have been swinging wildly from 20 degrees to almost 80 and back again in less than 48 hour periods, so I've had trouble keeping it totally stable].
They were due today. One pipped and hatched 2 days ago [day 19] but he was all messed up - a lot of yellow goo came out of the shell with him and it looks like all his organs were not absorbed into his belly when he hatched.
I kinda figured that was from hatching too early.
None of the others have hatched [and they should be hatching today] except for one - and he has finally zipped his shell all the way around and a bunch of yellow goo has come out around the shell - he hasn't kicked the shell off yet, but it looks like he has the same problem the other chick did, and he is not early.
What am I doing to cause this? I feel very confident that these eggs are from good stock and were shipped well, so it wasn't the seller at all. It had to be on my end.
Any ideas? This is just sooo sad. I really wanted these because they are from Blue Ameraucanas of great type... *sigh* I need a blue roo for my girls!!!!
Is it possible I have some sort of bacteria in my incubator or something that would cause this? [I do clean it regularly between hatches with bleach and water solution and I let it air dry between hatches - it does not smell or anything]. I just want to make sure this won't happen with my next batch.
I am planning not to incubate any more eggs after I finish the last batch I just bought [which will go in tomorrow], I am waiting on several young pullets I have who should be good broodies [cochins, OEGs, silkies] to get old enough to brood. Then I am selling my incubators so I can stop killing these poor chicks.
But any help I can get to keep this from happening to my last batch of eggs in the incubator would be so greatly appreciated!
Kelly
