What went wrong?

[LegbarMama]

I had a terrible hatch that I hope to never experience again. I would love any help and feedback because I only ended up with 2 chicks and would like to incubate again soon. On hatching day, I had two hatch all on their own and they turned out to be completely healthy. Then I had 3 that zipped but quit for more than 24 hours so I assisted them. All 3 had not absorbed their yolks so I'm thinking I may have assisted too early . I thought another possibility is maybe the eggs were too small? They were some of the first eggs that my girls laid and I may have jumped the gun. Any advice is appreciated, thank you so much in advance!

 

[nuthatched]

Was your incubator calibrated? Likely too small, I'm sorry.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear you had a poor hatch @LegbarMama

This is an informative read ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-failure-to-hatch-diagnosing-incubation-problems.67011/

The 3 assisted did they just pip a hole or actually zip around the egg?

 

[LegbarMama]

Was your incubator calibrated? Likely too small, I'm sorry.

No my thermometers are all digital so I didn't think I needed to calibrate them, and one of them controls the light in my incubator. The light comes on at 99.5 and shuts off at 100.5. My first was perfect with no issues.

 

[nuthatched]

No my thermometers are all digital so I didn't think I needed to calibrate them, and one of them controls the light in my incubator. The light comes on at 99.5 and shuts off at 100.5. My first was perfect with no issues.

Digital ones need to be calibrated just the make sure, they're usually off a few degrees and can wear out. I don't think that was the issue though.

 

[LegbarMama]

Sorry to hear you had a poor hatch @LegbarMama

This is an informative read ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-failure-to-hatch-diagnosing-incubation-problems.67011/

The 3 assisted did they just pip a hole or actually zip around the egg?

They had all zipped and then stopped for more than 24 hours so I got worried and assisted them, i think I probably shouldn't have tho, bc none of them made it. The yolk sacs were huge and they couldn't open their eyes or move with the sacs bleeding.

 

[LegbarMama]

Digital ones need to be calibrated just the make sure, they're usually off a few degrees and can wear out. I don't think that was the issue though.

I thought maybe the humidity could have been off also, bc around the zipped part of the egg was very dry. I could be wrong tho. I really think it's my fault for assisting. I think I should have just waited and let them hatch on their own. But I thought they may die if I didn't help.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

bc around the zipped part of the egg was very dry.

So they had gone all the way round the egg like this and then stopped and it dried out?

 

[LegbarMama]

So they had gone all the way round the egg like this and then stopped and it dried out?
View attachment 3423627

 

[LegbarMama]

Those are pics of 2 of them. They did all of that and then stopped and yes all the white part, sorry I don't know what that part is called, was completely dried up.