Whats up with these Chicken Hatching Eggs

[DaKid]

Ok I place some of my hatching eggs from my own flock in my bator on 12/05/09 . So 21 days would have been on 12/26/09 hatching day or so I stop turning them on the 18 day which was 12/22/09 so due days should have been 23 - 24 -25 which I did have some hatch on each day/ or night of those 2 days 23-24 , but 3 more hatch yesterday 26 and 2 more tonight/early morning today, the problem I did see is they where all crack eggs and where try to push out and peeping like crazy so I ended up helping all of them out of the shell , the reason I did this is they where piping since the 24 -25 so I was afraid that they was not going to make it . So out of the 5 that was having troubles and the temp was good running about 100.2 - 101 and the humidly was holding about 60-70 % like always for the last 3 days or so.
The problem I seen was that the chicks seem to be really dry and like some one cover them in glue inside the shell , so I help them out wash them with warm water to get the sticky crap off of them and place them back in the bator to dry off and fluff out .
So out of the late 5 hatchers 3 have made it and seem to be fine .
My question is why did this happen the ones that hatch when there where to are doing great but the one that hatch yesterday and today where really dry and stuck to the egg shell like there where glue in ……….

Has this happen to anyone else and if so what can I do so this don’t happen again and I don’t lose any other hatching chicks



Thanks Alan

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Did you use a still air, or do you have a fan? If you have a fan, the temps were too high. The humidity should have been higher also. The humidity you need depends on your altitude, ambient humidity, etc. If they were too sticky, next time you should go 75% & see how they do, you may have to play with a few hatches to find out what works for where you live. Congrats on the babies though!

 

[DaKid]

Cloverleaf Farm , Did you use a still air, or do you have a fan?

Both my bator have fans

If you have a fan, the temps were too high.

this is the first time That I have had any Problems with my bator like this, the ?????? iswhy did some hatch ok where they where due and others where 2 days late and they are the one's that had the problems !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The humidity you need depends on your altitude, ambient humidity, etc. If they were too sticky, next time you should go 75% & see how they do, you may have to play with a few hatches to find out what works for where you live.

I been hatching eggs for about 3 yrs now never had this happen befor, same place in the basement same temp there and also in the bator, I use 3 different type's of Thermometers , a hot spot, reg. house hole one and indoor /outdoor there all read within about 1-2 deg.of each other ,the hot spot is the one I go with most of the time the other are just to see how far off or on .

I do also place a cup of water w/a wet sponge along with filling the bottom water trays in the bator too. for add moister


Thanks Alan​

 

[MandyH]

Humidity was too low.

 

[DaKid]

MandyH
Humidity was too low

Thats what cuz the last and sticky hatches



I have hatch before in one of my still bators befor place a fan and really never or forgot to keep adding water to the tray below and had some good hatching rates , just now it seems since I place a fan in that bator with this hatching I seem to run into this problem ,

but if so I will try a few more eggs and try to work out the bugs with my own hatching eggs to get this thing right like befor ...........


Thanks​

 

[Painted Spirit]

The humidity in the winter is a bigger issue than I realized it would be. I'm adding more than a cup of water every other day vs a 1/4 cup or less during the summer here in steamy Maryland. For my next bunch due in two weeks I'll be getting an extra bator to use as a hatcher and adding water to every tray on the bottom plus extra up top on sponges in more water. I tested my current one before my eggs arrived and I was able to get the humidity up to 70% that way but it was alot of water.

 

[bargain]

Try calibrating your hygrometer. You may find that it is not completely accurate as well. It may be reading low. But definitely the humidity was too low!

Take care and have a blessed New Year

 

[DaKid]

thanks again everyone,

I did have a better hatching rate befor I did add the fan to the 2nd. bator, may be I'll just shut the fan off and try it once again with a 1/2 doz. of my own eggs and see and then again with the fan to see the difference in the humidity

Again thanks