WHY are they dieing at day 19/20

[poulet]

This is my fourth hatch, I am using my own marans eggs I have had low hatch rates about 30% on average except one was o% . My last two hatches I broke the eggs open on day 24 and all but one were fully formed inside and had absorbed the yolk but never pipped . The humidity was allways okay and the chicks membranes weren't dried out. I know my bater is not great it's a covina stillair ( similer to an LG I think) but why are they dieing at this late stage ? any ideas ?

 

[yotetrapper]

Although not near as many as you, I've been having some die the same way and time. I too am curious what the deal is.

 

[jimnjay]

At that time frame it usually is drowning. Are you sure the hygrometer is giving the correct reading. If humidity is to high when they pip the internal membrane they can encounter a gush of moisture from the egg and drown. I would calibrate my hygrometer if I were you. If you have the same problem several times, there is something wrong. You need to try adjusting your settings a tad bit. Check you thermometer against a mercury thermometer and Calibrate your hygrometer. I don't have the link any longer but if you use the search function there is a thread on how to do it with Salt, water and a zip lock bag. Good luck.

 

[seriousbill]

I agree. It may be a humidity problem.

If it turns out not to be that, another issue could be poor ventilation during hatching. Do you have vent plugs that you can remove during hatch?

 

[ginbart]

I know there was a post here, I think it started with ( day 18 is tomorrow). A lot of people were saying the humidity was right but they were still dieing. I only hatched 2 times with my humidiy at 70% and got less then a 50% hatch. This time on day 20 I put it up to 80% and I hatched 10 out of 12 so far. Today is day 21. I have a stillair also. Now I'm not telling you to do that I just wanted to let you know what I did. I would think the humidty is different in different places. Sorry to hear you lost them.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

I do better at the 80 to 85 % humitity. I was having the same problem with my chicks fully formed just giving up the ghost before pipping. I did some research and I think the problem is ventalation. They just don't have enough air. I am going to build a platform that doesn't block the air holes on the bottom of the bator and set the bator on this platform, then I will see if that helps. I am not planning any more hatches after the ones hatching now but that is my plan for the next hatches.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I did some research last night and checked a BUNCH of university, extension service and 4-H websites. All of them said that the humidity from 18-21 should be a minimum of 80%. The sites also said that the humidity from day 1-17 should be 55-60%...not the 50% that I had ready previously. They also stressed the importance of good ventilation. I'm only on day 3 but I see veins in all of my eggs....yippee!!! I made sure that I opened all the vent holes in my homemade bator and regulated the temp with the vents open.

 

[seriousbill]

I think you may be looking at the wet bulb readings. Relative humidity is usually set at a lower recommendation for days 18-21:

The relative humidity in the incubator for the first 18 days should remain at 58-60 percent or 87o-89oF., wet bulb. Increase the humidity during the last three days of incubation to at least 65 percent relative humidity or 90o-94oF., wet bulb.

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/avianemb.htm

The relative humidity inside the incubator should be between 50 percent and 55 percent during the first 18 days and between 60 percent and 65 percent during the remainder of the incubation period.

http://elkhorn.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1549/build/#target4​

 

[ginbart]

I'm going to try at the end of this month to hatch again. My grandchildren are coming up from Delaware and I want them to be able to see them hatch. I think I"ll try to build a platform and see what happens. Good idea. And I'm keeping my humidity up to 80% like this time. I will let you all know.

 

[seriousbill]

Optimum growth for most species requires a relative humidity of 60 percent until the eggs begin to pip, after which the relative humidity should be raised to 70 percent.

http://osuextra.okstate.edu/pdfs/F-8100web.pdf

Humidity—The moisture level in the incubator should be about 50 to 55 percent relative humidity, with an increase to about 65 percent for the last 3 days of incubation.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI0631.html

Humidity

The relative humidity of the air within an incubator should be about 60 percent. During the last 3 days (the hatching period) the relative humidity should be nearer 65-70 percent. (Too much moisture in the incubator prevents normal evaporation and results in a decreased hatch

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/8.html#L3C

I can keep going, you know...but I'll stop now.​