Why can't I get my shipped chicken eggs to hatch?!?!

[Mrs MIA]

Great minds... I just hope it's a girl!!

I've only helped the chicks out if they've already pipped and it's obvious that they're unable to get out for whatever reason. I've never cracked an egg to get the chick out. With my quail, it seems like every time I DO help them, they are deformed or weak and don't thrive or live, so I try not to interfere.

Here's a photo of the little tyke... you can't sex them by color, can you?

See the little "gemstone" on the chest?

 

[speckledhen]

What a cute little chunk! Looks black in the photo. Nope, no such luck with sexing them by color. Wish we could! I hear you about helping them out. Not the best thing to do, in general. DH always wants to help. And with trying to get enough Orps for our flock, he feels every one counts big-time, so he wants to help them. Sometimes it turns out well and sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Mrs MIA]

The picture actually came out a little darker than the chick really is... time will tell.

 

[speckledhen]

Miss Tori, in the near future, if you want, you just send me some more of that awesome salmon you guys catch and I'll send you eggs for free, how's that? Maybe after the summer heat has dissipated some.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Tori, I hope, hope, hope you have a little girl there!
Sure is a cutie!

 

[Mrs MIA]

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Now why'd you want to go and make me cry...?

I dunno... I feel like I'm just killing them. They make it to day 19 or 20, then die. Best I can figure is that the second chick died shortly after putting it in the hatcher. The yolk was still fairly large, and there was a clear yellowish/green jellylike substance all around. I opened 3 of the six red dorkings... They had gotten a little further, and just had a pea-sized yolk remaining to be absorbed before they passed. I did open the cooler to take the first chick out when it was dry... the chick was kicking all the other eggs around so much... would that have done it?

Holy moly... the sky just opened up and DUMPED rain and hail on us... I've not seen it rain that hard in forever!!

 

[Mrs MIA]

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Thanks sweetie... me too.

 

[speckledhen]

I did open the cooler to take the first chick out when it was dry... the chick was kicking all the other eggs around so much... would that have done it?

I doubt it very much if that caused this. I've often opened up the bator to quickly take little ones out that had been in a long time and it never seems to have an adverse effect. As long as humidity climbs back up where it should be, no harm done.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

The humidity is back up within a minute or two. The membranes inside were white and rubbery, tho...

 

[speckledhen]

Tori, I've found that some eggs just do have a tougher membrane than others. It's not necessarily anything that you did.