Why did my chick die before hatching? (pictured of eggtopsy)

[scflock]

Well, I took your advice and did eggtopsies on the last two. They were indeed dead

#1 might had pipped into a vein (there was some blood, but not tons so I'm not sure) he was properly positioned and seemed properly moist. pip was a tad bit low so that could have been it too.

#2 upside down, internally pipped into fluid end.

Both had yolk properly absorbed and looked good. So there ends my first hatch....
12 Set
6 hatched normally
2 hatched w/ assistance
1 early quitter
1 late quitter (we don't know why)
1 pipped a vein
1 pipped upside down into fluid end

Thanks for everyone's support! If you even have anymore ideas on my late quitter feel free to post.

8 of 12 is still very good. I have hatched less than that in a Brinsea. I don't fret over the no-hatches any more. I don't assist, either, but having to cull a fluffy one at 4 days old will do that to you. Some chickens just aren't meant to hatch, and from the healthy ones you did get, I would say there was nothing you did wrong. I would rather have fewer healthy chicks than have more chicks with problems. Really, 67% is a great first shot. What kind of incubator were you using? If you say LG 9300, you are my new hero

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

X2 with scflock. 8/12 is good. I would have been more than happy with that for a first hatch. My first ever hatch was a total bust I got nothing at all. Beginner mistakes and the temp was way off had cooked the eggs. There was no way anything would have hatched. I had one in my hatch last week that made it to lockdown was moving good air sac all looked good but it didn't hatch. Died some time after lockdown. Just one of those things. Also I did something I don't usually do and helped one. It was looking full in the bator so I moved some to the brooder as I lifted chicks out there was an egg that had zipped all round the shell but had not broken the membrane enough to get out. It was struggling cheeping and I helped, wish I had not though. As the days went on it was not thriving was runty and splayed leg developed. I had to cull it on the end it went down hill fast. In nature this chick would have died in the shell. Healthy chicks always hatch on their own. That's not to say some assisted dont hatch healthy though.

 

[scflock]

It was struggling cheeping and I helped, wish I had not though. As the days went on it was not thriving was runty and splayed leg developed. I had to cull it on the end it went down hill fast. In nature this chick would have died in the shell. Healthy chicks always hatch on their own. That's not to say some assisted dont hatch healthy though.

I have assisted 5, and this is exactly what happened to 4 of the 5. I've gotten cold hearted about it. It's easier to let nature take it's course than it is to cull a fluffy chick

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yes, he had a very nice air cell, I actually piped it first at the air cell end (day 23) and opened it slowly (no pictures sorry!) I could see his beak beneath the inner membrane, so he was positioned well. The membrane seemed moist and rubbery, not dry. There was no movement, but I left the egg in just in case he was resting, when I noticed it starting to degrade (day 25) I did the eggtopsy.


We set 12. 1 was an early quitter, 8 hatched, 1 was the late quitter I'm asking about and 2 have still not done anything (day 26 - should I give up on them?). I just feel that 67% is a low hatch rate. These are eggs from our own chickens, clean, healthy 1 yo parents, all fertile eggs, normal egg shape, etc. I did open the bator to grab chicks a few times. Could that have caused it?

If you saw how many times I opened my bator on my last hatch you'd be...

Out of the 36 that were in there, 32 hatched. If your humidity is up at hatch, opening the bator runs a small risk. The lower the humidity levels the higher the risk. While it is good practice to keep it closed and not interfer, it is not the end of the chicks if you open it. My first hatch was 1 surviving chick out of 17. Thankfully I have only had one that bad.

 

[venymae]

8 of 12 is still very good. I have hatched less than that in a Brinsea. I don't fret over the no-hatches any more. I don't assist, either, but having to cull a fluffy one at 4 days old will do that to you. Some chickens just aren't meant to hatch, and from the healthy ones you did get, I would say there was nothing you did wrong. I would rather have fewer healthy chicks than have more chicks with problems. Really, 67% is a great first shot. What kind of incubator were you using? If you say LG 9300, you are my new hero

How about the Uglybator. This is ours.

X2 with scflock. 8/12 is good. I would have been more than happy with that for a first hatch. My first ever hatch was a total bust I got nothing at all. Beginner mistakes and the temp was way off had cooked the eggs. There was no way anything would have hatched. I had one in my hatch last week that made it to lockdown was moving good air sac all looked good but it didn't hatch. Died some time after lockdown. Just one of those things. Also I did something I don't usually do and helped one. It was looking full in the bator so I moved some to the brooder as I lifted chicks out there was an egg that had zipped all round the shell but had not broken the membrane enough to get out. It was struggling cheeping and I helped, wish I had not though. As the days went on it was not thriving was runty and splayed leg developed. I had to cull it on the end it went down hill fast. In nature this chick would have died in the shell. Healthy chicks always hatch on their own. That's not to say some assisted dont hatch healthy though.

I am glad we assisted the two, they never seemed weak, just glued! I can't even tell which ones were assisted and which were not anymore. lol

 

[scflock]

How about the Uglybator. This is ours. I am glad we assisted the two, they never seemed weak, just glued! I can't even tell which ones were assisted and which were not anymore. lol

Wow, impressive! I'd say you did outstanding

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

How about the Uglybator. This is ours. I am glad we assisted the two, they never seemed weak, just glued! I can't even tell which ones were assisted and which were not anymore. lol

Ugly bator I too am very impressed well done The one I helped wasn't glued you see it was just too weak to pip correctly.

 

[fatcatx]

Thanks for everyone's support! If you even have anymore ideas on my late quitter feel free to post.

I have little experience but the gal I got my eggs from has plenty. She warned me that hatching dark eggs (like Maran) is difficult because the membrane is so tough. Some suggest a higher humidity. Maybe check in the appropriate breed forum?

 

[jucat60]

The last batch I had I had a little chick moving one day then no movement the next I literally cracked the egg twice it was hard like a hard boiled egg it had not pipped. A perfect chick not moving was inside given up. In the incubator it lay it slowly fluffed up and started to move and is perfect. A totally healthy Aracuana scuttle butt.