WTF???

[miken 89]

I don’t incubate a lot, but have been generally successful when I do. However something horrible has been going wrong with my latest. I started with 15 eggs. Candled them at 10 days and culled the ones that weren’t developing. Hatch started early this am. With 12 eggs still good (presumably). I’ve had two healthy chicks and four, have started breaking out and have crowned their eggs but died for an unknown reason. Humidity is 70-80%. Any ideas what went wrong? They are hybrid chicks. Half RIR (most likely) Gold Sex link or Black Astralathorp and half Plymouth Rock. I have a few Plymouth Rock hens. The two healthy ones are mixed.

 

[cavemanrich]

Your title is a catching one.
Wow,,, That's,,,, Fantastic

 

[ellasflock]

Humidity is really high. You should have it at about 65% for hybrids. You can also assist the egg hatching process if they are crowning. By picking some of the shell of, I know people say you shouldn’t but if they are going to die then you have to.

 

[KingD]

Humidity is really high. You should have it at about 65% for hybrids. You can also assist the egg hatching process if they are crowning. By picking some of the shell of, I know people say you shouldn’t but if they are going to die then you have to.

Never interfere with the hatching process. If they're going to die in th egg then they'll die once they're out as they don't have the necessary strength to live.
Anyone will tell you that.

 

[ellasflock]

I think you are right but it also depends on the situation, if the reason they are dying is because they are too weak then yes, I am afraid they will pass away, but if they have got their beak stuck or have egg shell digging in them, then I would help it. My chicks that I have helped when they had egg shell poking in them, are now prospering well and had nothing wrong with them.

 

[miken 89]

Humidity is really high. You should have it at about 65% for hybrids. You can also assist the egg hatching process if they are crowning. By picking some of the shell of, I know people say you shouldn’t but if they are going to die then you have to.

Do you really think my humidity is killing what have heretofore been healthy chicks? They aren’t taking an enormous amount of time breaking out. They are starting their breakout, then when almost done, then they are dying. I’m not trying to save what I have (I would if I could), I’m trying to learn from my experience and insure it doesn’t happen again.
I failed to mention this before but they all started hatching in day 20. I expected them to hatch on the 9th, but the first one (healthy) broke out very early morning (3am) on the 8th.

 

[Kiki]

Humidity is way high.

Has it been that high throughout?

 

[ellasflock]

It is normal for chicks to hatch a little earlier or later. I don’t think the humidity would stop them dying but sometimes when the humidity is too high or low it affects the growth of the chick in the egg or the amount of oxygen it has been given in the egg from the air sac. If it is too high the chick is likely to be weak when it is trying to hatch, and the same if it is too low which is why you need to make the humidity higher when hatching so that the membrane doesn’t dry in the egg when the chick is trying to hatch, if it dries it is possible for the chick to die while hatching .

 

[black_cat]

Humidity is really high. You should have it at about 65% for hybrids. You can also assist the egg hatching process if they are crowning. By picking some of the shell of, I know people say you shouldn’t but if they are going to die then you have to.

What do you mean 'for hybrids'? All chickens have the same incubation needs.

 

[Kiki]

What do you mean 'for hybrids'? All chickens have the same incubation needs.