Zodiac Hatch-A-Long - Waxing Moon in Fruitful Signs HAL

[Junibutt]

Junibutt: looks like one of your OEs is gonna be the first chick out.

Is he out already? I set some eggs under a friend broody on the eve of 14th and she already had one OE out this morning. I guess they are early hatchers. Possibly getting it from the Red Star genes that are big chicks so hatch early.

 

[Junibutt]

If the power light is continuous it means that it isn't able to achieve the target temperature. I would be careful about turning it up more. If ambient conditions allow it to achieve target, it will overheat.
Can you build some barriers around the incubator to keep it from losing heat? Basically creating a mini warm room. Perhaps build a wall with cardboard a few inches from each side. Cut some cardboard and cover the windows. Whatever you do, don't cover any holes since they need air, especially now.
If you do that, you may find you have to turn it down. Once the power light cycles, that's when it has achieved target temperature based on the dial setting.

I set a fan heater by the incubator. First it was too close so the bottom temp shot up to 102. Now I have it about 3 feet away and the temp has stabilized around 98 degrees. So I am not touching it now unless absolutely necessary. Fingers crossed now.

 

[bamadude]

Is he out already? I set some eggs under a friend broody on the eve of 14th and she already had one OE out this morning. I guess they are early hatchers. Possibly getting it from the Red Star genes that are big chicks so hatch early.

3 of your OEs are out now. Several of your CLs are pipping

 

[Junibutt]

3 of your OEs are out now. Several of your CLs are pipping

Great, seems like you are having a fantastic hatch!

Hopefully you do get some whites as well!

 

[Junibutt]

Help needed:

Yesterday morning around 11:00 AM I saw a huge pip in an egg and some fallen off pieces of the egg shell. Underneath however I saw the chicks beak moving. Was wondering how the membrane was intact but the chick managed to break the shell. Waited about 8 hrs but then the membrane started become dry and brown. At that moment I looked at the air cell markings and it seemed like the chick had pipped on the wrong side. So I decided to intervene and that was a big mistake.

Wherever I tried to nick or peel the membrane, I would find a small blood vessel. So I chipped off the egg shell bit by bit but almost to the size of a quarter but no avail. The chick was moving under it, that was a good sign but then I checked my lock down notes that this was the egg I marked on lockdown that the air sac had disappeared. So in my haste, I broke the other side of the shell and yes, there was no air sac but the chicks beak could be felt. So I gave a nick and it started cheeping and moving. However, again the same story, whenever and wherever I tried to extend the nick, there is a small blood vessel.

So bottom line is somehow the air sac on this egg disappeared close to lockdown.
The chick either rotated itself (highly doubt) after pipping or somehow managed to chip off some portion of the egg shell on the wrong side.
Because of my intervention, now it has quarter sized exposed area of the membrane on each side.
Its lying in a small bowl on top of wet paper towels inside a hatcher by itself. so I have the liberty to open it without hurting other eggs.
Humidity is around 75%
I am dripping water on it every couple of hrs so that the membrane doesn't dry, but about to crash because haven't slept in 48 hrs.
Its moving and cheeping every few minutes.
Its been 17 hrs since it pipped (if we can all it one) and 9 hrs since my intervention.

Is there anything I can do except dripping water on it every few hours? At what point should I give up? the membrane is getting brown in many spots.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Keep in mind that there are 2 membranes. You can pull off the outer membrane but the inner membrane still keeps them from moving. If I assist, I get most of the shell off and then start peeling membranes. Get it to the point that the chick can straighten its neck and legs.
I've assisted when I thought they failed because I let the humidity get too low. What I've found though is that rarely does an assisted hatch live to have good vigor as an adult. Probably why they failed to hatch properly in the first place.

 

[Junibutt]

Keep in mind that there are 2 membranes. You can pull off the outer membrane but the inner membrane still keeps them from moving. If I assist, I get most of the shell off and then start peeling membranes. Get it to the point that the chick can straighten its neck and legs.
I've assisted when I thought they failed because I let the humidity get too low. What I've found though is that rarely does an assisted hatch live to have good vigor as an adult. Probably why they failed to hatch properly in the first place.

I had two assists in the last hatch but none to the point of peeling membranes. One was stuck because one of the foot was out already and could not push hard enough with the other foot to get. The other I just had to take a few chips off and moisten with warm water and it came out within an hour after that. Both are healthy 9 week old now.

This one I got fooled by shell falling off from the wrong side and the membrane turning brown, otherwise I would not have assisted. Hatch Day just started an hour ago, so I feel like it was too early for it. I can still see active blood vessels running under the membrane even though its breathing air now. I bet its yolk has still not been completely absorbed since I see a little yellow stuck to the paper-towel.

I think I will keep on dripping some warm water on it every 2 hrs and let it do its own job.

 

[bamadude]

Keep in mind that there are 2 membranes. You can pull off the outer membrane but the inner membrane still keeps them from moving. If I assist, I get most of the shell off and then start peeling membranes. Get it to the point that the chick can straighten its neck and legs.
I've assisted when I thought they failed because I let the humidity get too low. What I've found though is that rarely does an assisted hatch live to have good vigor as an adult. Probably why they failed to hatch properly in the first place.

I totally agree. I do not do special needs chicks. If they cant hatch...I dont want them

 

[ronott1]

I totally agree. I do not do special needs chicks. If they cant hatch...I dont want them

Two hatches ago I had 5 that did not hatch well. One of the five made it past two days.

It is often not worth bothering with.

 

[bamadude]

I have also had bad experiences with any that hatch later than day 22.