# Several pipping/dying or hatching/dying



## GrammyJean

This is my 2nd hatching eggs. The first time, I had an 85% hatch rate. None of them died once they had pipped or hatched, but a few died in the egg with no pip at all. I examined them, and 1 was rotten (YUCK), one had it's head under it's wing, poor thing couldn't peck the shell, and the other had unabsorbed yolk.

This time, it's the 23rd day, and I have 2 live, healthy chicks, but have had 2 that pipped and made like a dime sized hole in the egg, and then died, the other 2 hatched fully and then died in an hour or two, without standing up at all... they had very small unabsorbed yolks.

Now I have still 5 eggs un-hatched (from the ones I ordered, as were all but one of the above mentioned), plus a few eggs that I gathered from my yard to add to them (blue eggs). I heard some pecking earlier today, but have not seen a pip anywhere. 

Anybody got any advice? I don't understand how they are strong enough to pip or hatch, and still have unabsorbed yolks and then die.... seems like they just would die in the egg without pecking out.

I have a Hovabator, very simple, with a little thermometer, no fan, no hygrometer.... but my other experience with hatching in it was wonderful... I don't understand what happened this time 

Thanks for any hellp.


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## robin416

Temp happened from the way you're describing things. The hatch is late, peeps are hatching late but still not mature enough to be hatched. 

It sounds like whatever you're using to measure temps is not accurate any more. My suggestion is to invest in a good quality reptile thermo. Or a GQF digital thermo. I prefer the Fluckers which does both temp and humidity. 

Since it appears temp is off I wouldn't mess with whatever else is still unhatched. You might get one or two more. 

And if you're feeling brave run the temp up a degree by your thermo, see if that helps any.


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## GrammyJean

What throws me the most is that it worked great last time. Same thermometer. I wasn't doing Silkies last time, do they require more heat? or more days?
The two that are alive and healthy hatched on the 22nd day...


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## piglett

GrammyJean said:


> What throws me the most is that it worked great last time. Same thermometer. I wasn't doing Silkies last time, do they require more heat? or more days?
> The two that are alive and healthy hatched on the 22nd day...


i can hatch great starting in Jan. to about May

i have had 100% hatches using my own eggs

once it get warm outside my hatch rate drops

weather can play hell with your hatches too

been there done that.

good luck
piglett


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## robin416

No, Silkies hatch under the same conditions as any other chicken. 

When they decided we couldn't be trusted with mercury thermos any more the market was flooded with poor quality, inaccurate thermos. The spirit filled thermos are the most unreliable. Inexpensive digitals like you can get from Wally World are also inaccurate more often than not. 

I didn't have any issues with the time of year I incubated. If I did I could always point right back to equipment or my own failure to do something.


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## piglett

robin416 said:


> No, Silkies hatch under the same conditions as any other chicken.
> 
> When they decided we couldn't be trusted with mercury thermos any more the market was flooded with poor quality, inaccurate thermos. The spirit filled thermos are the most unreliable. Inexpensive digitals like you can get from Wally World are also inaccurate more often than not.
> 
> I didn't have any issues with the time of year I incubated. If I did I could always point right back to equipment or my own failure to do something.


shipped eggs are always a wildcard

1 batch can arrive & hatch well

the next were not treated very nice on their trip to your place so they hatch out poorly


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## robin416

100% correct on shipped eggs. I also found that the part of the country seemed to play a part in what hatched. For me getting eggs from the NE and OH area was almost always a bust for hatching. Eggs from FL or out West seemed to have a higher hatch rate.


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## piglett

robin416 said:


> 100% correct on shipped eggs. I also found that the part of the country seemed to play a part in what hatched. For me getting eggs from the NE and OH area was almost always a bust for hatching. Eggs from FL or out West seemed to have a higher hatch rate.


 I can't hatch a California egg to save my life


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## hildar

Yeah shipped eggs are much harder then eggs bought locally. I just had a lady tell me that none of the eggs she bought from me hatched so I must be selling duds rather then fertile eggs, yet 15 others whom had eggs sent that same week all had eggs that hatched so it all depends on temps, handling, and so much more.

Also many folks put shipped eggs in the bottoms of egg cartons when they place them in the incubator. I found that when I did that I had a 0% hatch rate, when I lay them down I get a 10% to 40 % hatch rate. It is trial and error with shipped eggs.


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## GrammyJean

Ok, I'm going to try this one more time.... I have purchased a "reptile" thermometer/agrometer combination guage. I just don't know what Humidity I should be going for.... What humidity is desirable when hatching eggs in the incubator?
Thanks for all your advice before... It's nice to get replies from people more experienced.


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## robin416

Just remember, we had to start some where. All of us were where you are now. 

Hopefully the unit you picked up will get you the results you want to see. 

Humidity hanging around 45% for the first 18 days is good, then run it up to 60/65% for the last three.


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## powderhogg01

thermometers can be a finicky subject. I have been raising, even breeding reptiles since I was a kid, I have tried a lot of different things from name brands and such. NOTHING beats a mercury thermo... that said they are nearly impossible to come by these days, and if you got one, you are not giving it up... hehe.
I have had great success with zoomed and exoterra. I currently have 5 thermos in the same bator, they are all in relatively the same spot and all read differently, even the brinsea spot check. I have learned that you need to make sure everything has real fresh batteries. I think a route which is good is an infrared heat gun. just take the temp of the egg itself.. a method I have not practiced, but intend to down the road. 
a tip, if you know a thermo to be correct, you can mark the others you use low or high so you know to add or subtract that amount to see the real temp. some thermos will allow you to place the probe in ice water, a great way to calibrate


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## GrammyJean

Ok, I do have 2 eggs pipping on this 3rd attempt at hatching in the incubator. The first attempt went off without a hitch (beginner's luck, I guesss), had LOTS of trouble with the 2nd batch... many pipped and died in shell, and some died after hatching ...most had unabsorbed yolks.
SO... I bought a good (expensive) thermometer with a humidity meter in it also. I have kept the temp steadily at 100 degrees, after a spike up to 104 that I couldn't explain... early on... but that was the only time the temp varied from 100. I had a terrible time keeping the humidity up as high as it should be with the egg turner in there, but since I've removed it, the humidity is closer to the 40% mark.
I now have 2 eggs pipped with tiny holes.... keeping my fingers crossed for the poor little things! I don't suppose anyone would support the idea of helping a tiny bit to get the pipped egg a little hole where the chick can breathe?
How long should it be before pipping to hatch?? Last time some took over 24hrs. to get out of the egg.... others never got past the tiny pip stage. Advice about helping a tiny bit?? Please? (and thank you all who have helped me  )


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## robin416

Nope, nope, nope. I get the anxiety but it is not at all uncommon for them to not do much after the external pip for 24 hours. They need that time to finish absorbing the yolk, for the blood supply to be clamped off.

They can breathe, so don't be concerned about it getting air. If its so weak it can't externally pip then nothing you could do would help it survive. And pushing before its the right time would more than likely kill it. 

What day are on they on in the incubation phase?


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## nj2wv

This is what I do. I put them in egg cartons so they stay upright the last three days. After they pip I make a tiny hole in the membrane so they can breath. Once they zip around about halfway I then lay them on a paper towel in the incubator. Some still hatch in the egg carton if it happens overnight. Once the chicks are dry I put them in the brooder. I have found that chicks that have hatched have interfered with the unhatched chicks so I try to get them out as soon as possible. Also make sure you can protect the newly placed chick in the brooder because the earlier hatched chicks may pick on them. I stagger my hatches. I put in two or three eggs every day or two. 
Hope this helps  .


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## kiweed

The humidity should be above 65 at lockdown.


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## GrammyJean

Thanks so much.... I have worried over these chicks more than I did when I birthed my own children. LOL
I agree not to hurry them out of the shell, but a tiny hole in the membrane seems reasonable, so they can breathe.
I swear I can't get the humidity above 40% no matter what I do.... I put Hot water in there from the tap, and the channels for water are completely full.... I have not opened the lid at all since I took the turner out yesterday morning...
I think today will be the 21st day.... It's on my calendar, but I didn't write it down right away when I started them, so could be off by a day at most.


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## robin416

It sounds like your humidity is reading incorrectly. Unless you live in the desert. Do you live in the desert? No problems with humidity before? Can you pop what you used last time in there?

Don't be opening holes, all you're doing by opening holes is opening a place for bacteria to get in before the peep is fully developed. Chicks have been hatching for millions of years without our intervening on every hatch. The only time you would want to do that is if you're not certain a chick died just before hatch. Then a hole is made in the large end to see if there is any movement.

Day 21 give or take is good. Let them do what they're going to do. If one gets in trouble you'll have no doubt because it'll be screaming that its stuck.


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## kiweed

Try using sponges


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## GrammyJean

Well, I did nothing to help .... and now one of the 'pipped' chicks has almost half the egg opened up! The other still is a tiny, tiny pip with no air hole yet...
I guess patience paid off for at least one!


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## robin416

I get how hard it is to let them do what they're going to do, especially after the last hatch went so wrong. I've hatched hundreds of the little buggers in the incubator and I found that patience makes for a much more successful hatch. 

Since its right at the hatch date you know that the temps are right. You just have an issue with the humidity reading.


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## GrammyJean

First chick is out of the egg! 2nd pipper has a pea-sized hole in the membrane so he can now breathe! Success on 2 counts. No other pips yet... 26 eggs in the incubator, although no guarantee they are all fertilized.... 
The first chick seems healthy... and is quite large from what I've observed hatching previously. He came out of a golden Cochin egg... was fertilized by a Lemon Barred Rock Roo OR my Cream Legbar Roo.  I can't see his feet to check for feathers, yet...


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## robin416

You really need to learn how to candle. It could save you from a nasty surprise down the road. Exploded eggs in the bator is a really awful possibility. All you'd need is a mini Maglight and a dark room. There are several good publications on the net that can help you learn and the more you do it the better you'll get at "reading" the egg and what is going on inside.

Congrats on the first peep being out. If the room is really quiet you should be able to hear those that have internally pipped. And remember, this hatching business is exhausting, don't panic too much if one in the process gets quiet for hours.


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## GrammyJean

I have had a rotten egg in the incubator before.... it didn't explode, but it "sweated" a yellowish, sticky liquid and smelled to high heaven! If one explodes will it hurt the other eggs?

You really are a sweetheart, Robin. I can't tell you how much you've helped me... even when it was just calming my fears. LOL


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## robin416

Thinking logically I can see it being a threat to hatching chicks. When an egg explodes what its releasing is tons of bacteria, peeps in the hatching phase can be very susceptible to a bacterial shower. And once one explodes there is no way to stop everything and disinfect everything.

I've never had one explode because I taught myself to candle right from the get go. The eggs with blood rings, those are the exploders for certain, were removed immediately. What I have read is that after one explodes the stink remains even with repeated cleaning with bleach.

You're more than welcome. Even having hatched so many in the incubator myself it could still be a stressful time for me if something didn't quite go as planned.


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## GrammyJean

I'm going to start a new thread because this one is way too long... and my one hatched chick has problems!


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## robin416

Not what I wanted to hear.


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## GrammyJean

What's wrong with starting a new thread? 3 pages is hard to wade through if anyone else wants to reply.....


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## robin416

Calm down. I was talking about the peep.


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## GrammyJean

I'm calm. /shrug
Are you a man? That's something a man would say to a woman. LOL


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