Hatching- Bacitracin on membranes?

[Iluvmysilkies]

So I read the article on here about how to properly help a chick out of its shell if needed and it suggested using bacitracin ointment on the membranes to keep them from drying out. Said it works better then constantly trying to keep wet with water and paper towels. I was just wondering if anyone has used it and if it worked well. Also where did you find it? I saw some at walmart but it said it was bacitracin with zinc. Is that the same thing? Is zinc ok? I also found something at the dollar store called triple antibotic ointment and the ingredients are bacitracin 400units, neomycin 3.5mg, polymyxin B 5,000 units. Is this one useable or should I be looking for one that is straight Bacitracin and nothing else? Cause it seems like every time I see one it said with zinc. A little help appreciated. Thanks

 

[Hannah15]

I just looked at mine, it says it is "zinc ointment" under the Bacitracin name. I bought it at Walmart as well. I have used it a number of times, and it DOES work better than water. It keeps the membrane moist much longer than plain water, overnight in a couple of cases. I also have started putting it on all chick navels. I was having HORRIBLE problems with yolk sac infections due to an e. coli infection (with NO symptoms) in the adult birds. After I found out what was causing the chick deaths, I started applying Bacitracin on all chicks navels and have not lost any that hatched since then, even though those eggs were still set before I began treating the adult birds.

 

[Iluvmysilkies]

I just looked at mine, it says it is "zinc ointment" under the Bacitracin name. I bought it at Walmart as well. I have used it a number of times, and it DOES work better than water. It keeps the membrane moist much longer than plain water, overnight in a couple of cases. I also have started putting it on all chick navels. I was having HORRIBLE problems with yolk sac infections due to an e. coli infection (with NO symptoms) in the adult birds. After I found out what was causing the chick deaths, I started applying Bacitracin on all chicks navels and have not lost any that hatched since then, even though those eggs were still set before I began treating the adult birds.

Ok thank you! Exactely what I needed to know! I will grab the bacitracin with zinc tonight at walmart then. My eggs are going into lockdown tonight so I want to be prepared if needed. I will use it on the navels as well. Thanks!

 

[dheltzel]

I am very, very, reluctant to help a chick out of the shell. I had problems with them getting "shrink wrapped" and not being able to finish hatching, until I learned to get the humidity up over 80% for the hatch. Humidity in lockdown only matters once the first chick pips, but it's crucial after that until all the chicks are out. Sometimes the humidity hits 99% when there are wet chicks in there, and it's all good.

I'm not saying you will never have to help a chick hatch, but the very best thing you can do now is get the humidity up. I use a hovabator for hatching and I fill all the channels, then lay a cloth over the whole bottom to soak up the water and spread it around. This has helped my hatches tremendously.

 

[Iluvmysilkies]

I am very, very, reluctant to help a chick out of the shell. I had problems with them getting "shrink wrapped" and not being able to finish hatching, until I learned to get the humidity up over 80% for the hatch. Humidity in lockdown only matters once the first chick pips, but it's crucial after that until all the chicks are out. Sometimes the humidity hits 99% when there are wet chicks in there, and it's all good.

I'm not saying you will never have to help a chick hatch, but the very best thing you can do now is get the humidity up. I use a hovabator for hatching and I fill all the channels, then lay a cloth over the whole bottom to soak up the water and spread it around. This has helped my hatches tremendously.

I was told to do 60% humidity. Should I go higher? I have been doing a dry hatch 30% in a circulated still air incubator.

 

[darkbluespace]

I have used it on all the chicks I have had to help hatch and it works very well... water dries quickly and you really don't want them drying out. Of course it is best if a chick can hatch on it's own but since we are artificially incubating them sometimes conditions aren't perfect. I have had many chicks that I helped be perfectly healthy vital chicks( only one that wasn't), so it is good to be prepared!

 

[darkbluespace]

ps I just hatched my first two Silkies.. and they are crazy adorable!!

 

[dheltzel]

I was told to do 60% humidity. Should I go higher? I have been doing a dry hatch 30% in a circulated still air incubator.

Yes, absolutely go to 80% or more. I'm not convinced that it's possible to go too high. I got some great tips from the "Porter Heritage Turkey" website. Turkeys are harder to hatch (harder shells) and so it makes sense to follow those instructions, even if we can get away with less with chickens. Those instructions recommend lowering the temperature slightly as well, to prevent lowered oxygen levels. I'm not sure that makes the O2 better, but it's reasonable to assume that a lower temp while hatching is ok, if not preferred. I get hot when I exert myself and we move the (sometimes still wet) chicks to a brooder at 95 anytime after hatch with no issues, so I think 98 or even 97 degrees should be ok for hatching. In my hatcher I aim for 80+ RH and 98 - 99 degrees. I'm still learning, but regularly get 100% hatch of some breeds (some of what I raise are genetically weaker and I consider 50% a successful hatch of those).

The absolute hardest part of hatching is being patient. We think no progress is being made, but always be patient and try to leave them alone as long as possible.

Good luck and keep us posted on the results.

 

[Iluvmysilkies]

I have used it on all the chicks I have had to help hatch and it works very well... water dries quickly and you really don't want them drying out. Of course it is best if a chick can hatch on it's own but since we are artificially incubating them sometimes conditions aren't perfect. I have had many chicks that I helped be perfectly healthy vital chicks( only one that wasn't), so it is good to be prepared!

I agree, it's always best to be prepared. And if this stuff works really well and makes the process alot less worry-some then its definitely worth trying. This is my first hatch so i'e been educating myself and want to be prepared if I need to help.

Yes, absolutely go to 80% or more. I'm not convinced that it's possible to go too high. I got some great tips from the "Porter Heritage Turkey" website. Turkeys are harder to hatch (harder shells) and so it makes sense to follow those instructions, even if we can get away with less with chickens. Those instructions recommend lowering the temperature slightly as well, to prevent lowered oxygen levels. I'm not sure that makes the O2 better, but it's reasonable to assume that a lower temp while hatching is ok, if not preferred. I get hot when I exert myself and we move the (sometimes still wet) chicks to a brooder at 95 anytime after hatch with no issues, so I think 98 or even 97 degrees should be ok for hatching. In my hatcher I aim for 80+ RH and 98 - 99 degrees. I'm still learning, but regularly get 100% hatch of some breeds (some of what I raise are genetically weaker and I consider 50% a successful hatch of those).

The absolute hardest part of hatching is being patient. We think no progress is being made, but always be patient and try to leave them alone as long as possible.

Good luck and keep us posted on the results.

So you've never had an issue with too much humidity? I read that too much can make them drown? My friend likes to assist all her hatches pretty early because she found so many couldnt hatch on their own and would die after 21-22 days even so she began helping them at day 19-20 even though it was early and alot would still need to absorb their yolk but she'd do it anyway very carefully and they'd make it just fine. My first batch I gave them to my hen and they were alive on day 19 but none made it. None even pipped. I candled at day 23 and they appeared dead, like they'd been that way for several days so now im afraid to let them go too long. It seemed like they were dried out from the inside, like they just didnt get enough humidity from the hen which confused me. These are silkies by the way. Very touchy breed to hatch to begin with. Have you hatched these? How long did you wait? I am prepared to help if I dont see any pips at day 20-21, im just afraid to wait longer then that since they seem to die shortly after if they dont have help.

 

[donrae]

Zinc is a drying ingredient, not a moisturizer. I'd think the ointment without would be better if one wanted to try this.