Having problem with late term embryo death

[jmc]

I am having some troubles with very late term embryo death.

Unpipped internally or externally.

Egg tooth formed

Yolk sac not all absorbed.

This has been a regular feature for me. Not always, but enough to bug me.

I think it might be omphalitis invading the navel and killing these advanced babies.

I thought I was sanitizing bators well.

Maybe i should wash the eggs. Many do with no adverse effects. I know this is a 'controversial subject'.

My hatches are pretty good. 80 to 100 percent. But my latest hatch had nine late term deaths. I hatched 35 beauties out of 44 eggs. Nine deaths is a bit too much for my comfort.

So does anyone else have experience like this?

ETA:

I do not put poopy or dirty eggs into the bators--ever.

Also, my humidity levels and egg weights are seem quite good. I have had 'textbook perfect' eggs die late term, with sac partly absorbed. (on the other hand, i have had eggs which the 'books' say should never hatch, hatch beautifully.

Maybe what I am experiencing is really NOT out of the ordinary.............

 

[AlienChick]

Could it be the humidity levels during the first 18 days is a bit too high?
I've noticed fewer late-term deaths with lower humidity.
(I only add water when humidity drops more than 15%.)
Also, sometimes bumping up the nutrition of your hens can help.

I've also found this web site to be very helpful.

 

[jmc]

thank you, that was most generous of you to reply.

I am pretty sure it is not a humidity issue, however.....

Maybe nutritionally-oriented re. the breeders.

There are so many possibilities, sometimes I wonder why I even ask such questions, lol!

I get just a couple blood rings at the beginning, then twice as many or more than 2ce as many late term deaths.

anyway, i am babbling as usual.

Thank you for responding. I tend to ask 'impossible' questions!!

 

[jmc]

But as i look at some of those late term dead embryos, it makes me wonder about my humidity.

YET, some eggs lose too much weight, others just right, and others die late late term--all in the same incubation period.

Maybe it's just 'destiny'............

 

[AlienChick]

If they are shipped eggs, that opens up a ton of other possibilities.
In addition to the nutrition of the hens, sometimes breeders sell "old" eggs.
By "old" I mean over a week old. Yes, they can still hatch.
For my own incubator I sometimes save eggs way longer than that; however, I do not "sell" eggs that are that old.
Post office handling also contributes a great deal to low hatch rates.
The chick can make it to term; but due to rough postal handling, something is wrong with the chick internally that causes it to die.
LOTS of possibilities with shipped eggs, unfortunately.

 

[jmc]

No, not shipped eggs. these are eggs laid right here.

maybe i will try to drop humidity a bit...........

i incubate in a brinsea octagon 20 eco; and hatch in a hova 1588..........btw

eta i think there are temp. differentials in the incubators, also, which may explain why, when i fill them to capacity (24 eggs at start) i haven't gotten 100 % hatch.

whereas, like i said above, my only two 100 % hatches have been with two incubators having 5 to 10 eggs in each. this allows much better air flow and i think more even temps around all the eggs..........

who knows.

but almost all of my late term deaths look super like these pics:

 

[SunnyChic]

I also incubate in an Octagon 20 Eco - I hatch in another Octagon 20 Eco, and sometimes I have the same problem (homegrown fertile eggs). I also think it may be the humidity; it seems with the Brinsea incubators, humidity can be lower. I've started just adding water at the start of incubation and only adding more water every seven days (the water channel dries out); my last hatch was 100%. I'm in Florida, and the room humidity is normally around 50%.

 

[azamazal]

Sign: Not pipped. Full-term embryo, large yolk sac; yolk sac may not be fully enclosed by abdominal wall, may have residual albumen. Causes:

1. Inadequate turning, resulting in decreased embryonic membrane development and nutrient absorption.
2. Humidity too high during incubation or after transfer.
3. Incubator temperature too low.
4. Hatcher temperature too high.
5. Eggs chilled (e.g., at transfer).
6. Nutritional deficiencies.
7. Heredity.
8. Embryological development accident.
9. Breeder diseases.
10. Inadequate ventilation.
11. Prolonged egg storage.

got this off this website, a lot of reasons, but maybe you could narrow it down based on your incubation methods, etc.

http://www.natureform.com/kb/index.php?article=1011

 

[jmc]

I also incubate in an Octagon 20 Eco - I hatch in another Octagon 20 Eco, and sometimes I have the same problem (homegrown fertile eggs). I also think it may be the humidity; it seems with the Brinsea incubators, humidity can be lower. I've started just adding water at the start of incubation and only adding more water every seven days (the water channel dries out); my last hatch was 100%. I'm in Florida, and the room humidity is normally around 50%.

thanks. but there are so many variables, i am not even gonna pursue this further. shouldn't have bothered starting the thread...........

 

[KrisH]

thanks. but there are so many variables, i am not even gonna pursue this further. shouldn't have bothered starting the thread...........

see if this helps...

http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/avian/pfs33.htm

chart of common incubation problems