What can I learn from my drowned chick? GRAPHIC PIC

[Jamie821]

Looking at the pic your chick is way to wet. I agree to lower humidity to the low sixties. I hatch at 59 never over sixty and my chicks take about thirty minutes to dry; Also on shipped eggs I always hatch in a egg carton because of the probs with floating air sacs from shipping. You might want to do it that way keeps the fluid in the bottom of the eggs less likely to drown.

 

[BellLisamo]

ok here i go, and i will probably get proven wrong. I did an experiment. I put 1 chicken egg in with my duck eggs, humidity stayed in the 70's. To make sure the chick wouldnt "drown" when they pip the air cell i poked a small hole in the air cell and turned it over to see if any liquid would run out....None. Nada. The chick hatched successfully on day 21 and was fine. Can anyone actually prove they drowned? I'd like to see it. It doesnt make much sense to me. Help me understand???

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Thanks Bock!
He definitely hit the air cell.
Here's a pic of the poor little guy, see how wet and saturated the membrane is?
You can see his beak pipped the air cell.
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/deadchick.jpg
Carolyn

i have had a few that looked like this..why do you say it drowned? i just always thought it was nature..or something....was there alot of water/fluid when you opened the egg?

 

[BawGock]

Quote:
Thanks Jamie,
I am definitely going to try the lower humidity next time. It's amazing how the conditions deteriorated with this hatch.
My last hatch was smaller and it was easier to vent off the extra humidity when a chick hatched.
I will start with a lower hatch humidity next time so the spikes created by newly hatched chicks won't take me so far.
Yes, I hatch from egg cartons, too.
Carolyn

 

[BackSwampGirl]

Well I learned the hard way.Don`t open the bator,that is why mine drowned.I have been told over and over that.But this time I was more careful and have not opened it yet.You will get abetter hatch that way.Jody kept telling me that,and i thought it would never do,but so far things are looking much better.Yes,Jody I don`t know how I have held on this long,but it really works.I used to try to save and help them.But I most of the time I lost them.But I have a Hovabator 1588 and it is so much different than the LG,,,,Just don`t open the lid,,PLease!!!!!,,Sandra

 

[BawGock]

Thanks Redhen and xxmrsbellxx
There was quite a bit of fluid in the air cell of that egg and since the chick pip that air cell there was even more fluid in the egg with the chick.
I come to the conclusion that it drowned because of two things:

1) I had hatched 14 of my 18 eggs with no problems and then had started to have higher humidity resulting in two very sticky wet chicks with saturated membranes. There was actually about a tablespoon of fluid in the bottom of the eggs after the chicks hatched.

2) This chick was perfectly developed and healthy enough to do what it was supposed to, pip the air cell. I had no drops in temperture during the entire hatching process so it didn't die from excessive cold or heat. Judging from the amount of fluid in the eggs and the saturated condition of the air cell membrane I conclude there was so much fluid that when he pierced the air cell his face was met with enough fluid to drown him.

I believe the two chicks that were stuck luckily pipped the air cell and then the shell early on in the process of the fluid build up due to increased humidity.

It's like a crime scene investigation!

Carolyn

 

[BawGock]

Quote:
Yes,
I follow that rule too.
Thanks,
Carolyn