Hatching Chukars

[wildergamebirds]

  It is effective for getting humidity back up, quickly, after opening the incubator.

This is true, but once you've got a stuck chick, it's stuck usually for good.....is it not?

   Well, there's stuck, and then there's STUCK.

   If the poor sucker has his skin grown to the shell, there's not a lot of hope.  Raising the humidity by misting water into the incubator "atmosphere" might help to keep the chicks from sticking in the first place.  Frequent turning will probably do more than humidity to prevent this.

   Spraying a stream of water, from a squirt bottle (I always add a little Tek-Trol, since I use well water), works wonders.  Some times, I will use the humidifier water, since it is soft/wetter.  The spraying I'm talking about is done after the pipping starts, usually about the time jgalo is talking about.

   I direct the stream at the top, where the pipping line is.  It seems to me, that pipping is often done by chipping away at the inside of the egg, in the circle, not even leaving a visible line on the outside of the egg.  I have squirted eggs, and seen the top pop off, immediately.  I've seen chicks suddenly jump to life just like you would, if I sprayed water in your face while sleeping (I have not heard the same words you would say, but I may not understand birdspeak well enough).

  I have seen birds that seemed to be stuck to the shell, come right out.

  Sounds like you can put infertile eggs in an incubator for 23 days, then spray them with water, and have a 70% hatch, huh?

   Actually, it only helps to offset the problems caused by low humidity during all, or part of incubation time.  Even at that, you can kill them to death way before hatch day, and nothing will help.

  This is my way of violating the "don't help them out of the shell" law.  Try it, next time, it's like chicken soup, may not help, but can't hurt!

[CharlieHorse]

Thanks Wild One, I'll do that.

Well, there's stuck, and then there's STUCK.

Well there's GM and Ford stuck........like when you're pullin' a 16,000# trailer across a freshly rained cultivated field and suddenly spin out in the mud, you just reach over, push the 4wd button and go on.   Then there's Toyota STUCK......that's when you've been in 4wd the whole time, givin' 'er heII and the only thing you where haulin' was a 12 pack of Buds, then had to get the GMC or Ford to pull you back to dry ground for repairs and a rebuild.     

I'm talkin' like.... Toyota STUCK. 

 

[wildergamebirds]

  It is effective for getting humidity back up, quickly, after opening the incubator.

This is true, but once you've got a stuck chick, it's stuck usually for good.....is it not?

  Chuck, I kind of bypassed the heart of your question.

  You are right, simply raising the humidity to 70%, or even 90% will not make up for days of low humidity, that has resulted in chicks sticking to the shell.  About my last post; think of when you were a kid, and stuck your fingers together with Elmer's glue (when you didn't eat it all)  stuck pretty tight, but just a spray of water, and you were free (but gooey).  Later, when you stuck your tongue to the water pump, or wagon wheel, a squirt of water worked better than having your brother jerk your head back.

   Wife glue your .. to your.. ?  A squirt of acetone, and you're free to get your shotgun!

   Seems to me, jgalo should have gotten better than 30% hatch, at a constant 60%, though.

[wildergamebirds]

Thanks Wild One, I'll do that.

 

I'm talkin' like.... Toyota STUCK. 

 

   If all you had was a 12 pack, you shouldn't have been going anyplace, except, maybe, the package store!

   One day, we need to find out what you really think of  "Tie Yota".   And why you have one.

[CharlieHorse]

gotten better than 30% hatch, at a constant 60%, though

I agree.............but there's opening (only when absolutely neccesary) the door and then there's opening the door (every ten minutes and standing there doin' who knows what). There's only one person who knows for sure how much the door/lid gets opened.  I had my best hatches with the GQF cabinet with "auto-water" when I never opened the door but a couple times..........I guess that was my point to begin with, just readin' between the lines I suppose, with limited info.     Some people just can't leave them alone.

 

If all you had was a 12 pack, you shouldn't have been going anyplace, except, maybe, the package store!

This was at breakfast.

   One day, we need to find out what you really think of  "Tie Yota".   And why you have one.

 
   Well, it's not easy on gas by any means and gutless to boot, wouldn't dare try to work it like a GM or Ford.......first of all it couldn't even come close to doin' much work....
  The price was right and daughter just got her drivers license, I got it back after a couple of years. I've probably owned 6 or 7 Toyletas, 4 of them wheelbarrows (what they call a truck in Japan).    But I've also owned around 40-50 trucks/cars in my life(own 7 right now, 4 on the road)  , first one was a 1965 Volkswagen Karman-Ghia I bought when I was 13.  I must have had 4 autos before I turned 16. Subaru, Ford, Chrysler, Willy's, Nissan, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile, VW, Datsun, Plymouth, and on and on.    I wish that I had taken pictures of them all.      ......oh well.....that's for another thread.     

[jgalo]

They were in the Brinsea incubator for 20 days. 60% rh @ 37.6 degrees.  Moved them to hatcher.  Hatcher was set 99 degrees with 60% rh.  Got that from instruction with the eggs.  I did spray the eggs directly.  Some chicks just pipped one hole and died other pipped halfway around and stoped.  Helped some hatched but they don't look to good.  About the membrane drying when the door is open which is normally true here, except it has been usually wet here and the humidity is higher outside the hatcher.  I am thinking it is more the quality of the eggs.  I thought I had 2 of the Barbarys hatch but was mistaken.  Had them in another tray and were marked.  0 for 36 on those.  Guess I have to be more careful where I buy my eggs.  Postal service doesn't help either.

[CharlieHorse]

I am thinking it is more the quality of the eggs.

Very well could be, a good possibility.

You appear to have experience with the egg hatching world, I hadn't realized that prior to my posting/rambling. 

 

[wildergamebirds]

You appear to have experience with the egg hatching world, I hadn't realized that prior to my posting/rambling. 

 

     That's often pretty hard to tell from the first few posts.    All in all, it's probably better to assume the poster doesn't know much.  Better to give too much information, than not enough (except for the time factor).

   Sounds like you had the humidity a little too high, (for Chukar eggs) in the hatcher.  I'm not sure that was enough to cut hatchability.  Humidity in the Hatcher was just a little bit low, but, if it was maintained, not too low to cause big problems.  That is, IF your instruments are properly calibrated.

  I'm with you on the thought that the eggs could be the problem, but it is too easy to just assume that, and not change anything.  Just check everything (starting with a calibrated thermostat) before you start more eggs.  Also clean, scrub, and sanitize everything, just in case you have a bug in there.

[jgalo]

Only one hatch before, but I have reading your posts.  They are very helpful.  Running one wet bulb and two digitals.  Temps all match but diff. reads on RH.  Also it seams wet bulb vs RH conversions posted by many don't jive.  Even web site to web site give diff values.  Looking to you guys that do this for a living to set me straight.  Instruction I got for Chukars was inc @ 99.5 with WB @86, hatch at 98.5 with WB @ 87.  My humidity calculator gives me 60%rh in the inc. and 65% in the hatcher at those temps.  For the pheasant eggs I got 99.4 @ 84 in the inc. and 98 @ 84 in the hatcher.  Again calculates to 56 rh and 59 rh respectively.  What say you.

[jgalo]

have 3 more Chukars chicks thru assisted hatch.  All have something wrong with their feet.  I have noticed the later they come out the more problems they have.  One can't even bend one leg but all 3 seam to have the will to live so in with the rest and if they survive they survive.

[NH/Pete]

Seems to be leaning back to egg quality.

[wildergamebirds]

Seems to be leaning back to egg quality.

   Or, possibly instrumentation, calibrate a thermometer (which should be done for each hatch).  Compare that thermometer with the others, side by side.  Make a note of any differences ( I write on the thermometer +2 degrees/-3degrees).  Use the thermometer in stabilized conditions, in wet bulb to calibrate hygrometer (or use it as wet bulb thermometer throughout hatch).

[jgalo]

Its been 5 days since I moved the Barbarys to the hatcher.  Getting ready to throw the eggs away and decided to see what was wrong with them.  First one bad egg, but second had a live chick.  I a 1/4" hole in the top and a little blood came out and the chick was breathing rapidly.  No pipping what so ever on any of the eggs.  I guess I will give them a couple more days but what are the odds.

[jgalo]

I guess you never know.  4 hatched since this morning and more on the way.  These birds hatch fast from the time they start to pip.
Need to recheck the number of incubation days.

[jgalo]

What a difference a day makes.  Ended up with 11 of the Barbaries hatching after all.  Still only a 30% rate but is better than zero.  All together 57 Chukars (the club foot died) and 11 Barbaries in the brooder at the ranch.