Brooder Maintenance and Pasty Butt

Today we cleaned the chick's butts to prevent them from getting Pasty Butt. Pasty Butt is like diaper rash on a chick, it happens when poop sticks to their vent (a chick's anus) and it can get bad enough that it can block poop from getting out.  We used wet q-tips to gently remove the build-up.

This chick is happy to have a clean butt!

Checking on the late eggs

"Today March 20th, we cared for the six chicks, changed their bedding, also the water, just made sure that they were doing fine. Then there was 4 eggs that didn't hatch, we gave them an extra day or so to see if they was going to hatch. But sadly, the did not hatch so we did an autopsy on them  to see if they were moving so then we used tools to cut them open.  One didn't form that great, the rest just died as they was getting their wings and legs somehow, but we didn't find a way that they could have died except bacteria."
-Praynicia

"Today in class we candled the four eggs that didn't hatch.  We checked if they were still moving, or if they had died. As we candled them we saw that the chicks weren't moving and that their air bubble was big, so we decided that they were dead.  We decided to autopsy the chick to see what could have happened to it or how far along they were when they died. Two of the chicks died early on in their development, they still had their yolk sac attached to them, and the other two died almost at the end of their development, they were full grown."
-Daniela

Students trying to determine why four chicks died before the hatched.

4 more hatched!

Today 4 more eggs hatched!  Today is their due date, and now we have a total of 6 chicks. We moved 5 of the 6 eggs into the brooder, we left the smallest, newest one in the incubator because the other 5 chicks were picking on him/her.
 

They're starting to get fluffy!

Hatching!

"Well the baby chicks are trying to get out of the eggs and right now only one is here and the other ones are trying to come but they have a hard problem getting out of the egg.  The other eggs have not been moving and the baby chick that is here right now is trying to help the one chick hatch."
-Tamiea

"Today I saw the first baby chick hatch! All of them have an eggshell crack and are or will be ready to hatch.  One more is making his way out of the eggshell.  I believe at least three more will hatch within the 24 hours they take.  The chick that is already out is running around, trying to help the rest of the eggs.  Also it made a mess inside the incubator (pooped) it is yellow and very tiny."
-Amayrani

The first chick kept hanging around the egg with the pipped hole, I think because it could hear the other chick peeping from inside the shell.

Pipping a hole!

"When I went to the incubator to check on the chicks, I saw that the eggs weren't in their egg turner anymore, they were layed on the mesh because if we kept them in the egg turner they would crack. I also noticed that one egg was starting to crack.  I think it will be born before its due date, which is in two days."
-Daniela

"I see changes in the eggs.  One has a crack already.  Not very sure but I heard a chick! They are ready to hatch.  It is time for movement to happen.  Hopefully one chick hatches by tomorrow.  Some eggs are smaller than the others.  The chick will be kept in there to stay warm and so bacteria doesn't get inside or they get cold.  It looks like they're going to be very tiny :)"
-Amayrani

When a chick pecks a hole through the egg, this is called "pipping".  In this picture you can see how the chick has pipped a hole.

The first chick has started "pipping" a hole in its shell!

Candling Eggs - 16 days old

"The chicks right now are 16 days old, they have 5 more days to hatch.  They hatch at 21 days old. At least one is expected to die at hatching.  Mot of them move, not that much but they all do.  They look very tiny and they all have the red blood vessels.  All of the chicks look good so far.  In total thare are 10 good, and will be ready very soon."
-Amayrani

Notes from Dalila about the 10 eggs:
"Egg 1: small egg, movement
Egg 2: big egg, movement, see veins
Egg 3: huge veins, movement, small egg
Egg 4: small egg, movement
Egg 5: very small egg, movement
Egg 6:big egg, movement
Egg 7: big egg, movement
Egg 8: super small egg, a little movement
Egg 9: big egg, movement
Egg 10: small egg, movement"

We also noticed that 2 had large air sacks, this could be a sign that bacteria is in the egg.

Researching Problems while Hatching

4 Common Problems Encountered when Chicks are Hatching

Should you help chicks hatch?

"Do not help them hatch! It can kill the chick, or damage them, or make them too weak to live.  If you pull the shell away from the chick, you are taking responsibility for what happens.  The only time you should help them is if they are struggling or if they are dead."
-Alicia & Migizi

An example of a "shrink wrapped" chick that couldn't hatch.

What causes a chick to get "shrink wrapped" as they hatch?

"Basically the skin you peel off of a boiled egg is the skin that gets stuck to the chicken while it's hatching.  This is called shrink wrapping, and the skin is called a membrane.  It can happen if the air is too dry while the chick is hatching. The membrane turns white and gets hard when it's dry."
-Renee & Sherri

What happens if there's too much moisture in the incubator?

"Too much moisture in the incubator stops normal evaporation and not as many eggs will hatch.  Extra moisture isn't usually a problem in small incubators.  Cracked eggs will not hatch, the crack will let bacteria in and let moisture out."
-Perdasia

"If necessary to wash eggs, always use a damp cloth with water warmer than the egg.  Too much moisture causes the egg to sweat the dirt out of the pores.  Never use water cooler than the egg.  Also, do not soak the eggs in water.  If the egg is soaking in water, the temperature will equalize and bacteria can enter through the pores."
- Alexis

What position should a chick be in to break out of its shell?

"As the egg tooth starts to break the membrane, the lungs are working hard and breath is important from their air sack.  It's here that you start to see a hole in the shell as the chick begins to break through.  The egg tooth which falls off a couple of days or a day after hatching.  We don't help them to get it off, they can do it by themselves."
-Shakira

"Chicks will hatch in the position that they are, its important that you don't turn eggs for the last 3 days so they can hatch.  It must be in a normal position as it would be on a flat surface.  The chicken place head under their wings, they keep rotating while hatching."
-Amayrani