09/24/2026
Humidity issues in your incubator. This often presents as late stage deaths - the chicks that make it to lockdown but don’t pip. They look perfectly healthy but never make it out of the shell.
Most often this is due to humidity being too high throughout incubation which can cause the egg to lose too little water weight through evaporation resulting in an air cell that’s too small. The chick may internally pip but struggle to breathe and ultimately drown in the egg before hatching. This can also happen if too much water is added at lockdown. 💧
Too low humidity during incubation accelerates evaporation causing the egg to lose water weight too quickly making the air cell too large, risking dehydration, and resulting in a smaller, weaker chick who doesn’t have the strength to hatch.
Ideally, chicken eggs need to lose 13-15% of their total weight by day 21.
Fluctuations in humidity can also cause unsuitable conditions for the hatching chick. In this photo, this Hollyoaks Fluffy Butt Hut chick is what many refer to as a “sticky chick” meaning a glue-like hardened layer of unabsorbed albumen (egg white) or dried membrane is stuck to the chicks feathers. This gluey fluid creates a dangerous situation for the hatching chick as it often sticks the chick to the egg shell or membranes inhibiting its ability to hatch successfully.
What causes this? High humidity during lockdown prevents the egg from losing enough moisture which can leave a liquid coating on the chick. Then fluctuations or a sharp drop in humidity during lockdown causes the fluids to dry like glue effectively sticking the chick.
Unfortunately this is exactly what happened to “Honey”. His egg was alongside several others that hatched on day 18-19 unexpectedly causing a several hour spike in humidity as recorded on the govee. When I went to put the eggs into lockdown, I noticed the two hatched chicks stuck in the egg turners so had to open the incubator causing a rapid drop while I worked to remove the hatched chicks and turners. Due to the rise and then drop in temperature and humidity, Honey’s membrane was extremely tough and dried around him. He worked incredibly hard to maneuver himself and break through the membrane and shell, as seen by the injuries to his back and face. The skin on his back was torn and raw. 😢
I’m happy to report that Honey is doing well now a week later. But this is a great example of the consequences of high humidity and humidity fluctuations while incubating.
What can you do if you have a sticky chick pipped and zipped but struggling to fully hatch?
Use a bowl of very warm water and rag to soften the hardened residue. Start at the head to ensure the beak and nostrils are clear and the chick is able to breathe, avoid getting water in the nostrils or mouth. Slowly wipe away the softened material with your fingers or cloth. Never dunk the chick in water or pull the membrane without thoroughly softening it to prevent tearing delicate skin.
Do not pull on the chick’s navel and stop if the membrane bleeds at all - sticky chicks have dried membrane and are ready to hatch - yolks should be completely absorbed and membranes should be shriveled and not veiny and bleeding.
Work carefully and quickly to clean the chick and then place it back in the incubator to dry and fluff up. I recommend giving the chick electrolytes or nutri-drench especially if they have struggled for an extended period. 💕
