Upside down chicks

I have had a few chicks this year either try to hatch upside down or die upside down in the egg. What causes this? Any ideas?

I think this just happens, they get turned around sometimes I guess. I have never hatched in egg cartons, until this past couple of times this year. I put the eggs for the first 18 days in the egg cartons, with the small end down. Into the final stages of hatch, left in the egg carton, the same. This last hatch I noticed there was a couple of chicks that were trying to hatch out from the small end. Bad thing. There would have been no way on the good green earth that they could have got out of the egg carton. I took the remaining eggs out of the egg carton to finish hatching. I had to help those few out of the egg shell, they were so ready to pop out, but just couldn't quite do it. They seemed OK. But I will NEVER let the hatch occur in them in the carton. I will take them out of the egg carton they were incubated in and lay them flat, as they are in nature to hatch out. That way, if they are facing to the small end they can get out. Hmmmm....thinking about it, which way does the head lay in the egg anyways, at the small or the fat end? having a bit of a mind slip this morning I guess. Have an awesome day, CynthiaM.

I hatched out some little Khakis and one of the dear little duckies was born uppside down. It had a devil of a time breaking out of the shell and I wonder about enough oxygen,being so far away from the airspace. It was sold at day 3 and we didn't notice any differences then, but who knows about development. I may phone the lady that bought him/her and ask if the duckies are ok, but I'm sure they would let me know if not.

I agree with cynthia I think it just happens. I actually had 2 eggs in my last hatch where I found the aircell at the small end of the egg. So wierd. I totally forgot to check if those guys hatched as there were a few that of course did not make it out.

Cynthia I always hatch upright in cartons now and I have had better hatched then on their sides. Most of the chicks come flying out.

This last hatch was a strange one on many levels as quite a few wierd things happened but on the last day when I thought everyone was out I candeled the left over eggs and found one still wiggling and could hear it peeping. So i put it back for another 12 hours. Next morning no pip but could still hear it peeping. So I cracked it and of course there was still blood vessels ( this was on on the 4th day of hatch) so I put the lid back on and back in the incubator. Came home from work 8 hours later and still no progress so I poped the lid off and pulled its head out and noticed it had a severe cross beak. Poor little thing fully formed and trying to get out but could not. I ended up euthanizing it as it was not most likely going to survive.

Anyways I think its probably weaker chicks just not able to get into position.

The chick's head should be near the fat end of the egg, although his head isn't sitting right there. It's bent down, aiming at his navel. When I pick out a stuck chick I try and find the back of his neck and pry his head out. This is not easy since it's almost impossible to tell what you're looking at.

I get those topsy turvy chicks too and sometimes they make it, sometimes not. I hatch laying the way they would in a nest, on their side.