Newbie here and on day 20,, nervous and unsure!

[Kentuckyrain]

Hi everyone, I could use a little advice. I have tried to read up on different threads on here and look at pictures, etc. but I am still nervous and confused.

I have Silkie eggs in the bator, one is on day 20, one on day 18 and one on day 14. While I have several hens in the coop, my silkie rooster is ONLY fornocating with the one silkie hen and that is why my eggs are a few days apart.

So the egg that is on day 20 today, has a small crack, I believe it is called a PIP. I discovered it this morning. I removed/stopped the automatic rotator thing so now all my 3 eggs on sitting on the wire screen in the bator.

Anyhow, I discovered the pip at 6 am and I could hear chirping, which was quite loud. But nothing has happened today other than the pip looks a little larger but not broken through, just more like a slight crack. I don't know when it actually did the pip so how do I know at what time I should be worried about it if at all?

Thanks in advance

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hi everyone, I could use a little advice. I have tried to read up on different threads on here and look at pictures, etc. but I am still nervous and confused.

I have Silkie eggs in the bator, one is on day 20, one on day 18 and one on day 14. While I have several hens in the coop, my silkie rooster is ONLY fornocating with the one silkie hen and that is why my eggs are a few days apart.

So the egg that is on day 20 today, has a small crack, I believe it is called a PIP. I discovered it this morning. I removed/stopped the automatic rotator thing so now all my 3 eggs on sitting on the wire screen in the bator.

Anyhow, I discovered the pip at 6 am and I could hear chirping, which was quite loud. But nothing has happened today other than the pip looks a little larger but not broken through, just more like a slight crack. I don't know when it actually did the pip so how do I know at what time I should be worried about it if at all?

Thanks in advance

Hi!

You can collect eggs for up to 10 days (many won't collect for more than a week) store them upright in cartons in a coolish place, (at least under 70F) and then set them all at teh same time. You have a better chance at a higher hatch rate when you can provide the optimal conditions for all of your eggs. Even though you didn't see it actual pip through, I wouldn't get to worried until at least 18 hours after you spotted the pip and then if you are worried you can check the chick by expanding the pip hole and checking the position. (I wouldn't expand it so that a large area was exposed.) Typicall it can take a few hours or over 24 to go from pip to zip. I try not to start an assist until closer to 24 hours as long as the chick is active and chirping and moving.

You can periodically play chick sounds for it to keep it motivated. I use this video:

I play it periodically after they start pipping and then when they start actually zipping I play it over and over to keep them going...lol

 

[Kentuckyrain]

Ok, it has hatched and is running around,, NOW WHAT???????????? A friend said take it out NOW or it will BAKE

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok, it has hatched and is running around,, NOW WHAT???????????? A friend said take it out NOW or it will BAKE

lol. It won't bake. Many people leave them in until the end of the hatch. I, personally move mine to the brooder once they start running around, It's a perrsonal choice. Go with your comfort level as long as your humidity is up there.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

And congrats on the hatcher.

 

[Kentuckyrain]

This one hatched yesterday, it is actually doing great, running around today, sleeping, chirping, staring up at me when I peek through the glass!

I have another egg that has pipped this morning and I can hear chirping coming from it. I am excited to see the next one hatch

 

[FridayYet]

Congratulations! Isn't hatching fun?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Congrats!!!!

 

[Kentuckyrain]

I have been reading a lot on here in the "Learning" section, I must have missed it somehow, but I can't seem to find out what the temp needs to be in the brooder? I did see somewhere to decrease it by 5 degrees every week but I didn't see what it should be when you do take the chicks out of the bator and move to brooder?

Also, the one chick is now about 24 hours old from hatching,, it is constantly chirping at me, or just chirping,,, I didn't realize I could "store" fertile eggs first then hatch them altogether,, so I still have the bator at 99 degrees,, is the chicky hot or something?? I still have one egg that pipped this morning and the last egg is on day I believe 15 now.. Should I go ahead and remove the chick to the brooder?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have been reading a lot on here in the "Learning" section, I must have missed it somehow, but I can't seem to find out what the temp needs to be in the brooder? I did see somewhere to decrease it by 5 degrees every week but I didn't see what it should be when you do take the chicks out of the bator and move to brooder?

Also, the one chick is now about 24 hours old from hatching,, it is constantly chirping at me, or just chirping,,, I didn't realize I could "store" fertile eggs first then hatch them altogether,, so I still have the bator at 99 degrees,, is the chicky hot or something?? I still have one egg that pipped this morning and the last egg is on day I believe 15 now.. Should I go ahead and remove the chick to the brooder?

The brooder- or actually one side of the brooder should be between 95-100F and they will move in and out of the warmth as they need. If you have your humidity up toward 70+ you should be able to pull the chick out to the brooder if you wish w/o causing any problems. I remove mine as they hatch and become active with no ill effects- I keep my humidity 75+. A lone chick will chirp-loudly as long as it's alone.