URGENT! 1st Time Incubating... One Egg Internally Pipped Early

Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read this. I need some advice! I have previously browsed this forum for advice when needed, but this time I can't seem to find an answer to my dilemma, so I've turned to you guys and have created an account !

So... I purchased some Guinea Fowl eggs and have had them in the incubator and all has been going extremely well so far- only 1 died on day 14 and 4 infertile. They are on day 22 (nearly 23 as it's late at night) (I was planning to put them in lockdown on day 25, as guineas take 28 days to hatch). They are on 37.6 Celsius and 45-50 humidity.

But tonight I candled to check on them and one has internally pipped early!!! I don't know what to do as the other 5 show no signs yet (there was some scratching in the 'bator last night).

So I have a couple of questions...

1, does this mean I should put them all into lockdown and they will encourage each other to hatch? (I didn't want to drown them with humidity if the others weren't ready)

2, Can the little one that has internally pipped wait until day 25?

3, Should I put them all into lockdown on day 24?

4, Should I keep turning them as per normal?

.. What should I do!!? Eeek... What are my options? This is my first hatch and I am terrified now as this early little riser is on the way and has decided to hatch before his/her siblings!

Any help is appreciated

Kind regards, Hermione.

I've not hatched guineas, but they can't be much different than chicken eggs. How do the air cells look? Are you around to continue to monitor, or do you have a schedule that takes you away from home? What have you been running your humidity at? At this time, this is what I'd do: Go to lock down. If the air cells are on the small side for the day of incubation, you might consider hatching them upright in egg carton. Totally your call here, as you'll get lots of conflicting advice. You'll not drown them by upping your humidity at this point. The drowning issue is related to prolonged incr. humidity during the incubation period which leads to small air cells, and more liquid in the egg, so that when the chick pips into the small air cell, it fills with liquid and the chick drowns. Good sized air cells = less liquid in the egg = pipping into a nice big air pocket. I'd stop turning. Based on air cells, you can increase humidity now, or wait until you hear chick chirping or see an external pip. But, if I couldn't be home to monitor, I'd increase humidity to be on the safe side. Wishing you the best! Post your results.

BTW,

lazy gardener said:

I've not hatched guineas, but they can't be much different than chicken eggs. How do the air cells look? Are you around to continue to monitor, or do you have a schedule that takes you away from home? What have you been running your humidity at? At this time, this is what I'd do: Go to lock down. If the air cells are on the small side for the day of incubation, you might consider hatching them upright in egg carton. Totally your call here, as you'll get lots of conflicting advice. You'll not drown them by upping your humidity at this point. The drowning issue is related to prolonged incr. humidity during the incubation period which leads to small air cells, and more liquid in the egg, so that when the chick pips into the small air cell, it fills with liquid and the chick drowns. Good sized air cells = less liquid in the egg = pipping into a nice big air pocket. I'd stop turning. Based on air cells, you can increase humidity now, or wait until you hear chick chirping or see an external pip. But, if I couldn't be home to monitor, I'd increase humidity to be on the safe side. Wishing you the best! Post your results.

BTW,

Click to expand...

Hi and thanks for your reply. Humidity has been a steady 40-50 over the past 3 weeks. Never higher or lower, averaging at 45. I can't hear peeping at the moment, but there is a definite occasional scratching.
Yes I am free to monitor them all weekend- it's 2am here so I was planning to get some sleep at some point! (Was just doing a midnight candle before bed and noticed it but am now wide awake!) How long can a chick survive with the oxygen in the air sac?
Thanks

lazy gardener said:

I've not hatched guineas, but they can't be much different than chicken eggs. How do the air cells look? Are you around to continue to monitor, or do you have a schedule that takes you away from home? What have you been running your humidity at? At this time, this is what I'd do: Go to lock down. If the air cells are on the small side for the day of incubation, you might consider hatching them upright in egg carton. Totally your call here, as you'll get lots of conflicting advice. You'll not drown them by upping your humidity at this point. The drowning issue is related to prolonged incr. humidity during the incubation period which leads to small air cells, and more liquid in the egg, so that when the chick pips into the small air cell, it fills with liquid and the chick drowns. Good sized air cells = less liquid in the egg = pipping into a nice big air pocket. I'd stop turning. Based on air cells, you can increase humidity now, or wait until you hear chick chirping or see an external pip. But, if I couldn't be home to monitor, I'd increase humidity to be on the safe side. Wishing you the best! Post your results.

BTW,

Click to expand...

Sorry forgot to answer about the air cells... Yes they look slanted and correctly sized

The chick can survive just as long as it needs to on the air available in the air cell. When it breaks into the air cell, it starts the breathing process, and needs to do that for a while to get the lungs strengthened up. When the O2 level goes down, and the CO2 level goes up, the chick actually gets a bit depleted on oxygen, which is a necessary factor to initiate the actual hatching process. When the chick becomes anoxic, she starts the thrusting movements that give her the ability to push with both feet at the same time instead of doing the reciprocal movement pattern that we associate with normal locomotion. Along with that thrust comes the pecking and rotation that allows the pip and zip. When we interfere we can actually do more harm than good. There are times when a chick may need help, but... unless you know exactly what you're doing, and when to do it, best to let hatching take it's sweet time. Sometimes 24 hours between internal pip and zip.

Okay, that makes me feel better. I know not to interfere at all costs, so I'm letting them do their thing. Lots of movement in the incubator today!! I put them in lockdown as well.
Thanks for your advice! All there is to do now is to sit tight!

I will post pics/update when they arrive.

Lazy Gardener, You are right, with new people who worry the chick needs help hatching. I say, hey if it can survive 3 days being shipped with out food or water it can spend 24 hrs in an egg that it just pipped.

Absolutely. I can't tell you how many posts I've read where folks jump in to assist, when assistance is not needed. With each hatch, my judgement gets better. Now, If I have a chick not able to progress past external pip, the most I will do is enlarge the pip only if needed to clear the membrane and shell just a bit. It goes back in the bator with pip up, and waits until the end of the hatch. Then, if it's still not out... and usually that's the case. The reason for failure to progress can usually be determined when you start the assist: Chick too dry, malpositioned, or too big. The last few times I've assisted, I've floated the chick out in a bowl of warm water, and it's worked very well. Have some betadine handy to swab the umbilicus when ever assisting.

My fourth baby hatched fine, but her cord was pretty firmly attached to lower shell still. no belly button, no big soft belly, and no intesines, she was just dragging the shell about, but I was worried she may tug out her innerds with it connected, I don't believe in clipping it off, of course, so I took off the hard shell, (lower part she popped out of,) left all the cords attatched to the soft inner lining. She rested up a bit and the cords, and inner linning shriveled, dried up and fell off.No drama no blood.