Set eggs February 12th! Hatch a long with me!

[Squawkbox]

The back 2 are trying to get out, but the part that I did not cover with water is shrink wrapped around them, so I don't think they can. They are chirping a lot.

I'm now REALLY nervous for the unpipped eggs. Should I try pipping for them, but what if their beaks are NOT at the air sac side?

 

[Squawkbox]

How long can the chick stay in the egg (without an internal or external pip) before dying, how is it breathing? With mine, how long should I leave them before pipping for them?

 

[NYRIR]

The back 2 are trying to get out, but the part that I did not cover with water is shrink wrapped around them, so I don't think they can. They are chirping a lot.

I'm now REALLY nervous for the unpipped eggs. Should I try pipping for them, but what if their beaks are NOT at the air sac side?

LEAVE THEM ALL ALONE. Sit back, get something to eat...and relax. They are all early. If Speckledhen said not to mess with them....don't.
I know it's nerve-wracking....especially the first thousand times you do it

..but really, you should not have opened them up at all. The more you open the incubator...the less chance you will get ANY chicks...

 

[NYRIR]

How long can the chick stay in the egg (without an internal or external pip) before dying, how is it breathing? With mine, how long should I leave them before pipping for them?

Do not pip for them....wait....it is too early. Sometimes if the temps have spiked throughout the incubation process it can have a negative effect on the hatching period.BUT the more you open the incubator....the more chance you have of killing them all.

 

[Ema]

I set eggs same day you did, and this is the first time seeing this thread, I got 2 that pipped around 4 hours ago....still waiting but thinking this is going to be a long progress cause there has been no progress since first pip, but I can hear them chirping and the eggs are moving a bit here and there. nothing yet from the others.

I am being good, haven't had to ask for my hands to be duct taped yet, lol, this is my second hatch, the first one I am positive the opening and closing of the incubator was the reason only 3 hatched and the other 4 that were fertile and reached term died :-( I don't want that happening again, so I am being patient,

I got 6 in there right now, 2 pipped, hoping the rest will follow soon. I candled prior to lockdown so I know there is chicks in all of them, we will see....I cannot wait!!

 

[Squawkbox]

Sigh okay.
So what do I do? Do I let these 4 try to hatch on their own or what, they have done absolutely squat but breathe, chirp and squirm.

I have the humidity at 80% right now and the chicks' membranes are still dry (you can see the one chick where it's eye area is pretty much glued to it's head. All these chicks' inner membranes were white and kind of wrinkly, not sure if that is the right word.. the pics are after they have been wetted.
Ps, I have ONLY opened the incubator when I helped the chicks out, I am not randomly opening it for no reason.

This is so frustrating and I refuse to incubate again unless I buy an incubator.

ETA the window of the bator is fogging, should I open some vents?

 

[NYRIR]

Sigh okay.
So what do I do? Do I let these 4 try to hatch on their own or what, they have done absolutely squat but breathe, chirp and squirm.

I have the humidity at 80% right now and the chicks' membranes are still dry (you can see the one chick where it's eye area is pretty much glued to it's head. All these chicks' inner membranes were white and kind of wrinkly, not sure if that is the right word.. the pics are after they have been wetted.
Ps, I have ONLY opened the incubator when I helped the chicks out, I am not randomly opening it for no reason.

This is so frustrating and I refuse to incubate again unless I buy an incubator.

ETA the window of the bator is fogging, should I open some vents?

80% is more like for ducks....I have mine in lockdown at 70-75 right now...and I'm trying to get it down to 70 steady. I'm not sure since yours are open though, but I know you can drown the ones not pipped yet at 80%

 

[Squawkbox]

ETA didn't see your post NYRIR. Great now i'm looking at drowning them..how can they drown, I thought it was only during incubation that they were at risk for drowning (if the humidity was too high), not at lockdown?

 

[newduckie]

Since it is to late to say you shouldn't have opened them, now you may need to do something,,,, in my opinion that it. I would take one out into a warm wet cloth to wrap it in and take q tip dipped in warm water and gently wet and nudge the membrane off their heads and then leave the body in the shell because you don't know what shape the yolk or blood vessels are in. They can stay like that for awhile I would think. JUST MY OPINION! I am no expert by any means, but since you started, I would finish it.

 

[NYRIR]

I would open a vent to allow some air flow and to get the humidity down a little bit! In my opinion 80 is too high. At day 20 you should not have touched the eggs at all so you need to let nature take it's course...that's my opinion....but if you DO decide to help the chicks you have already opened up...you need to do it in a bathroom with the shower steaming up the room, and as quickly as possible take the eggs out...then LEAVE the others to pip or not pip on their own.

I am by no means an expert so take everything I say with a grain of salt....this is strictly a suggestion....