What is the Earliest and the Latest you've had an Egg Hatch?

[cbookout]

I'd love to get everyone's feedback regarding the timing of eggs hatching, in you're own experience, not what it says on the internet.

What is the "Earliest" you've had an egg hatch? And what is the "Latest" you've had an egg hatch? And which method of hatching did you use? Incubator or Broody Hen? Pictures a plus!

 

[tabinal]

My first hatch was due last Wednesday. I had a big maran hatch on day 19 and a little silkie hatch on day 24 which was a few hours after I turned off the bator. I turned it on fast when I heard cheeps from the eggs I was about to toss. Truthfully, I cracked that egg open and saved it by moistening the membrane with warm water but it was dead if I didnt. It was shrink wrapped. Seems healthy now.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My earliest hatcher was day 19 (it pipped late day 18). Most of my hatches hatch day 19/20 because I use an LG9200 incubator and temp control is a pain so I usually average a tad warm during incubation.

My latest hatch was from a botched hatch with a bad thermometer. My very first hatch my temps were 6 degrees lower than the thermometer read and I ended up with one survivor hatching day 24 and one hatcher day 25 that died. The day 24 hatcher did have leg problems that showed up later, almost certainly from the delayed development. The farther you get from day 21 the higher chances of development problems.

I've had 2 broody hatches and they pipped day 19 and hatched day 20.

This is from one of my biggest hatches, day 20 I believe when they were popping like popcorn:

 

[cbookout]

@AmyLynn2374 So in your opinion do you think hatching via a broody is a safer method (for the chicks) than artificial incubation? Seems to be a recurring theme on BYC that the chance for human or equipment error during artificial incubation can result in a very high death rate. If not raising chicks for profit, is it best to let "nature take its course"?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374 So in your opinion do you think hatching via a broody is a safer method (for the chicks) than artificial incubation? Seems to be a recurring theme on BYC that the chance for human or equipment error during artificial incubation can result in a very high death rate. If not raising chicks for profit, is it best to let "nature take its course"?

Totally a personal preference and depends on your success. I personally don't like having broodies and would rather incubate myself. With the exception of my botched first incubation, I do not have a high death rate. As a matter of fact, I have only had 3 after hatch deaths in total. One from a chick who for some reason, hatched too soon. Only 4 hours after pip he literally busted out of the tip top of the egg and still had a functional egg to chick vascular system and unabsorbed yolk which was ruptured. He died within hours of hatching. My second had digestive problems and died 9 days after hatch and the third is a mystery. I had a beautiful big, chick just over a week old found her flattened in the brooder. There were 33 hatched in that hatch and I can only assume that something spooked them, vacuuming or something and they rushed to one end taking that one down in a trample.

I have never lost a chick during pip or zip. I haven't had to deal with leg/foot problems other than my sole survivor of my botched hatch. Don't usually have navel/yolk problems either.

My second broody hatch momma wasn't good with new hatchers and w/in 24 hours was out in the run, (in mid October) digging. One chick was missing and the other was trying to get under her and she kept kicking him as she was scratching. I ended up raising him inside for the winter. So you can have broodies that aren't that great too. My first broody- my bantam, was an awesome momma. The one good thing about raising by broody is the flock more or less accepts the presence of the chicks and you don't have to integrate them, which is a big pain. But at the same time, you have a better chance of hand raised being friendlier and more personable.

It all depends on what your goal is and how well you find what works for you if you incubate artificially. I had one major bad hatch before I figured things out, but I've seen hatchers have 3 bad hatches and lots of DIS chicks because they hadn't figured out what works.

 

[KeyFlock]

The earliest I've had is a hatch on late day 19. It pipped either late day 18 or early day 19 and hatched within the next 24 hours! The latest I've had, was when one pipped early day 22 and hatched about 8 hours later. They were both in incubators, but I would love to try hatching with a broody hen sometime soon.

 

[mix3dbreed]

Day 19 here. Latest would be day 23 i think. Just in incubators.

 

[cbookout]

My 3 Speckled Sussex/Easter Egger cross eggs hatched on day 19 and 20. 1 on the 19th day and the other two on the 20th. They all pipped on day 19. One early in the morning, one in the afternoon and another that night. I am letting a broody silkie raise them for me.

 

[KeyFlock]

Yay! Congrats!!

 

[JaeG]

Under a broody one chick pipped about halfway through day 18 and hatched bang on the start of day 19 (that's the top one, Button), and the last hatched on day 21 (the bottom picture, Diamond). They are Pekin/Cochin Bantams hatched under an Old English Game Bantam, Pixie. Pixie is a sweet chicken and doesn't mind us handling the babies at all. I've had to cuddle Diamond lots as, being a full 2 days younger he was still wanting to cuddle when Pixie was busily showing her older chicks how to scratch and what to eat. He/she is slowly catching up and doesn't need cuddles any more but still gets them!