12 hours into hatch and only one chick

[Titanpaul726]

Thanks for the good advice, all, and thanks for asking about the hatch TitanPaul! Our hatch seems to be rather protracted. First chick was born a full 24 hours before any others peeped. She's strong and healthy, but has splayed legs and so I am trying the bandaid therapy, except using vet tape. We had the second one hatch last night and a third this morning, plus three more are peeping. I had some issues keeping the temperature stable in our incubator, and I suspect that is why we are having such a variable hatch. One more question for y'all: if a chick has peeped but discontinued activity, do you give up at a certain point? Should I try assisting before abounding hope? If so, how long after its peeped should I intervene?

My first hatch was the same. The batch of eggs I have hatching as we speak was a little better. One hatched on day 20. Two hatched that night. Three hatched on day 21 (yesterday). At six this morning we had a total of six chicks. My wife just called and said 13 have hatched today (day 22) between 6AM and noon. Since this has happened twice, I'm going to give my eggs 23-24 days from now on.

As far as the peeped chick goes, I wait a few hours and if I see no further activity, I help out. I always help out before giving up hope. I waited 6 hours (approx.) before I helped the last one. It's alive and well now at 3 weeks old.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You are most definitely a Democrat.

Just kidding, I couldn't resist. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea. That's why I leave the chicks in, to encourage the others.
Helping chicks is a personal preference. Some do, some don't. I did a few times, but more often than not it doesn't end well. If a chick is still working, I will give it more time in the incubator, but I never help them any more

Actually I'm Independent.....

lmao I think both political parties are NUTS!!!!

The way politicians are I wouldn't want to be associated with either party....lol Of course this explains why I do it my way....oh my way....lol I don't follow either norm...or any norm for that matter.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My first hatch was the same. The batch of eggs I have hatching as we speak was a little better. One hatched on day 20. Two hatched that night. Three hatched on day 21 (yesterday). At six this morning we had a total of six chicks. My wife just called and said 13 have hatched today (day 22) between 6AM and noon. Since this has happened twice, I'm going to give my eggs 23-24 days from now on.

As far as the peeped chick goes, I wait a few hours and if I see no further activity, I help out. I always help out before giving up hope. I waited 6 hours (approx.) before I helped the last one. It's alive and well now at 3 weeks old.

I think you'll find that once you tweak your temp a degree or half, and start rotating/turning the egg trays that you'll see a more narrow hatch time.
6 hours isn't much for a pip, unless it's in trouble. I had a silkie shoot out after only being pipped for 4-5 hours and ruptured the yolk sac that hadn't absorbed and had a lot of bloody membrane still attatched. He fought long and hard, but of course he didn't make it. I'd much rather wait util 12 and then investigate. Usually they are just doing what they need to do before hatching.

 

[scflock]

My first hatch was the same. The batch of eggs I have hatching as we speak was a little better. One hatched on day 20. Two hatched that night. Three hatched on day 21 (yesterday). At six this morning we had a total of six chicks. My wife just called and said 13 have hatched today (day 22) between 6AM and noon. Since this has happened twice, I'm going to give my eggs 23-24 days from now on.

As far as the peeped chick goes, I wait a few hours and if I see no further activity, I help out. I always help out before giving up hope. I waited 6 hours (approx.) before I helped the last one. It's alive and well now at 3 weeks old.

I know I said this yesterday, but that is the exact problem I corrected with 1/2 a degree. My first hatch was 17/19, with 1 hatching on day 20, 6 on day 21, 7 on day 22, 2 on day 23, and 1 on day 24. There was never a flurry of hatching, just a chick every few hours or so. The second hatch was almost identical. That's when I bumped up 1/2 a degree. I have hatched two batches that way with several hatching late day 20, most on day 21, and a few stragglers on day 22. All healthy, no splayed legs or crooked toes. I'm not promising that it will fix your hatch, I think every single person has a different experience, but it worked miracles for me

 

[Titanpaul726]

I think you'll find that once you tweak your temp a degree or half, and start rotating/turning the egg trays that you'll see a more narrow hatch time.
6 hours isn't much for a pip, unless it's in trouble. I had a silkie shoot out after only being pipped for 4-5 hours and ruptured the yolk sac that hadn't absorbed and had a lot of bloody membrane still attatched. He fought long and hard, but of course he didn't make it. I'd much rather wait util 12 and then investigate. Usually they are just doing what they need to do before hatching.

Haven't had time to implement the rotating trays yet. Got a batch of 54 in the top tray now that I will start rotating after this batch hatches. I agree on the helping out deal, but I usually jump in fairly soon. Been lucky so far.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Haven't had time to implement the rotating trays yet. Got a batch of 54 in the top tray now that I will start rotating after this batch hatches. I agree on the helping out deal, but I usually jump in fairly soon. Been lucky so far.

The end result is what matters right. I know there's been a couple that I've helped that probably could have finished on their own, I just got antsy after 18 hours....lol but I haven't lost any, so....lol

 

[scflock]

The end result is what matters right. I know there's been a couple that I've helped that probably could have finished on their own, I just got antsy after 18 hours....lol but I haven't lost any, so....lol

Having to cull three fluffy chicks at 4-5 days old is what broke me from helping. That's tough to do

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Having to cull three fluffy chicks at 4-5 days old is what broke me from helping. That's tough to do

Thank the Lord. I have not had to do that.

 

[scflock]

Thank the Lord. I have not had to do that.

Did it twice. Not easy. I never assist any more. Not saying this as a joke, but I have never had to assist in the Brinsea. They either hatch, or they don't.

 

[Titanpaul726]

I had to fight it off last night. Had one little guy that was seriously struggling to get out of the shell. I left it alone but only because my wife made me!