1st incubation; day 19; 1st pip; got ???

[IamRainey]

I'm using a Brinsea Mini II Advance 'cause I don't know what the hell I'm doing so I'm counting on the machine.

It says it has 3 days to go but there's been some wiggling in a couple of the eggs throughout the day and now one has pipped. So I took out the plate that rotates the eggs. Did I do that prematurely if the other 6 eggs need their full time to be ready to start pipping?

Which is the bigger problem: for the eggs not be be rotated or for the hatching chick to get disoriented? Should I start turning the remaining eggs manually? How many times a day? How much of a rotation?

Thanks in advance for your expert help. I'm in over my head and I don't want the chicks to pay the price!!!

 

[Mvan42]

The others should be fine your suppose to stop rotating on day 18. The temp may have been a little high that’s why you have an early pip or it could be an early bird.. Just be patient (that is the key) Those babies know exactly what they are doing.

 

[IamRainey]

Day 18 would be tomorrow.

It was set at 99.5˚ though I may have been a little aggressive about adding water to the outside reservoir and both inner water chambers filled early on in the process.

 

[Mvan42]

Stopping rotation one day will not hurt them.. the others may take a few more days before piping.

 

[IamRainey]

This is going to be exciting! I hope I don't go crazy before it's over... I am NOT a patient person.

 

[Mvan42]

Lol, I hatched my first ones this spring.. I didn’t sleep all night watching them. It is real exciting to know that you had a part in bring them into the world.. then I hatched a second time slept through that one woke up with 8 in the incubator. Good luck and have fun because it sure is a great experience.

 

[IamRainey]

Essential for me!

I'm in the virulent Newcastle Disease quarantine zone. No new chicks unless I hatched my own and I'm sorry to say my girls didn't volunteer to do any hatching.

 

[Mvan42]

Good luck. Post pics when they decide to join the world

 

[IamRainey]

No additional activity in the first egg -- tho I think I saw it wavering slightly this morning.

However, a second egg has pipped. And last night I took the (noisy) dome off long enough to hear something peeping in the shell.

 

[IamRainey]

The first one did nothing until I left the house to do errands this morning. I was gone about 2 hours and the little guy or gal birthed itself in that time.

I had been worried that 24 hours after the first pip nothing was going on. I worried that it just didn't have the energy to finish the job.

Can't wait until my grandson gets home from his after school jiu jitsu class!!! When he comes -- about 6 hours from now -- can I let him hold this little guy? Or does "lockdown" mean I need to leave the remaining eggs in the incubator undisturbed?

He -- or she -- I need one new roo to retire my aggressive BCM -- is strolling around between the other eggs now.

I've got other errands to do but who wants to go out when this is going on!?!?!?!