4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

Good morning everyone. It's hatching time!!!
What's going on inside (outside) our chicken eggs-Day 20:

th_From-Egg-to-Chicken-20.jpg


After 20 days the chick is in the hatching position, the beak has pierced the air cell, and pulmonary respiration has begun. The yolk sac is contained completely within the body cavity in preparation for hatching.

Twentieth day -- yolk sac completely drawn into body cavity; embryo occupies practically all the space within the egg 1except the air cell
YAY!!
 
Understanding The Hatching Process

Between the 15th and 16th days, the chick orients itself so that its head is near the air cell at the large end of the egg. Not long before the chick is ready to attempt to make its way out of the shell its neck acquires a double bend so that its beak is under its right wing and pointed toward the air cell.


21 DAYS is just a baseline for hatching eggs.
Many chicks can take 23 - 25 days!
Some pip internally and fully hatch in hours while others will be 24 hours or more.


Egg movement! Eggs can “Rock n Roll” days before they are due to hatch!

The initiation of hatch occurs partially from the increased carbon dioxide level in the egg. This process causes the embryo to begin twitching it's muscles allowing the inner shell membrane to be punctured by the egg tooth. The chick then begins breathing the air in the air cell. Using its egg tooth, it pecks at the shell thousands of times and after a few hours the chick pips a small hole through the shell and begins to breathe air directly from the outside. After the chick has made a hole in the shell, it stops pipping for 8+ hours sometimes up to 24 hours and rests.
During this time, it is acclimating its lungs.


After the resting stage is completed the second stage of pipping begins. The chick begins to turn slowly inside the egg. As the chick turns counter-clockwise it uses the cutting edge of the chick tooth to chip away. As the chick progresses in its movement around the shell, it begins pushing on the large air cell end of the egg. Squirming and struggling! YES STRUGGLING! The chick works feverishly pushing at the cap. Finally with a shove the chick breaks free from the shell wet and exhausted. When the chick is freed completely from the shell it lies still. Its energy has been virtually exhausted, and it is extremely tired. After resting the chick begins to gain more and more energy and coordination of its muscles.

embryo2.jpg

.http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/poultry_chicks_embryo.html


In regards to opening and closing the bator to remove already hatch chicks; It is important to remember that chicks can go 3 days without food/water. It is better to wait for the remaining chicks to hatch to insure reducing the impact to unhatched pipping eggs.

But my new chick is running around in the bator knocking eggs around!
LET THEM GO! DO NOT OPEN THE INCUBATOR! They are fine!
 
BREATHE!
That’s right, take a deep breath, calm your nerves and RELAX!
There is no rush to get a chick out of the shell!



"The developing embryo has lived in this shell for well over 3 weeks.
It has survived off of the contents of the egg for that entire time. The only thing it has absorbed from the outside is Oxygen.
As long as the chick is getting Oxygen, there is nothing urgent. Too many people feel the need to rush in and pull a chick out of a place that has served it well for 3-4 weeks. There should be no rush to get a chick out of the shell if it can breathe. As long as it has access to air through the pip, it can sit there all day, even after the blood vessels recede. It's not going to starve. It has plenty of yolk. It's not going to dehydrate, unless you get impatient and begin removing shell before it's time to do so causing bleeding or too much exposure to outside air."
http://www.avianresources.com/Nursery_Mgt.htm
 

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