Anxious, help!

[Offshoreorca]

Hey everyone!
I'm getting a little worried. The first egg pipped at around 8pm last night, but it is now 5:30am and it hasn't really progressed. The hole is slightly bigger, but nothing else has happened. How long does it usually take for a chick to go from pip to zipper?
Also, I can see the membrane of the brown egg. It looks a little dry, is that normal? I was going to add more water because I'm worried there's not enough humidity, but I dont want to "shrink-wrap" the babies!!!

Also, resist the temptation to open the incubator. If the humidity was good going in and the surface area of the water remained the same, you should be alright. Slight colouring of the membrane is okay as long as it doesn't turn a darker shade of yellow or brown. Opening the incubator is what often causes them to be shrink-wrapped!

 

[Offshoreorca]

Also, resist the temptation to open the incubator. If the humidity was good going in and the surface area of the water remained the same, you should be alright. Slight colouring of the membrane is okay as long as it doesn't turn a darker shade of yellow or brown. Opening the incubator is what often causes them to be shrink-wrapped!

If you have to go in, make is very quick so you don't change the humidity, but I would try to resist the temptation unless you know something is wrong for sure!

 

[5littleeggs]

Okay. The membrane isn't dark, so that's a good sign! I will update you on what happens.

 

[5littleeggs]

Also, is there a wrong side of the egg for the chick to pip on? I noticed that the white egg pipped in the larger side and the brown egg pipped on the more pointed side.

 

[5littleeggs]

Wait, no. They both pipped on the pointed end, sorry for the confusion.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Wait, no. They both pipped on the pointed end, sorry for the confusion.

You'll have to watch them carefully then as they're suppose to pip closer to the blunt end (near the edge of the air cell if you've been tracking that - usually where it dips towards the centre of the egg). Are you sure they've pipped closer to the pointy end? Malpositioning can cause problems hatching, but sometimes they will hatch just fine too. Just keep an eye and if they don't make progress coming up to the 24th hour then you can do a careful assisted hatch.

 

[Offshoreorca]

You'll have to watch them carefully then as they're suppose to pip closer to the blunt end (near the edge of the air cell if you've been tracking that - usually where it dips towards the centre of the egg). Are you sure they've pipped closer to the pointy end? Malpositioning can cause problems hatching, but sometimes they will hatch just fine too. Just keep an eye and if they don't make progress coming up to the 24th hour then you can do a careful assisted hatch.

The should be pipping near the air cell as that is where they breath before external pip - just watch closely if this isn't the case and hopefully they hatch smoothly. If they're healthy this might not be too much of a problem.

 

[5littleeggs]

I am 100% sure that both eggs have pipped near the point end. They are chirping away though, so hopefully that means they're healthy! So cute to hear their little chirps. I just hope they aren't chirping in distress.

 

[Offshoreorca]

I am 100% sure that both eggs have pipped near the point end. They are chirping away though, so hopefully that means they're healthy! So cute to hear their little chirps. I just hope they aren't chirping in distress.

Okay, so they are a bit malpositioned. Did you stop turning on Day 18? This does happen and many can make it out just fine. Keep a close eye on them and as long as they are chirping and breathing you can wait out the 24hrs before deciding whether assistance is needed or not. If they seem to get weaker than it might be a sign that they are struggling to get out themselves. Chirping is good!

 

[5littleeggs]

Yes, they had an automatic egg Turner that I took out on day 18.
I can definitely hear the cheers getting stronger. They were weak last night when I first heard them, but now it's like they have woken up.
Progress: still going slow, but I can see the white chick pushing on the little bit of shell where it pipped. Also, another egg started to wobble! No pip yet on that one.
Also, a confession: I bumped into the incubator my mistake and one of the eggs rolled a little. I know that once a chick hatches, it will probably bump into the other eggs. So this wouldn't have hurt the chick, right??? The pip is NOT face down, by the way.