Bantam eggs hatching earlier

[MuscovyMad]

I read a post that said their bantams had hatched at day 18. Do bantams often hatch out earlier than regular chicks or do you think this was just a one off?

Because if htey do i have to rethink the whole lockdown scenario.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

My d'Uccles usually hatch around the end of day 19 and into day 20. Those are the only ones I have that do that, though.

 

[chickengrl]

We just did a mixed hatch with 6 bantams and 18 large fowl and we did have one of the bantams peeping inside its egg (no pip, just internally pipped) on day 18. He pipped and hatched in the middle of the night and the other 5 were out on day 19. Since no other eggs were pipped and they were completely dry we did very quickly pull them out and put them in the brooder. We still have large fowl eggs hatching today on day 22, so I wouldnt have wanted to leave them in there all this time. And they were so tiny! I didn't want them to get trampled. Not sure the more knowledgable folks would have pulled them, but we have a Brinsea and it gets back to temp and humidity levels really quick. Seemed like the right thing to do and it didn't seem to harm the rest of the hatch. Good luck with however you decide to approach things.

 

[MuscovyMad]

Ah so confused.

So would it be best to stop turning them and increasing the humidity levels before day 18?

Or should i procede as normal and assume a 21 day hatch is going to happen?

On the plus side atleast i have to wait 3 days less then normal.

Asuuming they hatch early and are healthy.

 

[acid_chipmunk]

We keep turning them until day 18. Then we move them to cartons, but don't bump humidity until day 19.

 

[chickengrl]

well, I just did mine on day 18 just like for large fowl and the timing was perfect. That is probably why we do these things on day 18, just in case you get early hatchers. Makes sense, since the humidity needs to be up for the first pip. maybe some more experienced folks will chime in. (where are you guys?)

 

[columbiacritter]

Several of my banty chicks were loudly peeping in their shells when we moved them form the bator to the hatcher on day 18. Kind of fun to hold them up and listne to them yellign at us for movign them. They pipped that evening and hatched in the whee hours of the next morning, day 19.

 

[chickenman2k3]

bantam eggs often hatch earlier than large eggs. if you incubator has an adjustment on it you could turn it down a degree. incubator thermometers vary somewhat so maybe yours is reading low.

 

[MuscovyMad]

I'm quite excited now at the prospect of healthy early hatchers. On the downside though it means i could be glued to the incubator from day 18 to 21.

So the consensus is i should stop turning on day 18 and raise humidity on day 19 as normal? And if anything happens on day 19 the lack of correct event timing will not matter?

 

[MuscovyMad]

Chickenman2k3 they are only on day 2 and day 9 so i wasn't referring to my eggs being the ones that hatched early i was trying to see if early hatching is normal and if so how frequently it occurs.

I know too high a temperature will hatch chicks earlier but i mean with the temperature correct and everything normal what are the chacnes that i should expecta day 18,19 hatch. E.g 1 in 3 eggs or 1 in 20.