Can't remove egg turner?

[TheNeighborsHomestead]

Hello!

I set 19 eggs in my Manna Pro Nurture Right 360 on 2/12/23. Unbeknownst to me, someone collected an egg that one of our broody hens was laying on and I set it in the incubator. I realized on candling that this egg was way ahead of the rest and I put two and two together. It is 7 days ahead of the rest of the eggs, according to my calculations. It's beginning to hatch today. It just pipped. My question is: Do I remove the egg turner and risk the rest of the eggs (there is 7 days remaining for for the rest of the eggs) or do I leave the egg turner and hope this chick finds it's way out? Also, obviously the humidity is an issue, but I decided to just keep it right at 58-60% and hope for the best.

This is quite the conundrum. I don't have another incubator and I cannot get one in time.

What would you do?

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello!

I set 19 eggs in my Manna Pro Nurture Right 360 on 2/12/23. Unbeknownst to me, someone collected an egg that one of our broody hens was laying on and I set it in the incubator. I realized on candling that this egg was way ahead of the rest and I put two and two together. It is 7 days ahead of the rest of the eggs, according to my calculations. It's beginning to hatch today. It just pipped. My question is: Do I remove the egg turner and risk the rest of the eggs (there is 7 days remaining for for the rest of the eggs) or do I leave the egg turner and hope this chick finds it's way out? Also, obviously the humidity is an issue, but I decided to just keep it right at 58-60% and hope for the best.

This is quite the conundrum. I don't have another incubator and I cannot get one in time.

What would you do?

Hi! I would take the turner out.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Here's what I'd do:
Remove the turner. At this stage (abt 15 days, right?) the chicks have almost completely filled the shell and should be turned lengthwise, so they likely won't need turning any longer. You could hand-turn them for the next day or two if you are concerned. (I would.)

As soon as the chick has hatched, let the humidity naturally fall slowly back to usual limits, between 40-50% until lockdown. If you're hand-turning the eggs, then opening and closing the lid every few hours should help. Then at lockdown, slowly boost it again to between 60-80% for the last 2-3 days. That's not a big swing in RH levels, but I feel they may need a few more days of the lower humidity.

 

[Kiki]

I'd leave the turner and watch this one egg closely. I'd remove it as soon as it hatches...put it in a already warmed up, not too hot, brooder.

 

[Coops Dad]

Remove the turner until the quick chick hatches, then reinstall the turner after removing the newbie. Best of both worlds.

 

[junior67]

is the broody sitting on the other eggs still????? You could always (if you can do it fairly quick) move that egg out and put it back under the broody so it can hatch under there. My broody gets off the nest even after a pip to eat and poop so running it out shouldn't cause a problem.

Or take out the egg turner, let it hatch in the incubator then after it hatches and dries sneak it under the broody and either hand turn the rest a few times a day or put the turner back in. The humidity isn't too bad for lockdown right now. I incubate at 45 and hatch at 65 for humidity.

 

[TheNeighborsHomestead]

is the broody sitting on the other eggs still????? You could always (if you can do it fairly quick) move that egg out and put it back under the broody so it can hatch under there. My broody gets off the nest even after a pip to eat and poop so running it out shouldn't cause a problem.

Or take out the egg turner, let it hatch in the incubator then after it hatches and dries sneak it under the broody and either hand turn the rest a few times a day or put the turner back in. The humidity isn't too bad for lockdown right now. I incubate at 45 and hatch at 65 for humidity.

That would have actually been a good plan, but it's dipping really low here at night and the place she's sitting is elevated and I'd be so afraid baby would fall out. I've tried moving her to a smaller, safer spot, but she won't sit. I am actually so surprised that she's sitting at all because she has only laid about 30 eggs herself EVER and she's already broody lol. Thank you for your response!

 

[TheNeighborsHomestead]

Thank you all so much! The baby hatched! I just left the turner, but unplugged that feature. I didn't see any of this brilliant advice before I went to bed, but I was so happy to see this little one when I woke up!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you all so much! The baby hatched! I just left the turner, but unplugged that feature. I didn't see any of this brilliant advice before I went to bed, but I was so happy to see this little one when I woke up! View attachment 3417074

So cute!!!