Chick hatched 3 days early???

[The Knitting Medic]

I am fairly new to hatching eggs, I'm only on my 5th hatch and last night had a surprise when I went to take my eggies out of the turner, one of my eggs hatched (The chick so far seems to be big & healthy) Normally most of my eggs will hatch on day 20 with a few stragglers on day 21. I am guessing that my incubator temperature is to high?? Should I be concerned enough about this to figure out how to change the temperature on my incubator?

 

[IZZYBELLA]

I've never hatched with an incubator, but a chick hatched on day 19 under a broody and was totally fine. (I wasn't miscounting I swear!) Another brood of chicks hatched on day 20. Again, I have no experience with incubators, but early hatches happen under broodies, too!

 

[JS69135]

Either too hot or maybe the egg was laid a day earlier? Or may there is a third option... a very precocious chick?!

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of different reasons an egg can hatch that much earlier than the others, either under a broody hen or in an incubator. It's possible your incubator had a warm spot, but heredity, how and how long an egg was stored before incubation started, and just basic differences in individual eggs. maybe it was stored a bit warm so incubation actually started early for it. An egg will develop some in the 80's Fahrenheit, just not much and it can't sustain development.

I've had a chick hatch early like that before. Recently one chick hatched about two days early. No other egg even pipped for a full 24 hours, then when I woke up the next morning the remaining 16 were out of the shell. Each egg is unique, each hatch is unique.

Sometimes I have entire hatches two full days early, either under a broody or in the incubator. Occasionally they are right on time. With mine I think it is heredity. That 21 day thing is a general target, not something written in stone.

If you are getting good hatches I would not change a thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[DBeattie]

For your early hatcher in the incubator did you just leave them in there also. Obviously you don’t want to open it but I had a little one hatch 1.5 days before the rest and I obviously don’t want it to starve in there while waiting for everyone else to hatch!

 

[DBeattie]

Hello!
My name is Daina! My Partner (Kyle), myself and our daughter bought our house in June 2020 and got ourselves chickens shortly after having the space to do so!
We started with 10 laying hens
I adopted 2 additional hens who needed a home who I ended up loving so much, have no idea of their age but our one is still going and is so friendly to our daughter!

We currently have 23 laying hens, 1 rooster and 7(now 8) chicks fresh hatched in incubator. We’ve got a rooster who is a mix of whatever creation another farm had, 2 white hens, one lays olive eggs (who we named olive of course) 2 black and white spekled (who we got from another farm).
Our family loves to hunt, fish and other outdoor activities, we’ve also got 3 goats along with our chickens and we had 3 pigs in 2021,
We just got a new puppy this spring who is of course excited by the hens but they are kept safely away from him!

I found BYC in 2020 when I needed info as it’s just taken me this long to join!
Thanks!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Smaller eggs hatch earlier. High heat too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For your early hatcher in the incubator did you just leave them in there also. Obviously you don’t want to open it but I had a little one hatch 1.5 days before the rest and I obviously don’t want it to starve in there while waiting for everyone else to hatch!

I left it in until they all came out. Before the chick hatches it absorbs the yolk. A chick can live off of the yolk for over 72 hours as long as it hatches healthy. They don't need to eat or drink anything for over 72 hours. That's why they can be mailed to you.

It does not hurt for the chick to eat and drink before the 72 hours are up. Sometimes chicks will not eat or drink much initially but most will a little bit if it is offered. It's just that they don't have to.

 

[Jtequida]

For your early hatcher in the incubator did you just leave them in there also. Obviously you don’t want to open it but I had a little one hatch 1.5 days before the rest and I obviously don’t want it to starve in there while waiting for everyone else to hatch!

I'd also like to know the answer to that! I just had one hatch two days early and wondering what I should do if no others hatch by 24 hrs after the first? Will it be okay to leave it in there for two days? Thank you, I'm very concerned!

 

[Jtequida]

I'd also like to know the answer to that! I just had one hatch two days early and wondering what I should do if no others hatch by 24 hrs after the first? Will it be okay to leave it in there for two days? Thank you, I'm very concerned!

Well I guess I just saw the answer to that right after I posted this question, so thank you!