Chick hatched Day 19

[Amc29]

Yesterday was day 18. I candled both eggs before lock down to check the air pockets (one was a small speckled Sussex egg, the other egg is larger and I believe it to belong to my turken). The smaller egg surprised me because it appeared to have already internally pipped. My other egg was where I would expect it to be. This morning I woke up and heard some tapping noises. I thought that maybe the egg was rocking. No...there is a very wet chick stumbling around. From outside the incubator it looks fine, but I am still very concerned. I know for the moment I should just leave it in there and let it dry. Do any of you have experience with a Day 19 hatch resulting in a healthy chick?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, it should be OK.
There were probably 2 contributing factors. One is that it was a small egg, they tend to hatch a bit earlier than very large eggs.
The other is that the temperature was likely high throughout - regardless of what the incubator or thermometers say.
As soon as it dries, you can probably pull it if the other eggs haven't pipped yet.

 

[Amc29]

Yes, it should be OK.
There were probably 2 contributing factors. One is that it was a small egg, they tend to hatch a bit earlier than very large eggs.
The other is that the temperature was likely high throughout - regardless of what the incubator or thermometers say.
As soon as it dries, you can probably pull it if the other eggs haven't pipped yet.

Thank you for your response. That is concerning, though, about the temperature. Aside from the incubator thermometer, I have four different thermometers in there (two different varieties) in various locations that mostly agree with each other (varying by a couple tenths of a degree). I have read that sometimes an incubator can develop a hot spot...I suppose the egg could have been resting in one, although it was on the side that seemed to generally read cooler (though barely). I am interested to see if/when the next egg hatches and make adjustments from there. I may have to reduce the incubator's temperature setting slightly the next time around.

 

[aart]

Have had many start hatching on day 19...they were fine.
Even the one that had pipped and stuck to turner on day 18, it was right next to the turner motor.

Does your incubator have a fan?
Even if it does it can be good to move the eggs locations within bator as you candle to off set any hot/cold spots affects.

..and test your therms and hygros before every hatch:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

 

[Amc29]

Have had many start hatching on day 19...they were fine.
Even the one that had pipped and stuck to turner on day 18, it was right next to the turner motor.

Does your incubator have a fan?
Even if it does it can be good to move the eggs locations within bator as you candle to off set any hot/cold spots affects.

..and test your therms and hygros before every hatch:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...incubator-thermometers-and-hygrometers.73634/

It does have a fan, but I do think next time I will shift the eggs around instead of keeping them in the same spot.

 

[Chicksnmind]

I have one small bantam egg that has a internal pip on day 18. It’s cheeping now. I’m guessing it will hatch on day 19.


Glad to hear they should be fine .

 

[Amc29]

My Day 19 chick is the only one that hatched. I had started with three eggs from my own hens as a "test hatch" for my new incubator before I purchased any hatching eggs. One I tossed on the fourteenth day, and now--on the 23rd day--it appears my other chick is dead in shell. There have definitely been changes since the last candling on the 18th day, but since there are no internal pips and nothing that indicates change or movement, my belief is that the chick has passed. This was in an egg that was not the best condition (I had a post on that earlier), but I don't know that that factor played a role in it. The air sac had seemed appropriate in size on Day 18. I am inclined to believe, in agreement with ChickenCanoe, that the temperature must have been too high--despite what all the thermometers were saying. Going forward, though, I am uncertain as to much I should adjust the incubator for the next hatch. It is currently set on 38 degrees Celsius. Should I just bump it down a couple tenths?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It couldn't hurt to turn it down a full degree Celsius.