Chick is hatching on day 19

[ncgnance]

I noticed about 8 pm that one of the chicks has pipped, and is moving and peeping, but nothing has happened is a couple of hours. How long does the hatch take. God, I'm a nervous wreck. I sure hope someone is out there with an answer.....

 

[speckledhen]

This can take awhile so settle in and watch the coolest thing ever! Actually, it can take up to 24 hours after pipping for that chick to make it out, so you might lose a little sleep if you want to see the whole thing. I've had them pip on Day 19, too, but take a long time to completely hatch.

 

[davecash]

You aint suppoused to help em either, are ya?

 

[mourninglory]

Twenty-one days is the average. Incubator temps can play a factor in this. Maybe it's a little too warm or maybe your chick is just getting an early start.

It's pipped, but not hatched so I wouldn't worry too much. It could take a few hours or it may be sometime tomorrow night.

Just please don't try to help it out. (I made that mistake and killed my very first egg.)

BTW that is what brought me to BYC way back when.

I would make sure the brooder is ready, though. Good luck!

Edited to add about helping the chick out of shell -not a good idea.

 

[MandyH]

smaller eggs hatche earlier too than bigger eggs. Don't know if that helped any. Do not help it out, leave the lid on the bator and it will work itself out.

 

[silkiechicken]

If it is day 19, it could have pipped early and might still not make it out till day 21. Interestingly, when I set banties with standards, I haven't ever had a banty make it out first. I would only even think about helping if a chick has been pipped for more than 24 hrs and after day 22.

 

[ncgnance]

Thank you all so much. All the advice is just right. #1 hatched at 2:30 this am, followed by #2 about 4:30am, then #3 about 10am. The 2 little BO chicks popped right out, and the BR chick, a good bit bigger, took awhile longer. Ok, 6 more to go and I am hoping and praying they all make it. What an experience!

 

[lurky]

Congratulations on the new babies

I wish things had gone that smoothly when i tried incubating

 

[Davaroo]

Aint it great when they hatch and you have chicks, where before you had none? How does it make you feel?

There is one word that universally applies to chickens: Vigorous. It should be your watchword in all things dealing with them, especially the hatchout.

Usually when a hatch is early it is because the temps ran high over the course of the incubating period. I've had them come in early, on time and run over, too. There are no absolutes.

Most hatches that are incubated properly will have what I call "sooners," one or two that come in sooner than the rest. These fairly burst from the egg! Then there is a rush of "breakouts," the regular hatch. Finally, there are the "weakers." It is usually the late hatching weaklings that dont survive and often enough just drag out til they expire. But it sounds like things are doing fine for you.

Should you help them hatch? Depends on you. Sometimes I help those that are egg bound or straggling, but vigorous. On the hwole, I tend to be a hard-liner. I say those that don't make it will:
1. Be weak and wimpy.
Like anything, you can nurse a chicken if you want to. They might live.
2. Probably succumb later.
So often the wimpy ones end up dying. They are usually the ones the others mercilessly pick on, too, often to death.
3. Pass on poor hatching traits to any offspring, should they have them.
This should concern you, even if you only want a few birds.

It's up to you, but read #3 again. The weak hatching bird you allow to live today, might breed tomorrow. Nature burdens the chicken with enough... adding bad hatching traits to a strain is foolhardy. In almost every case sharp, quick hatches that result in vigorous chicks come from good, selective breeding. Hatch survivability (# of surviving chicks after 3 days vs. # of eggs set) and sharp hatchouts are what I look for. When I talk to a breeder, that is what I want to know first. The opposite, weak hatches that take forever, are most often found when the owner is inexperienced and follows poor management practices.

To some, my attitude seems ruthless. To others, sensible. Do what works for you, Dave. Since it's your first hatch, help as many as you can - it's a good learning experience.