Chickens are cracking the bottom side of the egg

[Liesa]

Hey there! I hope I'm doing everything right, as I'm just joining this forum with already having a question. If I make any mistake please inform me and I will gladly take your advice .

I started incubating eggs on 21th of March. Yesterday, around 10 pm, the first one started to crack the shell at the bottom of the egg (the side laying towards the ground). Now its the next day, 6:40 pm local time, and the hole that it has made into the egg increased just slightly, but not significantly. I can definitely see the chick trying to get out and its beak looking through the hole every now and then. Because its my first time hatching eggs this is the point where I get a little nervous, als its almost 24 hours since the first little hole. The remaining eggs also cracked the shell at the bottom (but just started today in the morning). One of them hasn't made any sound or movement ever since ...
How would you react in this case? I know that Im not supposed to open the incubator, but might it help if i just slip in my hand really, really quick and turn the eggs upwards so they have it easier to get out of them? Humidity is around 75% and Im hatching chicken eggs.

I hope that my English is more or less understandable, haven't talked or written it in a while. I'm really looking forward for your answers and advice and wish you all the best

Liesa

 

[Chicks n Pipes]

If it's on the wide end of the egg but toward the floor it is fine just leave it alone. If it's toward the small end it may cause an issue and may need help. I had one pip towards the floor on the large end last year and it ended up being the first to hatch.

 

[Liesa]

Hey! Thank you for your reply, that really calms me down a little since it's on the wide end of the egg. I hope they will make it through ..

So 24 hours is not an unusual length?

 

[Chicks n Pipes]

Hey! Thank you for your reply, that really calms me down a little since it's on the wide end of the egg. I hope they will make it through ..

So 24 hours is not an unusual length?

I've had some take a long time to hatch. I would maybe give it a few more hours to see if it makes progress. If not you can get away with quickly sticking your hand in and turning it so it's on top. Good luck!

 

[MGG]

I would not turn the egg over, it disorients them and causes the hatch to take longer, which can cause them to get stuck or get too weak, etc. I always leave them when they pip on the bottom. The one time I turned one over it died. Have you read the guide to assisted hatching for all poultry by Sally Sunshine? Don't assist until they make it at least to the 24 hour mark. I'll ask some questions, try to answer them all, it will help us understand the situation better.
1. - Do you have a calibrated thermometer and hydrometer?
2. - What has the temp and humidity been throughout incubation?
3. - What brand of incubator are you using?
4. - Where did you get the eggs? (shipped, local, from your own flock)
5. - What day are they on? Sorry I didn't calculate it I don't have a calendar to look at lol
6. - Can you post a pic of the pip holes? (You will probably have to open the incubator for this, just lift the eggs straight up and take a pic. Do it as fast as possible. When you're done, mist the eggs with warm (almost hot) water from a mist bottle. I do this a lot and never have had shrink-wrapping happen. Good luck! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Liesa]

Thank you all for your kind answers!
MGG, I have seen your comment too late, but I have good news: All of them hatched, the first yesterday around midnight, the last one today around 3 p.m. My incubator has a window to the side so that i could see that one egg was not doing any process at all, als it was just pecking at the bottom. Just in case anyone else will have the problem in the future, I will write how I behaved. I infused warm water to the incubator through the side holes to get the humidity even higher (with a mist bottle), then opened the incubator really quick, picked the one egg that seemed to struggle and turned it around 180 degrees. Then I sprayed the incubator again with the mist bottle, closed it and hoped. And luckily, after turning everything worked out much quicker, it seemed, as if it was more easy for the chick that way. After it hatched, it somewhat managed to turn some of its friends at least somewhat and as I said, all of them made it. Im so happy.

Thank you all so much for your advice!

 

[MGG]

Thank you all for your kind answers!
MGG, I have seen your comment too late, but I have good news: All of them hatched, the first yesterday around midnight, the last one today around 3 p.m. My incubator has a window to the side so that i could see that one egg was not doing any process at all, als it was just pecking at the bottom. Just in case anyone else will have the problem in the future, I will write how I behaved. I infused warm water to the incubator through the side holes to get the humidity even higher (with a mist bottle), then opened the incubator really quick, picked the one egg that seemed to struggle and turned it around 180 degrees. Then I sprayed the incubator again with the mist bottle, closed it and hoped. And luckily, after turning everything worked out much quicker, it seemed, as if it was more easy for the chick that way. After it hatched, it somewhat managed to turn some of its friends at least somewhat and as I said, all of them made it. Im so happy.

Thank you all so much for your advice!

That's Awesome! Great job! Congrats on the outcome! Enjoy your baby chicks!