Day 17 Situation, Input Appreciated

[Ms Biddy]

Tomorrow is day 18 for me. I opened the incubator to unbunch the eggs and I checked a few without picking them up, including one I was watching because the air cell was already starting to dip. Well, it was nothing like this the last time I looked. The air cell now takes up most of the egg, the chick is internally pipped and cheeping. The chick looks very small in proportion to the egg. It's wiggling, but I don't know if it will be able to pip externally. It looks like there's too much space for it in the egg.

My other eggs are on track to hatch on time. What should I do about this early bird? For now, I changed humidity to 65% but my other eggs aren't really ready for that. I don't have a seperate hatcher.

ETA: these are chicken eggs

 

[Ms Biddy]

To update, I went ahead and candled all of them and found another that is internally pipped and a couple that are drawn down. I have eggs from 3 different sources and all I can think is that these were already developing before I set them. They are all from one source.

I took out the turner, turned up the humidity and went ahead and locked down early. The other eggs clearly have several days to go so I'm not too happy in bumping up the humidity early when they still have weight to lose.

Within about 15 minutes of getting the incubator locked down, an external pip appeared in one of the other early eggs. So, I guess here I go.

 

[strawberricatt]

To update, I went ahead and candled all of them and found another that is internally pipped and a couple that are drawn down. I have eggs from 3 different sources and all I can think is that these were already developing before I set them. They are all from one source.

I took out the turner, turned up the humidity and went ahead and locked down early. The other eggs clearly have several days to go so I'm not too happy in bumping up the humidity early when they still have weight to lose.

Within about 15 minutes of getting the incubator locked down, an external pip appeared in one of the other early eggs. So, I guess here I go.

How many eggs have you set? I had an issue like this once, the air cell was horizontal down the egg, and massive! The chick didn't make it past internal pip sadly... We can only hope that your little chick will manage to make it out
I'll have my fingers crossed!

 

[Ms Biddy]

Thank you very much. I have 19 eggs set. I thought I was really diligent with keeping the temperature steady. If anything I thought they were going to hatch late.

 

[strawberricatt]

Thank you very much. I have 19 eggs set. I thought I was really diligent with keeping the temperature steady. If anything I thought they were going to hatch late.

Lockdown sure is nerve wracking! Please update when anything happens! The hatch with my odd air celled egg was with a broody, and I don't expect late hatches or temperature issues with broodies... I'm going to bed right now (It's night in my country) good luck!

 

[Ms Biddy]

Thank you, good night. It's night in my country too, lol.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Update, the first chick pipped externally so now I'm on day 18 with two external pips and about 4 eggs that seem well ahead of the others.

I'm not sure if they could have been developing ahead of setting because if I'm reading the dates right, they were laid fresh right before I set them. So now I'm leaning toward hot spots in my incubator. I did shuffle the eggs into different spots inside, but only once on day 14.

 

[aart]

Have had several hatches start pipping 'early'... due to higher temps I suspect.
I just figure 21 days is an estimate and it can go a couple days either way.
Only time will tell.....

 

[Feathers4Fun2]

I agree that 21 days is an estimate. Some early some later - wow! Imagine if we could pin nature down to the hour/minuet.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Here's a photo of my early bird zipping out of the wrong end of the egg. She worked immensely hard for it. Now she's stumbling around like a drunk, making a racket and telling the others to hurry up.