DAY 18 AND HATCHING?

[3 NH reds]

So its day 18 and I go down to the bator to remove the turner and add water. I hear a peep, call my wife down to listen and yep a chick is nearly hatched on day 18! I am brooding some Jersey Giant eggs and the normal for me has been day 22-25. I know this egg was not sat on by a hen because I pulled eggs everyday and fridged them at 50*.

I was rushing to get eggs and the turner out so I could add water and get the temp back up. The chick fell into my hand as I put the egg back in. It is chirping allot so I hope its ok, it piped when the humidity was 26% The incubator is a hova 1588 and the temp was 99.5*

 

[A Chicken Owner]

What breed is the hatching chick? You'll occasionally get chicks hatching on day 18 especially bantams and other small chicken breeds. Jersey Giants hatch on day 22-24 because they need more time to grow as they are a big chicken. If its an average size breed such as a RIR, you need to make sure the chick is fully formed and has absorbed all the yolk.

 

[3 NH reds]

What breed is the hatching chick? You'll occasionally get chicks hatching on day 18 especially bantams and other small chicken breeds. Jersey Giants hatch on day 22-24 because they need more time to grow as they are a big chicken. If its an average size breed such as a RIR, you need to make sure the chick is fully formed and has absorbed all the yolk.

The chick is a Jersey Giant and all looks well and now has 5 others that came out. Most are Giants but one is a product of a Red Ranger breeding to another Ranger and is yellow. I am just glad this hatch is going better, the last hatch was at 55% humidity from day 1-18 and we had mushy chicks that died in shell or soon after coming out.

 

[3 NH reds]

I forgot the manditory chick pics