Day 20 first pip!!! - Update - another one zipped and we have a chick!

[crunchynut]

The kids and I are so excited! A couple of the eggs have been wiggling since Saturday. Today I heard some peeping and looked in and saw the pip! I know it can take quite a while for it to zip after pipping, but hopefully this little one won't keep us waiting too long.

I put a webcam in there so we can check up on them when we're not in the house and to share with family and friends.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/chick-cam-4-2011


Update - it was moving around and chirping around 4am but no further progress and was quite sticky looking still. I thought about helping it then, but was sleepy and afraid to mess up and hurt/kill it. I decided to wait till morning. This morning it didn't appear to be moving or chirping so I decided to help. I think it was too late

The stickiness had matted feathers and the membrane solidly to its beak. I don't think it could get any air - the feathers were rock solid. Humidity in the incubator was 65% - is this not enough?? I peeled away the stuck stuff on its beak and some shell, but no movement or chirping. Wrapped it in a warm damp paper towel and back in the bator. I think it is gone but I'm going to keep hoping by some miracle it is not.

So how do you decide when the time is right to intervene? Generally, I'm a non- interventionist by nature - now I feel like this chick could have made it (it had been quite vigorous with its pipping it just didn't seem to be able to turn. B

 

[MountainChickenMama]

Yipeeeeee!!! Can't wait to see the babies

What kind of web cam are you using and how did you set it up, I think I want to do that too......

 

[crunchynut]

The cam I got off of amazon for $20 - the brand is Hercules and it is the Optical Glass model. I followed the included directions for getting the cam installed and then created a ustream account and followed their directions for starting to stream the content.

 

[MountainChickenMama]

Cool, thanks a bunch!

 

[crunchynut]

Four hours and no changes. I heard a chirp or two, but not sure which egg it came from. I think it is going to feel like a very long day.

 

[HenPenny]

Long day for me too. I have 6 pips. My first time. I'm so excited. woohoo Lots of luck to you.

 

[crunchynut]

Quote:
Thank you, you too!

The little one must have heard me complaining because he/she put a nice big crack in it. It was so forceful on that crack that it shifted the egg a bit so the pip isn't even visible on the cam any more. But I've got great front row seats here!

 

[crunchynut]

So I'm still waiting for this one to come out! He/she is working on it, slowly. What is the average time from pip to hatch? What is the longest you've had from pip to hatch? We're at about 15 hours now.

 

[debilorrah]

Gosh waiting for these things to hatch makes me nuts and I have been at it for a while now. 15 hours is not unheard of, especially if it is zipping.

 

[crunchynut]

Now that a bit more of the shell is coming off (well it is off but actually sticking to the gooeyness of the chick) I can tell that the chick looks pretty gooey/wet. But this is my first hatch so it could be a normal amount of wetness.

Is it zipping if he/she is still just enlarging the same area that it pipped in?