Day 21 and no pips

[alpacasandchicks78]

I've had mine go at day 23. Both bantam and regular sized. The pips need to be upward and the chirping and rocking is a good sign . I had one that I thought was gone and it pipped and zipped while I was sleeping- I had planned on turning off the incubator and giving up. Imagine my surprise when next morning there was a live, loud chick.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

It's hard to see the membranes, but yes, I think they look perfectly normal. Do you see movement at those holes? The chicks will make 'chewing' or 'yawning' motions with their beaks for a good long while, and you should be able to see it through the pip hole. That chewing indicates they are still absorbing yolk and are NOT yet ready to zip out.

No need to stay up all night, but I've been there, too! It's so fascinating to watch. On hatch days/nights, my husband and I take shifts (yes, for real) to monitor progress. I've had batches of eggs start to hatch on a Friday, and not finish until Monday. All set at the same time, all in the same incubator.

Oh, make a note of the time each egg pips. That way, you'll know if 24 hours have passed and it would be time to assist the hatch. Do NOTHING before that time, except to keep the humidity cranking (70% plus!) and remove newly hatched chicks once they are dried off to keep them from knocking all the other eggs around. Resist the temptation to open the incubator more than absolutely necessary - because at this stage, maintaining high humidity is critical.

 

[Tvan18]

I will! Thank you! Yeah, I’m an anxious mess tonight worry that if I miss something I may wake up to a dead chick
I do see both of their beaks out moving as your described and both are still chirping too. The one ran membrane was what I was more wondering about because I was nervous it looked dry. I’ve never witnessed eggs hatch before though so that’s why I asked. Sorry for all of my million questions and needing a are some reassurance. I added a bowl of warm water with a paper towel 2 days ago to help with humidity, and I have been running a humidifier on the mantle next to the counter the incubator is on to help hold it where it needs to be. I’m waiting now to make sure it rises back there before I turn in for awhile.

 

[Tvan18]

Oh, and yes, I have written times down. By 8am if that Maran hasn’t progressed I will ask if you all think it’s time to assist in a small way of removing the little piece off of the pip hole or not. It pokes and pokes at them and I see them move but the shell just isn’t falling away.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I will! Thank you! Yeah, I’m an anxious mess tonight worry that if I miss something I may wake up to a dead chick

It happens to all of us, even under ideal conditions and years of experience. So don't blame yourself if you do wake up to a dead chick. Sometimes things just go wrong. I've done "egg-topsies" in which a chick's head was under the leg instead of its wing, one that died before absorbing the yolk, and various other problems. A chick failure can be due to genetics, lack of one vitamin or another in the laying hen, invisible damage to the shell, or any number of things besides incubation issues.

I've also had chicks make it through just fine under the worst conditions. Most recently, I dropped one egg on top of another close to hatch time. Both cracked and dented. Both hatched! One had a black eye and bloody head, but it was fine. Another time, I thought a broody hen was all done, and she had kicked an egg out of the nest. I didn't pull it out for a couple of days (her other chicks were two days old by then), until I noticed a PIP!!! That poor chick had been in the cold, maybe 60-75-degrees, laying on the floor of her little coop for TWO DAYS. It was shrink-wrapped and I had to assist the hatch, but it made it through just fine!

 

[Tvan18]

Those are encouraging stories! And I do have myself set on the fact it could, and probably will at some point anyway, even if not this hatch, happen to me too.
Like now I see blood by a pip and my heart is like “this is probably normal for hatching but what if it isn’t?!”

 

[BarnyardChaos]

The one ran membrane was what I was more wondering about because I was nervous it looked dry.

Do you mean the brown egg? I can't tell, but if it looks as though it's pulling away from the shell on the inside, you can treat it with a bit of coconut oil (or vegetable oil, or mineral oil) on a Q-tip. Just dab a tiny bit on the membrane, but be careful not to get any onto the chick's beak so you don't interfere with breathing.

 

[Tvan18]

Yes, I meant the tan one. Dumb fingers. But it actually looks okay now that more shell has fallen away.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Those are encouraging stories! And I do have myself set on the fact it could, and probably will at some point anyway, even if not this hatch, happen to me too.
Like now I see blood by a pip and my heart is like “this is probably normal for hatching but what if it isn’t?!”

If I could hug you and tell you it's going to be alright, I would! LOL Just relax and enjoy the show. Yes, a tiny bit of blood happens sometimes, when they pip through the shell and happen to nick a blood vessel. Unless it's hemorrhaging badly it should be okay.

By the way, don't pick at the membrane. If the chick is still absorbing yolk, there will be active blood vessels in the membrane, too. When the yolk is gone and the blood vessels dry up, then it will start to zip out.

 

[Tvan18]

Thanks! I appreciate the help and encouragement !