Day 21 lateness

[littlechickenmama17]

I am incubating 22 eggs in my incubator and although it is day 21, I only have 1 egg that has a small 'pip' - but only a crack! not a beak hole or anything... Most eggs hatch on day 21 and the temp through the incubation process has been stable. could the pip egg come later today? Can any of them? or could they come tmrw? Has any body had a whole batch that came on day 22 or most of them? Sry, a lot of questions but honestly, i'm a little nervous... Please help with tips and answers!!!

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Don't worry, they will hatch soon. Update us at day 25, if none have hatched by then then, you can worry.

 

[Austrian Chickens]

I also only had 1 pip this morning (20 days 12 hours). Now there is 1 chick and 4 pips. (21 days). I know exactly how you feel ... Patience is easier said then uphold but they have realy a lot more time to hatch

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like it may be your first hatch?

I'll ask a silly question, are you counting the days correctly? That's actually a common mistake. An egg doesn't have 24 hours worth of development two minutes after you put it in the incubator. It seems intuitive that you say "one" when you put them in the incubator but you really need to wait until the next day to start counting. An easy way to check your counting it that the day of the week you start then is the day of the week the 21 days are up. If you start them on a Wednesday, the 21 days are up on a Wednesday.

For a lot of different reasons a lot of eggs do not hatch on the 21st day. Heredity, humidity, how and how long the eggs are stored before incubation starts, and just basic differences from one egg to the next can influence exactly when it hatches. One big component is incubating temperature. If your average incubating temperature is a bit warm they can be early. If it is a bit cool they can be late.

Some of my hatches are over within 24 hours of the first chick hatching, both under a broody hen or in an incubator. I've had hatches stretch into the third day (well over 48 hours) between the first and last, again under a broody or in the incubator. One time a broody hen hatched her first chick late on a Monday but did not bring her chicks off of the nest until Friday morning, about 80 hours after the first one hatched. I don't know when her last one hatched but my guess would be sometime Thursday. Each hatch is different.

I often have eggs pip and even hatch 2 full days early, both under a broody hen and in my incubator. I have calibrated my incubator so I know the temperature is right, plus it happens under my broody hens too. I think it is heredity related more than anything else.

Others say they often have eggs hatch a couple of days late, even with broody hens. So that 21 day thing is just a target to shoot for, not an absolute law of nature. I'd be patient for another couple of days. And consider calibrating your incubator after the hatch is over just to make sure the temperature is correct.

Good luck!

 

[turkey girl 0964]

Sounds like it may be your first hatch?

I'll ask a silly question, are you counting the days correctly? That's actually a common mistake. An egg doesn't have 24 hours worth of development two minutes after you put it in the incubator. It seems intuitive that you say "one" when you put them in the incubator but you really need to wait until the next day to start counting. An easy way to check your counting it that the day of the week you start then is the day of the week the 21 days are up. If you start them on a Wednesday, the 21 days are up on a Wednesday.

For a lot of different reasons a lot of eggs do not hatch on the 21st day. Heredity, humidity, how and how long the eggs are stored before incubation starts, and just basic differences from one egg to the next can influence exactly when it hatches. One big component is incubating temperature. If your average incubating temperature is a bit warm they can be early. If it is a bit cool they can be late.

Some of my hatches are over within 24 hours of the first chick hatching, both under a broody hen or in an incubator. I've had hatches stretch into the third day (well over 48 hours) between the first and last, again under a broody or in the incubator. One time a broody hen hatched her first chick late on a Monday but did not bring her chicks off of the nest until Friday morning, about 80 hours after the first one hatched. I don't know when her last one hatched but my guess would be sometime Thursday. Each hatch is different.

I often have eggs pip and even hatch 2 full days early, both under a broody hen and in my incubator. I have calibrated my incubator so I know the temperature is right, plus it happens under my broody hens too. I think it is heredity related more than anything else.

Others say they often have eggs hatch a couple of days late, even with broody hens. So that 21 day thing is just a target to shoot for, not an absolute law of nature. I'd be patient for another couple of days. And consider calibrating your incubator after the hatch is over just to make sure the temperature is correct.

Good luck!

That is very informative! Thanks!

 

[littlechickenmama17]

Okay you calmed my nerves! That really helped me and now I know! I promise you I counted the days correctly and I even checked just now on my calendar... do you think the chick that piped could have a chance of hatching tmrw? Sorry I have no patience whatsoever - and yes this is my first hatch experience

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is a pretty good chance you will wake up to chicks walking around. I expect to see photos tomorrow.

 

[littlechickenmama17]

I will - thank you so much!!

 

[kyeschicks]

I am incubating 22 eggs in my incubator and although it is day 21, I only have 1 egg that has a small 'pip' - but only a crack! not a beak hole or anything... Most eggs hatch on day 21 and the temp through the incubation process has been stable. could the pip egg come later today? Can any of them? or could they come tmrw? Has any body had a whole batch that came on day 22 or most of them? Sry, a lot of questions but honestly, i'm a little nervous... Please help with tips and answers!!!

Day 21 is a very accurate estimate of when they hatch. They're not little machines programed to hatched at exactly day 21 They can hatch as early as day 19 and late as day 24. It all depends on nature.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Updates?