Early piping!

[ldrchickens]

Hey guys. I have two eggs that seem to be piping two days early! How do i go about getting him out of the incubator with out killing the rest? Thank you!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Hey guys. I have two eggs that seem to be piping two days early! How do i go about getting him out of the incubator with out killing the rest? Thank you!

First, if you have a single chick pipping early, the rest are likely to follow soon after.

Secondly, lockdown isn't nearly as 'do or die' as it's made out to be. Shrink-wrapping happens, but so long as you reach in, grab the fluffy, and close the 'bator promptly, you won't lose too much humidity, and there shouldn't be shrink-wrapping.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Patience is usually your best friend in these situations. You probably don't have a problem if all the eggs were started at the same time but time will tell.

There are many different reasons eggs can hatch early or late, even two full days early or late. Heredity, humidity, how or how long the eggs were stored before incubation started, or just differences in the eggs even if they were laid by the same hen. But a typical cause is incubating temperature. If the average incubating temperature is a bit low they can be late. If it is a bit warm they can be early. Thermometers and preset incubator temperatures are often off a bit. It is quite possible your incubating temperature is a bit warm and all the eggs are going to be early.

Sometimes my hatches under a broody hen or in my incubator are a full day or even two days early. Sometimes they are pretty much on time. Often my early hatches, whether under a broody or in the incubator, are totally over within 24 hours after the first one hatching. But occasionally the hatches drag out for over 48 hours. Each hatch is unique.

Mother nature took care of the problem when the hatch is stretched out. Before the chick hatches it absorbs the yolk. The chick can live off of that yolk for 72 hours or more without eating or drinking. That way the broody hen can stay on the nest and hatch the later eggs instead of having to take the first to hatch off to find food and water. That means you do not need to open the incubator for about three days. That's why they can be mailed soon after they hatch. Before you get too excited wait and see what happens though it is expected you will be excited about them hatching.

As Sylvie said it is possible to shrink-wrap a chick by opening the incubator when an egg has pipped but not hatched. Just because it is possible doesn't mean it happens that often. Shrink-wrapping means the membrane around the chick dries out enough to shrink around the chick and prevent it from hatching. That's why you increase the humidity for lockdown. Many people regularly open the incubator during lockdown without a problem, it really does not happen that often. If I have a problem inside the incubator I need to take care of I open it and take a chance. But I don't open the incubator unless I have a reason. Some people mist the pipped eggs with warm water to keep that membrane moist, just don't mist so much you drown the chick breathing at that hole. There are other tricks you can use. If the hatch drags on for over a day and a half get back with us and we can talk details. But for right now, congratulations on the start of a successful hatch.

 

[ldrchickens]

Thank you guys. I just went and checked and i have 4 piping and i hear chirping! I am freaking out haha another question. My humidity is skyrocketing to 74 and my thermomters are reading low. Is this ok? I have read people dropping temps during lock dow

First, if you have a single chick pipping early, the rest are likely to follow soon after.

Secondly, lockdown isn't nearly as 'do or die' as it's made out to be. Shrink-wrapping happens, but so long as you reach in, grab the fluffy, and close the 'bator promptly, you won't lose too much humidity, and there shouldn't be shrink-wrapping.

Patience is usually your best friend in these situations. You probably don't have a problem if all the eggs were started at the same time but time will tell.

There are many different reasons eggs can hatch early or late, even two full days early or late. Heredity, humidity, how or how long the eggs were stored before incubation started, or just differences in the eggs even if they were laid by the same hen. But a typical cause is incubating temperature. If the average incubating temperature is a bit low they can be late. If it is a bit warm they can be early. Thermometers and preset incubator temperatures are often off a bit. It is quite possible your incubating temperature is a bit warm and all the eggs are going to be early.

Sometimes my hatches under a broody hen or in my incubator are a full day or even two days early. Sometimes they are pretty much on time. Often my early hatches, whether under a broody or in the incubator, are totally over within 24 hours after the first one hatching. But occasionally the hatches drag out for over 48 hours. Each hatch is unique.

Mother nature took care of the problem when the hatch is stretched out. Before the chick hatches it absorbs the yolk. The chick can live off of that yolk for 72 hours or more without eating or drinking. That way the broody hen can stay on the nest and hatch the later eggs instead of having to take the first to hatch off to find food and water. That means you do not need to open the incubator for about three days. That's why they can be mailed soon after they hatch. Before you get too excited wait and see what happens though it is expected you will be excited about them hatching.

As Sylvie said it is possible to shrink-wrap a chick by opening the incubator when an egg has pipped but not hatched. Just because it is possible doesn't mean it happens that often. Shrink-wrapping means the membrane around the chick dries out enough to shrink around the chick and prevent it from hatching. That's why you increase the humidity for lockdown. Many people regularly open the incubator during lockdown without a problem, it really does not happen that often. If I have a problem inside the incubator I need to take care of I open it and take a chance. But I don't open the incubator unless I have a reason. Some people mist the pipped eggs with warm water to keep that membrane moist, just don't mist so much you drown the chick breathing at that hole. There are other tricks you can use. If the hatch drags on for over a day and a half get back with us and we can talk details. But for right now, congratulations on the start of a successful hatch.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The humidity is going up because the pipped eggs are releasing moisture, perfectly normal and not a problem.

I don't know why the temperature is dropping. As long as it is not dramatic it's probably not a problem. At this stage the chicks are producing a lot of heat.

 

[ldrchickens]

The humidity is going up because the pipped eggs are releasing moisture, perfectly normal and not a problem.

I don't know why the temperature is dropping. As long as it is not dramatic it's probably not a problem. At this stage the chicks are producing a lot of heat.

Ya its nothing major. Less than .5 degrees

 

[ldrchickens]

First baby is here!