egg pipping and humidity

[myhappyfeathers]

Hi everyone

I have eggs due to hatch tomorrow. I can hear them pecking inside their shells

I am wondering how long it will take for them to pip a hole in the shell.

 

[myhappyfeathers]

Still no visible pipping holes from the window. I really don't know when I should start worrying, this is my first hatch. I can hear the tapping from outside the incubator, but there is no peeping yet. I'm getting very nervous, hoping I don't lose my chickies.

 

[Quyen Le]

Don't worry too much, it would take a while for the whole process of internal pip to external pip then hatch. Sleep tonight with good dreams

 

[myhappyfeathers]

Thank you Quyen Le, I have read in some of the threads on here about chicks unable to pip their way out and dying. I'm not sure how I will know if I need to help them.

 

[Quyen Le]

If your humidity is around 60%, you don't need to worry much. If the chicks died in shells, they are probably deformed. I have helped some out when they can't hatch after 36 hours.

 

[myhappyfeathers]

We had a chick hatch today

Sadly we also lost two

they never pipped, they died in their shells. I'm not
sure what went wrong. If anyone has a idea please please let me know.

 

[myhappyfeathers]

Can anyone tell me what I did wrong? The other two chicks couldn't break the membrane to get to the air sac. I'm really not sure why this happened. any info or advice would be great. I'm putting more eggs in, and I really don't want this to happen again. the chick that hatched is doing great.

 

[PAPACABOT]

It happens, Probably nothing you did as long as your temps and humidity were ok. It happens sometimes and pulls at your heart when it does. But watching all the other fuzzy's running around help.

 

[myhappyfeathers]

Thank you so much, it makes me feel better. my temp stayed pretty much steady at 99.5-100, my humidity was at 55 then I bumped it up to 70 on the last three days. I can't help but to feel that maybe I should have pipped a hole, but not sure.

 

[PAPACABOT]

yeah you are really left to feel helpless. I wait for them to pip first, then usually if they arent still out after hours go by, usually 6 to 8, i will pick the shell around the pip to make sure they have air , then let them go from there. that is usually all the interference i do.if any at all