eggs are not hatching

[jessmg1987]

Thank you!! I had a baby chick this morning. Waiting on others to hatch

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Congratulations on the chick! What day are you on? Anymore pips?
I have 4 sebright eggs on day 21 in my incubator, one of which is zipping.

 

[Jeepers-Peepers]

Yay! Are they still peeping and pipping/zipping ?

 

[jessmg1987]

Two other or peeping and also piping which is when they make a hole in the egg right? The hatched chick is anxious for the others to hatch and rolls around the eggs that are talking to her and even pecks at them a little. I love this! I'm working until 7 so I'll guess I'll see wen I get home. Hope they r ok. Any advice?

 

[Jeepers-Peepers]

Yep pip = hole!
My first hatchling was really nosey, too and did the same thing to the other eggs.

They should be okay... Just keep that one chick in the incubator with the eggs. Post pics when you get home

 

[jessmg1987]

Ok I will!!!

 

[jessmg1987]

What type of bedding do they need? Is hay ok?

 

[Jeepers-Peepers]

Not at first because they trip over it. Many people use aspen bedding. I use rubber shelf liner the first week and then use hay.

 

[blucoondawg]

I have always used regular pine bedding covered with newspaper for the first couple days so the chicks don't try to eat the bedding once they know what and where the food is the paper can be removed and they will be fine. Chicks can also fall in their water and drown so it is smart to put some marbles or rocks in the water dish so they can't get their head in it just dip their beak between the rocks to drink. Just don't use cedar bedding as it is toxic to chickens in large amounts

 

[blucoondawg]

Sounds like your hatch is going well even though you have not monitored the humidity which is good, the room where you are incubating must have had an acceptable level, I don't believe it is as exact a science as some would have you believe. I got a cheap stick up hygrometer from a pet store, one that would be used in a lizard terrarium, it is off a few points when I checked it but not enough to worry about.

I have a batch going right now and I personally don't think adding water is necessary, I have a styrofoam incubator that holds 42eggs in a turner and it seems the moisture from within the eggs is holding the humidity plenty high, it even gets up a little higher than I like so I will remove an extra vent plug for awhile to get it back down. At lockdown it is recommended to boost the humidity up over 60% some say even higher, this is to keep the membrane beneath the shell from drying out once the chick pips as the membrane can become tough for them to zip open. Judging from what is happening with the humidity levels in my incubator i think the humidity will spike on its own once the eggs start to open and wet chicks come out.