Eggs zipping!

[Darlene415]

Hi all! Yesterday was lockdown and i posted and received some comments..thanks...today i have an egg zipping already at day 19..is this ok?i thought they wouldn't start zipping til around day 20? I have read so much over the last few months it's all jumbled in my brain...HELP! its very vocal, egg moving...now it is completely zipped open chick still in shell but not active anymore..i think its resting? I know the whole process takes a few days and prepared to wait it out but dont want to lose a chick if it needs help, its hard to see in my incubator as it is an older hovabator with just 2 small plexi glass windows.

 

[Darlene415]

HELP...ONE IS COMPLETELY OUT! It seems ok..i will not open its just hanging out, but its only day 19!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Dont panic..
Ive had them hatch early and do just fine. Is your brooder ready to go?
What is the temp and humidity in the bator and is it possible you could be a day off on your hatch day?

 

[Darlene415]

Yes getting the brooder ready shortly, have all i need should be quick to set up. Temp is at 101-102, 71% humidity right now, humid went up slightly since hatching, um pretty sure im right in with dates, i set them at 5pm on 8-23 so going by what i read day 1 starts the next day at 5pm correct? So yesterday at around 5pm i removed turner, raised humidity, candled one last time and locked down. It seems to be doing ok, its just resting next to its shell, breathing ok, not sticky, shell looks pretty good as far as it not being too wet or dry, they m only going by what i have read, this is my 1st batch of chicks.

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Sounds good to me. Is the bator a still air?
Im sure the chick will do fine. It sounds like its coming along just as it should.

 

[Darlene415]

Yes its a still air so i ran it a little hotter based on everyone's experience with them, they definitely grew other than 2 dark eggs that were impossible to candle..i think they may be the stinkers as i know 1 or 2 are rotten, i just hope the rest hatch before it explodes..yuk!

 

[Fields Mountain Farm]

Sounds like you're doin good.
Id get those stinkers out tho. If they explode it will contaminate the other eggs and may kill the chicks.

 

[Darlene415]

I would but I'm afraid to pick the wrong egg! How can u tell? I smelled each egg every time i candled them and smelled nothing but when they are all in the incubator it smells a little rotten, im pretry sure its gonna be the 2 very dark brown ones that might be rotten as they were almost impossible to candle so i really cant tell, but i was pretty sure going by the air sacs that all the rest were growing the whole time, but those 2 dark ones i cant tell and am afraid to throw them out incase there are chicks in there as everyone keeps saying its hard to see them in the dark eggs...im perplexed on what to do. I am out right now should be home again shortly to see whats going on..is there a way to check if they are rotten whithout compromising the rest of the eggs?as i am on lockdown now and i keep reading how important it is to not open the lid....maybe im being too anal and careful? How can i check if rotten ? Thanks foe your reply btw!!

 

[oregonkat]

You posted that your bator is old! Is it possible that it is just smelly? Usually you would be able to tell which egg is rotten by smelling it. If none are specifically smelly then maybe there isn't one. Don't give up on those Marans eggs, the dark ones.. they are notoriously difficult to candle. Have you noted the air cells on them? Are they about the same as the others? If so, wait it out, dont discard them yet!! You have some beautifully dark eggs there by the way, so if you get a pullet from them, she will deliver you some gorgeous eggs.

 

[Darlene415]

Yes my bator is approx 16 yrs old i have only used it once for duck eggs when i bought it...but it has been working pretty good thankfully, i had it stored in door, in the original box and all. But i was actually thinking the same as u about the smell maybe it was coming from the bator as i really could not smell anything on any egg! And i really sniffed them all..lol. on day 7 i thought i saw and air sac when i candled the browns but the rest of the times i didnt see much change, or maybe its me as i am very inexperienced with hatching other than reading as much as i could for the last 6mths! I guess time will tell only 2 days left, i hope any rottens hold out and dont ruin the rest but im trying to stick with the lockdown and not intervene u less i really need to! Im almost home now, had to run out for errands which i dreaded doing because of my eggs but needed to be done, so I will see in a few what more has happened!

You posted that your bator is old! Is it possible that it is just smelly? Usually you would be able to tell which egg is rotten by smelling it. If none are specifically smelly then maybe there isn't one. Don't give up on those Marans eggs, the dark ones.. they are notoriously difficult to candle. Have you noted the air cells on them? Are they about the same as the others? If so, wait it out, dont discard them yet!! You have some beautifully dark eggs there by the way, so if you get a pullet from them, she will deliver you some gorgeous eggs.