First, early and incomplete incubation... Wisdom needed

[DeepFried]

23 eggs set in incubator around 10:00pm on February 27. Yesterday afternoon, pipping on 2, one hatched around 10:00 (top of day 19, right), one early morning before daylight. Through the course of today 10 more pipped and hatched over 2-4 hour spans each. 4 more have been pipped several hours but without the peeping, rolling and zeal as the earlier ones. 5 have no pipping (fairly sure 2 never began and 1 quit around 10-12 days according to charts-I don't have a light bright enough to really be sure). Temp held steady 99.5-100.2 (2 thermometers showing 1/2+- degree variation); humidity 40-50 till lockdown on day 18 then raised to 65-70.

Wisdom needed. Other than day count being early; does this sound unusual, normal or what???

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

There hatching about the same day as mine always do but if they don't do any more within 24 hours of pip u need to get the tweezers ready and just uncover the beak and bring its head out and easily pull the baby out and then they break off the umbilical cord and or it drys and falls off and then they should be good to go in the brooder just watch for larger blood veins if they start to bleed just set it in the incubator for a few minutes to an half an hour and then wet in and start picking at the shell and stuff to get out he baby's

 

[AmyLynn2374]

23 eggs set in incubator around 10:00pm on February 27. Yesterday afternoon, pipping on 2, one hatched around 10:00 (top of day 19, right), one early morning before daylight. Through the course of today 10 more pipped and hatched over 2-4 hour spans each. 4 more have been pipped several hours but without the peeping, rolling and zeal as the earlier ones. 5 have no pipping (fairly sure 2 never began and 1 quit around 10-12 days according to charts-I don't have a light bright enough to really be sure). Temp held steady 99.5-100.2 (2 thermometers showing 1/2+- degree variation); humidity 40-50 till lockdown on day 18 then raised to 65-70.

Wisdom needed. Other than day count being early; does this sound unusual, normal or what???

Fairly normal. Some chicks will go from pip to zip within hours and others aren't ready for 24 hours. If you only have 3 that started developing and didn't hatch, I'd say you had a good hatch! Congrats on the hatchers!

on the 4 pipped ones.

 

[DeepFried]

Update: the last 4 that pipped hatched and have made it to the brooder with the rest. The few that have not pipped will get 2-3 days to show. Since technically today around 10:00pm would mark day 21, these could still be "on time"... Any suggestion as to how long to leave them?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Update: the last 4 that pipped hatched and have made it to the brooder with the rest. The few that have not pipped will get 2-3 days to show. Since technically today around 10:00pm would mark day 21, these could still be "on time"... Any suggestion as to how long to leave them?

When I have no more pippers I candle for signs of life. If there are none I go ahead and pull an egg for eggtopsy, if there is I put it back and give them another 24 hours. I would certaily do a candling 24 hours after the last hatcher to look for life or at the end of day 22.

 

[DeepFried]

Thanks for the guidance, Amy. That will be my game plan.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You had a good hatch by the sounds of it. I agree with Amy to candle the last ones. Do that tonight so your sure of a dark room for best viewing. The eggs should be full if a developed chick is inside. If not a solid mass excepting the air cell then they are early quitters.

For your next go round either later this year or next spring try a little lower heat. Using same set up just make a note to incubate 1/2 a degree F lower on your thermometer reading. That will retard the hatch near a day and get you closer to 21 day mark. Mine hatch day 20 into day 21. May have a straggler or two early day 22.