First incubator hatch in 7 years- chick is hatching early!

[pixie546]

Hi everyone! I'm back to raising chickens after a three year hiatus due to HOA regs- now I'm back on the country and keeping chickens!

So a fox came and took five chickens, all of our roosters included. So I immediately put the eight eggs I had on the counter into the incubator! It's just an LG styrofoam one, not great. Last time I hatched 20/20 so I'm not worried about it lol.

Only two were even fertilized though and made it to lockdown. Which is today! So as I'm putting the eggs back in after removing the turner, I notice a pip on one of the eggs!!!! I candle and it's moving about in there! But hatch isn't till Monday and I haven't pumped up the humidity!

So I place the eggs back in and watch the one with the pip now I'm super worried that:

1) Since it pipped while upright, the pip is too high, and on laying the egg flat I've disoriented the chick and it won't hatch.

2) The time out of the incubator dropped the temp and dried it out and now it's shrink wrapped in there. I don't hear any peeping which I fee like I should for an external pip.

3) what if it hatches three days before the other one and is all alone in the brooder?? I have six two week chicks in there but they are giant compared to a baby fluff.

I've been at work all week and am not quite prepared for a hatching chick!!!!

Thanks for listening

 

[pixie546]

Update- the egg is wobbling a bunch, humidity is at 67%, and I hear peeping- so I'm going to wait till the am and see what's going on. Hopefully it doesn't die overnight!!!

 

[pixie546]

Update #2

I assist hatched last night, it was shrink wrapped and cheeping madly. I took off the top part of the shell that it would have zipped and let it push itself the rest of the way out.

Today it's scrambling all over the incubator all by its lonesome. I hope the other egg hatches soon!!!!