First pip EVER!! have question

[tberggren]

I am so excited, I heard chirping this morning and now have a pip!! It is only day 19 and we have been so busy I didn't realize that yesterday was day 18 and didn't up the humidity. It was running around 50%. I put a warm damp paper towel around the pip but was wondering if I should put it around all the eggs?
What would you advise?

 

[MissPrissy]

Get a cup of warm water and as quick as you can add it to your bator and close it fast. Loosing temps can affect your hatch. The higher humidity is what they need to hatch properly. So go quickly. Add the water. close the bator. Wait for some hatching.

I don't think a damp papertowel will raise the humidity enough. You want it at about 70%.

 

[suenrob]

Congrats on the first pip!!!!! It is just the most amazing thing to watch them hatch!!!!! I am on day 18 for the second time tomorrow, can't wait til they start hatching again!
Your humidity should be at 60 by now, did you get it up?
Keep us posted

 

[tberggren]

Thanks for the speedy reply Miss Prissy,

I did add water and a really wet wash cloth.

I was thinking the wet paper towel would help the chicks membrane not to stick to him when he hatches.

I've got it up to 60% hopefully it will rise. Oh, btw I've got it set up so I don't have to open the banter to add water. (learned that trick from all you good folks here at BYC,

)

I put a 16 inch pizza pan in the bottom a couple of days ago so that we would have more surface area. Maybe a humidifier in the room?

 

[tberggren]

Thanks Sue,
Has it been 18 days for you already!! Wow, don't know where the time goes. I have a second pip now, both are in the eggs I got from Jody. Thank you Jody!!

 

[suenrob]

Ok, It's been 8 hours since we heard from you, any news yet??????????????

 

[MissPrissy]

Well??? I have a lot of pips and no hatches yet. What's going on with you?

 

[tberggren]

Nothing new to report. Except I've had a horrible time, first I couldn't get the humidity up until I finally put three soaking wash cloths in there (along with the pizza tray underneath) but then the temps wouldn't hold.

This banter is a homemade one with a wonderful full glass top, but it was made of wood, maybe that had something to do with not being able to get the humidity up. I don't know.

I finally moved everyone over to the other banter, it will be day 18 tomorrow for them, hoping that it will be easier on them to have higher temps for a few extra hours rather having to change them around tomorrow.

Anyway, time will tell.

Thanks for checking.

 

[tberggren]

The first one has a quarter inch hole and has his beak out! He is a Black Australorp, I think he will be out by morning. The Buff Orp, hasn't made any more progress, just a tiny piece of shell missing, hasn't broke the membrane yet. How long can they go without poking the membrane before they run out of air?

 

[hinkjc]

If they broke the shell, the odds are pretty good they broke thru the membrane as well. I would not worry and "step away from the bator". Resist the urge to help and they will do fine. Chicks can take up to 24 hours or longer to fully complete hatch. Fingers crossed that all goes well for you. Congrats!

Jody