First Pip was Wednesday Afternoon....

[ENGEC35]

Hi all!

First pip was Wednesday afternoon sometime.

Another chick pipped on the 29th in the early hours, and hatched this morning around 3.30am, so almost exactly 24 hours.

The 1st chick, as I mentioned, pipped the 28th mid day, making it almost 48 hours now.

There was progress and movement last night, but no exit yet. We saw a wing and a beak and heard peeps for hours last night.

Today, when the other chick speed hatched, we noticed small movements inside the first egg but not the drastic ones from yesterday.

And now that its mid day, I am worrying.

Is this little guy ok?

We have 5 other eggs that have done nothing yet.

It is day 27 1/2 right now.

We had high humidity for the first two weeks so I expected a late delay.

Are we going to far to hope for anymore?

 

[oregonkat]

You may have to help the chick. If you can see a wing and a beak but it's not making any progress for such a long time you may need to help it out. Look up the guide to assisted hatching on here for tips on doing this. www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
The higher humidity during the first two weeks may or may not have been the problem, how high? The lateness of the hatch, I think, will have more to do with your temperature. What was that through the hatch? Did you candle the other eggs?

 

[ENGEC35]

The humidity was not measured for the first 12-13 days. When we put in a hygrometer, it was between 75-90% for 6 hours (first test)

We corrected it down to 20-35% for the remaining days until lockdown

The temp was steady at 37.5 C but after day 7 i lowered it to 37 as I heard a half degree lower could sex more females.

What do you think?

I will read the article you sited now, but I would love your words of advice!

I am working, and will be home in a few hours. If he has not progressed, and you think I can do it, I will assist. Im scared!

 

[oregonkat]

Yup, that humidity was way high . This thing with the sex of the chicks baffles me but that is a conversation for another time. Have you candled the remaining eggs? I am going to send out for some other advice here: @WVduckchick, @Pyxis

 

[ENGEC35]

Yup, that humidity was way high . This thing with the sex of the chicks baffles me but that is a conversation for another time. Have you candled the remaining eggs? I am going to send out for some other advice here: @WVduckchick, @Pyxis

We have not candled since day 18, when they went into lockdown.

I struggled to see what I was supposed to see. I dont know what Im looking at.

But I do know, that 4 of the 5 unpipped eggs (plus the one thats still unzipping) were moving around like crazy in their eggs right before lockdown. So they made it to that point!

The air cells were saddled on a bunch.

 

[Mosey2003]

Slightly cooler temperatures will negatively impact male embryos, thus you get more females. And the opposite is true, if you're too hot, you're likely to get more live males. Temperature won't change the sex of an egg (nothing will do that), but it will kill off more of one sex than the other. There's more of a swing when you're using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit though, I don't think I would have adjusted it if I were you.

 

[ENGEC35]

Slightly cooler temperatures will negatively impact male embryos, thus you get more females. And the opposite is true, if you're too hot, you're likely to get more live males. Temperature won't change the sex of an egg (nothing will do that), but it will kill off more of one sex than the other. There's more of a swing when you're using Celsius instead of Fahrenheit though, I don't think I would have adjusted it if I were you.

Do you think thats what I did? Even changing the temp at day 7 by a half a degree and not incubating the whole time that temp?

 

[Mosey2003]

Being too cool will delay hatch, it certainly could be a factor. Generally, when they say to lower it half a degree to kill male embryos, they're talking from 100F to 99.5F, Celsius a half a degree is more than that.

 

[Pyxis]

There was a study that found that, if eggs are stored at cold temperatures, then more male embryos die off thus leading to a higher ratio of pullets hatched, but it was a tiny fraction more than 50%, so really not worth it. As far as I know, no studies have found that lowering the incubation temperature a degree does the same thing. All that will cause is a late hatch.

How is your little one that hadn't made any progress now? Did you start an assist? I would open the air cell to assess what's going on with it if not.

 

[ENGEC35]

I will be home in about 1 hour, so I will address it then-- he is still ok, not moving much, but there is movement from him from time to time. He's not actively trying to peck at the shell.

I was misinformed, it seems. I thought 99.5 was the steady temp. I knew the sexing thing was just a theory, but I didn't think it would hurt to try. I have my settings on Celsius, so if the temp has been at 37 from day 7 to 21, how do you think I'm effected? Obviously late hatch, as its day 25 almost.

But, would the embryos have died at such an age (today, at hatch time) due to the temp over the last few weeks?

The eggs were all viable on day 18.

The temp is 37.5 again, as i raised it this morning when the first chick hatched