First pip!!!

[WVduckchick]

Different procedures work for different people. The one constant thing is the amount of moisture that the egg needs to lose for proper development and size of the chick. If you don't allow for enough moisture to escape during incubation, the air cell wont grow large enough, the chick will grow too large and/or drown. If too much moisture is lost, the chick will get stuck in the membrane and not be able to move when it comes time to zip out. Its how you get there that varies. Your local humidity levels, where you place your incubator, ambient temps, etc all factor into your own personal settings.
Turning of eggs is supposed to keep the embryo from getting stuck in one spot. There are many theories on this too. Some turn many times a day, some a few, some none. Automatic turners average 2 hours between turns.
Basically, you have to experiment somewhat to see what works for you!

 

[moodybubbles]

I have 3 out now! It has been so eggciting to see this process. I even got to video the last one emerging from the shell!!

The man who has been talking to me has around 50-60% hatch rate. So I realize he doesn't have the best rate. I'm just happy to finally have some hatch. Hopefully they will be ok hatching as late as they are.

The first one is drying off slowly. And I hear more tapping.

 

[moodybubbles]

Oh and I pulled both plugs but have left the temp the same.

 

[WVduckchick]

Glad to hear it! Congrats!

 

[moodybubbles]

Well that's three total now. I don't see any other pips. I thought I heard some tapping but not sure now. 3 out of 20 is an awful hatch rate but I know it needs to be a tad warmer and maybe try for more accurate humidity.

 

[ChickzNSilkiez]

I find the ones that hatch, make enough noise and racquet it prompts others to pip. Good luck!

 

[WVduckchick]

Well that's three total now. I don't see any other pips. I thought I heard some tapping but not sure now. 3 out of 20 is an awful hatch rate but I know it needs to be a tad warmer and maybe try for more accurate humidity.

Yea day 25 is pushing the likeliness of hatching. Have you candled lately for movement? May be time to try the water/wiggle test too...

 

[moodybubbles]

I pulled the three out to put into the brooder and quickly checked the others. No other pips. I may try candling later today. Or the water/wiggle test you referred to.

It was so much fun to see them hatch. Obviously under less than ideal conditions I still got 3. My chickens are a little over 1 year old. I wonder if there is a best age for hatching their eggs...I had a couple of less than perfect eggs in there, too.

I have a EE rooster, 5 EE hens and 2 production red hens. I never see him breeding the production red hens. I wanted the hen to do the setting but none would go broody.

3 chicks make me think I need to head off to atwoods and pick up 2-3 more just so I have a better handful.

Do you think .5 degree warmer or a full degree? I had it at 100 on the floor of the incubator so I figured the tops of the eggs would be about 101.5 but maybe they weren't.

 

[moodybubbles]

i took them out of the bator this morning. They were doing well. I came back this afternoon and the one that hatched last was in its back panting with another on top of him on its back panting. It recovered but the one on bottom has not. It was a bit over 100 in the brooder since I had closed the door.

It looks like it will die soon. Stays on its back, panting, eyes closed. It is 90 in there now and I have dropped water in its mouth and wet its feet hoping to cool him.

I tossed the other eggs. Smelly. Cracked into 4 and found 2 fully developed chicks, one partial and one dud. Now I wonder if I should have left the bator going longer because I'm certain i set them on May 13 but now I wonder if it was later.

 

[moodybubbles]

I stopped cracking into the eggs and tossed them all after finding the 2 developed ones. So sad