First time hatch question, please help!

[KoFamilyFarm]

I'm a giant klutz and tripped when I went to check on my incubator, and ended up hitting it with my hand. It's a tough little thing, and all the eggs were cradled, so the eggs inside seem okay but they all got shaken a bit. Anyway, I wasn't too concerned because I figured it's Day 19 and they're pretty near fully developed, but then one of the eggs started rocking and gave a big old chirp! It's been rocking ever since! (The other egg isn't moving at all, and has no sounds...)

Did accidentally hitting the incubator send the baby chick some wrong signal and now it's prematurely hatching? I'm so worried!!!

This is my first hatch (RCOM mini, 3 egg incubator) and I've already had to throw out one of the eggs because it stayed clear. I'm just really really hoping that the other 2 hatch healthy!

 

[KoFamilyFarm]

And now the one that wasn't moving has cracked it's shell!! Is this a good thing? Are they going to be okay?

 

[KoFamilyFarm]

Now they both stopped moving/chirping! Are they too young to hatch? Do I need to help them? Ahhh!! I was so close to 21 days!!!

 

[jerryb]

patience,

let them do their thing.

Jerry

 

[Nicolla]

Let us know how it goes, I'm rooting for you

 

[Silkie Sue]

Don't be scared...
I've had chicks on day 19 before all on their own, without any traumatic episodes.
and they turned out just fine..

 

[Arielle]

Most on time hatches actually hatch BEFORE day 21. THey are done by end of day 21.

Chicks take breaks and rest. They are doing hard work. I don't always follow the lockdown rules and pick up the eggs and chip to it hoping for an answer. ANd they answer!

Everyone has anxiety at this time.

ANd the knock to the incubator is nothing. You should see what the hens and her friends do to the eggs. The egg just wanted to say hi to you when you banged into the incubator.

Keep us posted.

 

[KoFamilyFarm]

Thanks for the support all! The one that cracked first ended up zipping about halfway and then got vacuum stuck to its shell. It was cheeping so sadly, and I really didn't want to see it die so I cheated a little and got a wet towel wrapped it around and tried to rehydrate the stuck bits and the poor little thing rolled out though with bits of egg sack completely dried onto its wings and back. But, I don't think its gonna make it anyway. The chick has pretty badly curled toes and can't seem to get the rest of its body uncurled either. Also keeps flipping onto its back for some reason.

I think it was just stuck and dried in that one position for too long?

Happier news though: The other egg hatched while I was out, and the chick is the most hyper little thing I've ever seen! Hops right into my hand, and I actually had to take him/her/it out of the incubator because it kept pecking the other one. Little thing hatched today and it keeps trying to fly out of the temp brooder box I have it in!!!! SO ADORABLE but loud, bossy, and curious as all get out. Hoping the other chick lives too, but if it doesn't I will definitely have to get the little hyper demon a playmate soon or no one is ever going to get any sleep. Absolutely demands attention, and throws a FIT when it has no one to play with it... still completely

... I'm so putting more eggs in the incubator ASAP.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Hope the little one makes it. I just recently hatched one chick and it drove me nuts. It took a week and a half to find new bantam friends, which was tonight, and the chick I had didn't know what to do with them. I thought it was going to peck them to death. Now all the new chicks are sleeping and mine is still screaming its head off!!! I hope it learns to be a chicken soon.
Good luck with yours.