First time hatcher question???

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silkymom1986

silkymom1986

The Silkie Villa
8 Years
Sep 28, 2011
1,850
6
131
Byhalia, MS
Yesterday was hatch day for my 11 wellsummer eggs, this is my first time incubating. 5 pipped around noon yesterday and 1 hatched about 8:30 last night, since then there has been no other progress from the others that pipped, no zipping, and still 6 with nothing, is this normal? I am worried about the others but I dont know if I am just overreacting since this is my first time? I have read that once the first one hatches the rest usually follow pretty close behind, can anyone help please?
 
OK...opening/not opening is not such a big deal. Mom gets up and moves and eats and does this every day. It is part of incubation. If you think your little guy is ready for the brooder than open up and snatch him out. Humidity will return. If you have some half way out I would leave it shut just to be sure they don't get glued in the shell.

Eggs that do not have even a pip on them at this stage might just not be fertile or may have died in the shell. It happens a lot. Put hatched chicks in the brooder. Leave the others for a couple more days. If no sign of pipping, wrap your hand around one and see if you can feel a tapping inside. If nothing then probably best to turn your attention to the brooder chicks.

If you are adventurous and not prone to a weak stomach, you can open the eggs (outside!) and see what happened. Candle them first and any that show movement inside.....like an air bubble floating around the inside or a swirling cloud....discard or open at your own risk. Those that are pure clear....don't waste your time. Those that are dark and have an air cell you can open up and will probably find a dead chick. Rarely a live chick and these usually don't survive the investigation.

You did not say where the eggs came from and it makes a difference in hatchability. Lots of factors affect it. Shipped eggs are notorious for poor hatching. Just some ideas.
 
Quote:
No these were not shipped eggs, they came from our wellsummers, and they were all fertile, we saw movement in all when we candled before going into lockdown. One of them looks like it might be trying to zip now, so should I wait and see a little longer before I open to get my chick out? Thanks so much for the information. I'm just so worried!
 
Quote:
No these were not shipped eggs, they came from our wellsummers, and they were all fertile, we saw movement in all when we candled before going into lockdown. One of them looks like it might be trying to zip now, so should I wait and see a little longer before I open to get my chick out? Thanks so much for the information. I'm just so worried!

Sorry, I didn't abandon you! I just check in at the AM and again at lunch then off and on the rest of the day. You did fine. A chick just pipping is not going to be overly reactive to a quick up and down in humidity. Now that you have some more pipping just wait and see how it goes. Watch these later ones to see if they are weaker and maybe need a little help. Nature would sometimes like to see an exhausted chick die in the shell but I don't agree. I want to see them all and make my own decision on fittest, etc. Nature is usually right, though!
idunno.gif


Keep track of the late ones in terms of how long they have pipped and has there been any progress. They break thru into the air cell first and then make a small hole (pipping) which brings in the air. They must keep going however or that air will eventually dry them out in the shell making further progress impossible. After one day pipped I start to open the small hole to see if I can tell if they are alive. If they are I try to get the head out of the shell and the neck stretched. They then go back in the incubator to finish it on their own and they usually will. If they do not, and are peeping because they are stuck, I usually finish it for them. Stop if you see any bleeding at any time. I don't know if all will agree with my rescue efforts but I save a lot of chicks that way. Always a big hit in the classrooms when I would rescue a stuck chick. It is risky, though, and not all survive the "rescue".
 
Quote:
No these were not shipped eggs, they came from our wellsummers, and they were all fertile, we saw movement in all when we candled before going into lockdown. One of them looks like it might be trying to zip now, so should I wait and see a little longer before I open to get my chick out? Thanks so much for the information. I'm just so worried!

Sorry, I didn't abandon you! I just check in at the AM and again at lunch then off and on the rest of the day. You did fine. A chick just pipping is not going to be overly reactive to a quick up and down in humidity. Now that you have some more pipping just wait and see how it goes. Watch these later ones to see if they are weaker and maybe need a little help. Nature would sometimes like to see an exhausted chick die in the shell but I don't agree. I want to see them all and make my own decision on fittest, etc. Nature is usually right, though!
idunno.gif


Keep track of the late ones in terms of how long they have pipped and has there been any progress. They break thru into the air cell first and then make a small hole (pipping) which brings in the air. They must keep going however or that air will eventually dry them out in the shell making further progress impossible. After one day pipped I start to open the small hole to see if I can tell if they are alive. If they are I try to get the head out of the shell and the neck stretched. They then go back in the incubator to finish it on their own and they usually will. If they do not, and are peeping because they are stuck, I usually finish it for them. Stop if you see any bleeding at any time. I don't know if all will agree with my rescue efforts but I save a lot of chicks that way. Always a big hit in the classrooms when I would rescue a stuck chick. It is risky, though, and not all survive the "rescue".

Thanks, this is helping soooo much!! Yea the top was only off for like 3 seconds and the humidity didn't go under 64, and I just had my second one hatch. Another is starting to zip too. I do have 1 concern right now though, one that is on it's side pipped last night, this morning it made a hole in the shell and hasn't done much since, just sticks it beak out every once in a while, so after reading what you said I'm afraid he might be drying out, but I still have 7 other eggs in there so should I wait or try and help?
 

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