First time incubating- can hear chirping/eggs have cracked!

[Dcbenik93]

Hi!
I'm on day 18 and this is my first time incubating eggs! I just went to change the tray to the hatching tray and put the incubator on "lockdown." I added a bit more water to the bottom (it was almost out). Each egg has a little pecked crack and I can hear chirping! Is there anything I can do to make sure they survive the last 3 days and have a successful hatch?? I'm so nervous I'll mess something up last minute and lose them!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Are you using a calibrated thermometer? Chirping on day 18 is way too early... indicating your temperature is too high.

I MIGHT suggest you lower it a bit to slow down the hatch. Sometimes messing with dial is a bad idea though. What is your current temp and humidity?

Wait, are we talking about chicken eggs? That's what I gathered for your 21 day frame.

@WVduckchick suggestions? TIA

 

[Dcbenik93]

Hi there, hope you are enjoying BYC!

Are you using a calibrated thermometer? Chirping on day 18 is way too early... indicating your temperature is too high.

I MIGHT suggest you lower it a bit to slow down the hatch. Sometimes messing with dial is a bad idea though. What is your current temp and humidity?

Wait, are we talking about chicken eggs? That's what I gathered for your 21 day frame.

@WVduckchick suggestions? TIA

Yes they're chicken eggs! It's a cheaper little incubator from Amazon with 9 eggs in it. It's been at 37.8 degrees Celsius. I just turned it down to 37.5 for lockdown. I've been at 60 percent HU up until now and I just turned it up to 72 for lockdown. I really know very little so I'm just doing a lot of reading (especially the reviews/experiences with this particular incubator)and trying to learn. I was shocked when I was moving the eggs for lockdown to see the little cracks and hear peeps!

 

[WVduckchick]

60% humidity for the whole time is usually rather high, depending on your location, and the temp must be off a bit, to be starting this early. But if they have pipped, then they are still alive!!

My bantam chicks tend to hatch on day 20, usually pip on 19, so pipping on day 18 is not totally out of line. Since you already dropped the temp a bit, I'd just leave everything as is now, and wait for them to pop out! Hopefully you laid the pipped side upward.

And by the way, no, they aren't going to make 3 more days -- they should be out and running around tomorrow!

Good luck!

 

[Dcbenik93]

60% humidity for the whole time is usually rather high, depending on your location, and the temp must be off a bit, to be starting this early. But if they have pipped, then they are still alive!!
My bantam chicks tend to hatch on day 20, usually pip on 19, so pipping on day 18 is not totally out of line. Since you already dropped the temp a bit, I'd just leave everything as is now, and wait for them to pop out! Hopefully you laid the pipped side upward.

And by the way, no, they aren't going to make 3 more days -- they should be out and running around tomorrow!

Good luck!

Thank you for your help! I removed and replaced the eggs in the exact position that they were in so I hope that's okay. I also didnt realize that I was too late going into lockdown and shouldn't have touched the eggs or opened the incubator after they pipped! I can still hear peeps on the inside of the incubator so I hope they'll make it and forgive their ignorant momma! Thank you again!

 

[Compost King]

When I was new to hatching a year ago I was getting early pips but terrible hatch rates, turns out I was slightly too high with the temperature. I lowered it a degree and hatches happened at 20 and a half days to 21 days and hatch rates increased. But if you have a high hatch rate and get them hatching early then maybe you found something better.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you for your help! I removed and replaced the eggs in the exact position that they were in so I hope that's okay. I also didnt realize that I was too late going into lockdown and shouldn't have touched the eggs or opened the incubator after they pipped! I can still hear peeps on the inside of the incubator so I hope they'll make it and forgive their ignorant momma! Thank you again!

Wanna know a secret? It’s not nearly as dangerous as it’s made out to be, opening the incubator during “lockdown”. I do it quite often assisting call ducklings and serama chicks. It’s always best to keep them in a good consistent humidity condition, which is why it isn’t recommended to open it, but it’s not an instant death if you have to do it. You accidentally did it, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.

 

[Dcbenik93]

When I was new to hatching a year ago I was getting early pips but terrible hatch rates, turns out I was slightly too high with the temperature. I lowered it a degree and hatches happened at 20 and a half days to 21 days and hatch rates increased. But if you have a high hatch rate and get them hatching early then maybe you found something better.

That's good to know! I think (considering how early they pipped) my temp must have been too high. Most of the eggs when I moved them had pipped which is a good sign- but I hope I didn't kill half of them by opening it and touching them. There hasn't been any additional progress on the eggs so I hope everyone is all right. Can it take up to a full day after pipping for them to hatch? Should they have continued pecking out at this point? I'm worried I've ruined their chances at a successful hatch.

 

[Compost King]

the worst mistake I ever made in hatching was opening up during lockdown. They didn't die right away but I caused the inner membrane of the egg to stick to their chick fur and they couldn't turn to zipper pip their way out.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My bantam chicks tend to hatch on day 20, usually pip on 19, so pipping on day 18 is not totally out of line

Interesting that different lines can vary.

My Silkies, bred for about 3 years hatched day 21 always. But the bantam Ameraucana I am currently working with hatched day 20, so I turned my bator down a hint and the next ones hatched day 20 also. I was hoping to test under a broody, but accidentally went with other eggs before I remembered why I wanted to hatch more of the Ameraucana bantams.

It's normal for them to take a break between pipping and zipping. Sometimes 24 hours.

We are as careful as we can be... and then we hatch a little soccer player first!

ETA: Incubation guide