Hands on hatching and help

[Ravynscroft]

A guide to assisted hatching. The one in the learning center is geared primarily towards chickens, so I wanted to write one up that covers all species of poultry, and is formatted a bit cleaner. Unfortunately I haven't been great on getting pictures of all my malpos and things like that so I don't have my own pictures for all the headings yet.

That H101 is straight out crap... I tried using it as a guide my first shipped egg hatch, and all it did was confuse and freak me out!

A new one is LONG overdue!!

Very much so!

I agree!

X3!!

 

[akorte]

First time hatching. I woke up, day 19 1/2 (put then in the incubator in the evening) to this little guy. He seems so lonely. I just leave him in there? He was just laying there which scared me but now he is up and peeping.

 

[WVduckchick]

First time hatching. I woke up, day 19 1/2 (put then in the incubator in the evening) to this little guy. He seems so lonely. I just leave him in there? He was just laying there which scared me but now he is up and peeping.

View attachment 1072192 View attachment 1072193

So cute! What breed?
Hatching that early, your temps may be a touch on the warm side. Are other eggs pipped?
Moving that one out is a personal decision. Pretty much any time is fine. Sometimes they encourage others to hatch when left in there, sometimes they just cause havoc with the rest of the eggs. So its really up to you.

 

[akorte]

So cute! What breed?
Hatching that early, your temps may be a touch on the warm side. Are other eggs pipped?
Moving that one out is a personal decision. Pretty much any time is fine. Sometimes they encourage others to hatch when left in there, sometimes they just cause havoc with the rest of the eggs. So its really up to you.

This one is a bantam ameracauna, I also have some bantam Golden Campine. 3 more have pipped externally, doesn't look like they are exactly in the correct spot. I did have two temperature spikes (several hours each) in the first week, before I wised up and moved the incubators to the basement. I have had a time trying to monitor temp, with none if the thermometers agreeing. They are also shipped eggs so my expectations are low. I have opted to leave him in there until this evening in the hopes that he will have a buddy by then. I will try to get a picture of the other pips.

 

[akorte]

The pictures are super fuzzy because they are in the Janoel 12 knock of which is basically a Tupperware container. It's easier to see in real life, the camera wants to focus on the plastic.

Come out and play guys!!!

 

[akorte]

Starting too crack down the side. How

big a deal is it that this is the small end?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Starting too crack down the side. HowView attachment 1072595 big a deal is it that this is the small end?

If it can move to hatch on it's own, it's not a big deal. Just keep an eye on it and if it goes to far past 24 hours from pip you may want to at least start an assist. Make sure the position is going to let it progress.

 

[Yardpimp]

I have helped 1 chick come out but then again I am new at incubating (only 2 chicken and 1 quail hatch so far).I need to learn the lingo though, what does pip or pipping mean? I see nothing wrong with helping like kuchchicks said maybe God put us there for that purpose.I open the lid during the hatch to get dry birds out so they don't demolish everybody else who hasn't made it yet.My hatch rate is in the 80s as far as percentage so to me that's not bad for a rookie,I could be wrong but like I said I am new at this.Please post helpful tips as to what to do and when you should and how much help to give.Thanks guys and gals I will be checking this thread at every hatch!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I have helped 1 chick come out but then again I am new at incubating (only 2 chicken and 1 quail hatch so far).I need to learn the lingo though, what does pip or pipping mean? I see nothing wrong with helping like kuchchicks said maybe God put us there for that purpose.I open the lid during the hatch to get dry birds out so they don't demolish everybody else who hasn't made it yet.My hatch rate is in the 80s as far as percentage so to me that's not bad for a rookie,I could be wrong but like I said I am new at this.Please post helpful tips as to what to do and when you should and how much help to give.Thanks guys and gals I will be checking this thread at every hatch!

Welcome to hatching ant to the thread!

There are two types of pips. The first one, internal pip, you don't usually see unless you are candling after lockdown because it is when the bird pierces the membrane into the air cell and is able to get the beak up into the air cell. (At this point you can often hear peeping from inside the shell. The second, the external pip, is when the chick breaches the shell. It's the first bump or crack you see in the shell when it breaks through. The final step before the push out is the zip. This is when the chick starts turning in a circle breaking the shell as it goes. Then it pushes until it frees itself.

Once a chick internally pips it can take any where from a few hours to 24+ to external pip. Once it externally pips it can take another 24 hours to zip and hatch out. Most of mine average 12-18 hours, but unless there is an obvious problem, I don't start an assist until 24 hours after the external pip. Usually when someone is talking about pips or pipping they are talking about the external pip.

 

[KaylorFarms]

I know I ask a lot of questions but this one had me wondering,

On my 7 egg incubator, it says, turn off incubator when taking the lid off, Than it says it takes 20 minutes to preheat. But wouldn't that mean everytime I turn the eggs, I have to wait 20 minutes just for it to preheat again?
Won't the eggs get cold?
Sorry, I'm such a worrier