Hands on hatching and help

[Blooie]

Parts of California = $$. Store bought around here are $4ish and $6ish organic, I think. I'm going to look on CL and see what people are selling local for.
Yup, he's got his belly feathers and now the wings are starting. At first I kept thinking his chest was wet and not drying...duh! Then I realized it was his feathers! Now just what looks like shoulder blades are starting to come in. My 1 1/2 year old feeds him live mealworms (the small ones) and they both LOVE it. Good to know about the Angel wing though. I did not know that....Thank you!! Now he nibbles on the babies fingers all the time because he's used to him hand feeding him the worms and the baby just cracks up every time!
That first pic is a great male/female comparison picture!!
Is something getting to the eggs and breaking them open? Maybe a hen or a predator?
They look good to me too!

Oh my goodness! I remember that egg!! My son was helping me collect eggs that day and he puts them in the carton, pointy end down and he said "this one doesn't have a pointy end, you figure it out, mom.". And we took a pic of it because it was so round. That's just so funny!

Oh, sure!!! Didja hafta tell me you and your son had a prior personal relationship with that one egg? No pressure here......

 

[WildHens]

This is day 15.  The air cells were marked yesterday but there was no change tonight so I went with it!     I agree about that far lower left left one.....but it's an almost perfectly round egg too, if that makes a difference just appearance wise - kinda like an optical delusion!  

@amylynn
 I'll run in and move that right now before the incubator gets back up to temp.  Thanks guys!  I feel better!

I think it may be an illusion bc if you compare it to the egg right beside it, they are the same height and the air cell lines are identical
I'd say they look great over all ♡♡

 

[Blooie]

I can't believe lockdown is sneaking up already. Been kinda dreading it because from what I've read and seen in my own incubator before, so much can happen at that point with even eggs that had strong embryos in them. But I sure am not dreading this one as much as I did the others - good to know the air cells look okay. On the other eggs they were so huge even from the start. Woohoo! This is gonna happen!! Suppose I should have Katie spend the night when that first pip happens!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Parts of California = $$. Store bought around here are $4ish and $6ish organic, I think. I'm going to look on CL and see what people are selling local for.
Yup, he's got his belly feathers and now the wings are starting. At first I kept thinking his chest was wet and not drying...duh! Then I realized it was his feathers! Now just what looks like shoulder blades are starting to come in. My 1 1/2 year old feeds him live mealworms (the small ones) and they both LOVE it. Good to know about the Angel wing though. I did not know that....Thank you!! Now he nibbles on the babies fingers all the time because he's used to him hand feeding him the worms and the baby just cracks up every time!
That first pic is a great male/female comparison picture!!
Is something getting to the eggs and breaking them open? Maybe a hen or a predator?
They look good to me too!
Oh my goodness! I remember that egg!! My son was helping me collect eggs that day and he puts them in the carton, pointy end down and he said "this one doesn't have a pointy end, you figure it out, mom.". And we took a pic of it because it was so round. That's just so funny!

Peas!!! Get frozen peas, just thaw some out and give them to him... those are something the kids can give him more of and no worries...

 

[Ravynscroft]

I can't believe lockdown is sneaking up already.  Been kinda dreading it because from what I've read and seen in my own incubator before, so much can happen at that point with even eggs that had strong embryos in them.  But I sure am not dreading this one as much as I did the others - good to know the air cells look okay.  On the other eggs they were so huge even from the start.  Woohoo!  This is gonna happen!!  Suppose I should have Katie spend the night when that first pip happens!

Having Katie spend the night sounds like a grand idea...

 

[Ravynscroft]

@RubyNala97

I can't remember, did I show you this???


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/242460/the-ultimate-list-of-duck-treats-and-supplements

 

[tracyjg]

The ants the only thing as predator that can fit other then people. I don't think my duck is doing it.

 

[NewChickieFarm]

Ok, I can't wait anymore, I'm asking for help.
Backstory: My Roo passed away, I was so upset I tried getting my hen to go broody so I could have a couple of his off spring. After a week of the hen refusing to go broody, I didn't want to lose the fertile eggs so I rushed out to Tractor Supply, bought an incubator and put the eggs in as outlined in the instructions. I was emotionally driven but didn't have much hope since they were laid after his death and sat in a nest box for a week but when I candled them, several had growing babies!!
Yesterday was day 18 so I decided to candle before I put them on lockdown when I noticed one had internally pipped and another had externally pipped! Oh god it's scared me bc I know it's too early. Well I can home last night and the one that externally pipped made very little progress and the internal pipped had made a hole.
As of this morning it's been 22 hours since the first pip and it has hardly any progress. It's still alive, it responds to questions that I ask it...too bad I don't speak chick to know if it needs help. My biggest fear is the humidity being too low. I know I can't trust the gauge on my incubator but it refuses to rise over 58%, even with all the wells full of water and a wet cloth.
Here's the egg I'm worried about:

Please...any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[NewChickieFarm]

Ok so I went a tiny bit hands on with the first egg, I felt so guilty since its been drilled into my head that we aren't suppose to touch them, but in my heart of hearts I just felt something was wrong and my humidity was to blame, so if it's my fault that the chick is having issues, then isn't it my responsibility to help it out? Well, that's what I used as my excuse to work up the courage. The chick was becoming less vocal so I was afraid of it suffocating. I started gently chipping at the egg and once I broke the membrane over the beak, it started singing! Such a beautiful sound! I got quite a bit done until I saw a tad of blood so I quickly wrapped it in a wet paper towel and put it back in the incubator. That was almost an hour ago and it is still singing non stop lol. Here's a pic of it when I started peeling the shell away.

Now for my new questions:
-it has a bit of a "click" when it breathes, is that normal?
-also, how long should I wait before trying to assist again?

 

[quackshack74]

RubyNala97 RavynFallen AmyLynn2374,
Sunday about 6:30AM I still see three internal pip from egg 1 & some serious breathing. I 1st found internal pip last night.
2nd egg still about the same, with just a tad more drawback no movement in #2. (Hopefully resting) getting worried I may have some sticky egg issues going on.

This was a picture from last night.
Temperature 99to100F humidity good 60/70%.
What ya think?