Hatch help

[LedgeWoods]

First year hatching pea eggs in an incubator - have hatched many chicks/chickens prior. My first 3 eggs will reach 28 days this Friday. Yesterday morning, there was one pipped already, so I moved the first 3 eggs out of turner to hatcher incubator. This morning (24 hours later) no progress on the chick that's pipped. He's active in there - I can see him move. He's turned this morning, but no zipping yet. I opened the hole up to about the size of a quarter at about 26 hours. He's breathing and making peeping sounds & not shrink wrapped.

Since he's actually early to hatch, do I leave him hatch on his own? My "game plan" was to leave him be throughout the day & if there's no progress by 36 hours, I'd help him out. Bad idea???

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

Not bad at all, after 36 hours from the first pip help him slowly and stop at the first sign of blood.

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

If you have the time you might want to read this thread, especially post #169 by @AugeredIn .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/474334/incubating-peafowl-eggs-thread/160

 

[LedgeWoods]

I've been helping him along throughout the day - little bits at a time, then some warm water on the exposed membrane so he doesn't get shrink-wrapped. He has one foot out - thought he'd propel himself out of the egg, but instead just sits in the egg peeping with a little squirm occassionally. I'm giving him until 6:00 this evening, then going to coerce him out. About noon today the other two eggs pipped...

 

[DylansMom]

I've been helping him along throughout the day - little bits at a time, then some warm water on the exposed membrane so he doesn't get shrink-wrapped. He has one foot out - thought he'd propel himself out of the egg, but instead just sits in the egg peeping with a little squirm occassionally. I'm giving him until 6:00 this evening, then going to coerce him out. About noon today the other two eggs pipped...

I usually try to get them to the point where one wing is out and the head as well. Then I wrap a moist paper towel around them egg and all, like a little shawl, then lay them back in the hatcher and wait. They usually pull themselves loose and out... when ready. I did this for my last singleton this morning and then we were gone all day, when I got home it was out of the egg and learning to sit up. Once the head is out, it is really up to them more than you. IMO

 

[casportpony]

Can you post pictures?

-Kathy

 

[LedgeWoods]

I gently helped him out of his shell about an hour and a half ago...very little blood and a wad of poo in the shell. Put him back in the hatcher to strengthen up. I just checked in on him and he was pasted with dried debris from the shell, so I gave him a warm bath, dried him a bit and now he's under the heat lamp perking up slowly. Crossing my fingers he/she is cruising around strong in the morning. Thanks for the input everyone! Now waiting for the next two to emerge

 

[LedgeWoods]

My little project is alive and well this morning. Holding his head up and moving around. Overnight, the other 2 eggs in the hatcher zipped and hatched successfully on their own which was an added bonus to wake up to this morning! I honestly believe that if I had not intervened, he would not have hatched successfully as he was turning in the shell without zipping & likely would've suffocated - seen it happen with chicken chicks. 2 more set to hatch next week and 2 more the following week.

I've left one of my pea hens make her own nest to see if she'll hatch out some on her own. There were 7 eggs in there as of yesterday & she hasn't started sitting on them yet. Anyone have any input as to how long hens will wait to start sitting? It's been 12 days since she started laying the eggs...will they even be viable yet??

 

[Peafowlssssssss]

I think its better to take her eggs and keep them inside and replace them with decoy eggs or chicken eggs, after she decide to go broody you can give her her eggs back.

 

[DylansMom]

My little project is alive and well this morning. Holding his head up and moving around. Overnight, the other 2 eggs in the hatcher zipped and hatched successfully on their own which was an added bonus to wake up to this morning!

I honestly believe that if I had not intervened, he would not have hatched successfully as he was turning in the shell without zipping & likely would've suffocated - seen it happen with chicken chicks. 2 more set to hatch next week and 2 more the following week.

I've left one of my pea hens make her own nest to see if she'll hatch out some on her own. There were 7 eggs in there as of yesterday & she hasn't started sitting on them yet. Anyone have any input as to how long hens will wait to start sitting? It's been 12 days since she started laying the eggs...will they even be viable yet??

They are still viable, I routinely stick 12 day old eggs in the bator and they do fine, I think 15 days was the oldest I tried that hatched. q8 has a point though, she may lay them all and never sit, just depends on how broody she feels.