hatching day 21, one chick has hatched, not sure if the others are going to, anxiety!

[crowber]

This is my first hatch, mail-ordered eggs, I wasn't expecting too much. Started with 7 eggs, 5 of them were maybes? at lockdown. The eggs were so dark that candling didn't really tell me too much, but I did see more veining at lockdown than I'd seen before so I was hopeful.

The first chick hatched today on day 21, quite suddenly! I knew I had at least one viable egg because it was peeping last night. I checked for pipping on and off, there was no evidence of pipping at 10am and then somebody hatched before 11:30am instantly like a pokemon lol. I didn't even get to see it!

6 hours later nobody else has hatched or pipped, I *may* have heard more peeps earlier but I haven't heard any extra peeps since so maybe it was just the hatched one being extra peepy. The one that's hatched is just stumbling around bumping all the other eggs and is mostly dried out at this point. When do I make the decision to take them out to the brooder? I don't want to mess up any of the others but I'm not sure that they are going to hatch. Hoping for at least one more so they have a buddy! I feel like this one had an easy hatch so maybe it came early and the rest will come tomorrow if they hatch at all?

I'm in western wa so if anyone knows of anyone with new chicks I might need to buy some friends if the rest don't hatch...

anyhoo let me know if you've been through a similar scenario or any advice so I don't muck this up!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Hello! Did you count the first day as day 1 or 0?

 

[crowber]

Hello! Did you count the first day as day 1 or 0?

Day 0. An update - there is definitely a second egg moving and peeping now! And it's the one I thought had the least chance of being viable so that's a surprise! If I get at least two hatched I will call it a success! I think the first was just an early bird.

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

@crowber how did your hatch go? Any additional chicks?

 

[crowber]

So had some drama tonight waiting on the next peeper to hatch, when the power went out from the storm at about 930p. I was in full panic mode. Covered the incubator with a towel and sloooowly drove to a friend's house with power.

Egg was still moving and peeping despite the trip. I should have just crashed there because I want to keep an eye on them but I'll go in the morning and hopefully the second (or more) will have hatched in the night.

 

[KatsHerd]

So had some drama tonight waiting on the next peeper to hatch, when the power went out from the storm at about 930p. I was in full panic mode. Covered the incubator with a towel and sloooowly drove to a friend's house with power.

Egg was still moving and peeping despite the trip. I should have just crashed there because I want to keep an eye on them but I'll go in the morning and hopefully the second (or more) will have hatched in the night.

In future I definitely wouldn't be too stressed about hatching all on time. I ALWAYS get at least 1 or 2 that hatch early. Then typically after 24hrs I'll move dry ones out & continue waiting on the rest. Sometimes it takes about 48hrs total for all eggs. I wouldn't be TOO concerned until it's a few days past their hatch date, then I typically gently pip eggs to see if there's a viable baby inside that can be saved.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Great! I usually have one that hatches a full day early, then the rest hatch.

 

[crowber]

Brought the incubator back home this morning now that the power is back on, the second egg pipped during the night and I can see/hear the chick moving around. Still nothing from the other eggs, but I moved the hatched one to the brooder so the remaining eggs stop being kicked around if they're trying to move into position still. Hopefully the second baby finds their way out soon.

 

[crowber]

Second one made zero progress all day, I knew not to intervene if I could help it, but I had a feeling that this chick really wasn't going to come out on their own. So I made a decision to help them out this evening, a little at a time to see if it made a difference, and finally opened them up all the way and I'm glad I did because they were completely fused in, all the power outage drama probably didn't help. Yolk all absorbed so it was definitely time, I had to clean off the fused membrane so they could even stand. they're finding their legs now and peeping, looks healthy so far!

When I move this one to the brooder in the morning I'll check the remaining eggs but haven't heard a peep from them yet. I'm just glad I got two so they can be buddies.