Hatching help appreciated!!

[Sylver Queen]

Hi there! This is my first time incubating turkey eggs and I'm concerned for them and would appreciate input from experienced hatchers...

Info: Eggs were approximately 5 to 7 days old, stored properly big end up and cool, I put them in a Brinsea Ovation 28 EX at 99.5° and 55% humidity, and they developed very well. Went to put them into lockdown today on day 25 and they had already internally pipped and were peeping at me! The trouble is, after 7 days I put chicken eggs in with them and I was concerned that everybody's air cell might be too small, so for the last 4 days I dropped humidity to a dry hatch after keeping it at 55% all along. I'm concerned now that the drop in humidity the last 4 days caused them to hatch early! They peeped at me when I put them into lockdown and I bumped the humidity to 65% immediately, but anyone have experience with internal pips and peeping on day 25 and turkey babies being okay?? I do not think there were any external pips as I only noticed internal when I candled and then of course heard them talking. Thanks for any help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Your instincts are good but since they are already internally pipping, it is probably too late to lower the humidity enough to affect the aircell. 55 was most likely too high for the duration of incubation. Humidity won't change the day on which they hatch. More likely, the temperature was above the 99.5 showing on the display. It is common for them to be wrong. With the small air cells, the humidity will likeley go up on its own as they hatch. Really, you don't want the air to be too dry for pipping because of shrink wrapping concerns.
Did you add the chicken eggs to hatch at the same time to be tutors for the poults?

 

[casportpony]

anyone have experience with internal pips and peeping on day 25 and turkey babies being okay??

The majority of my turkeys pip internally on day 24-26, and hatch on day 26 or day 27.

 

[Sylver Queen]

Your instincts are good but since they are already internally pipping, it is probably too late to lower the humidity enough to affect the aircell. 55 was most likely too high for the duration of incubation. Humidity won't change the day on which they hatch. More likely, the temperature was above the 99.5 showing on the display. It is common for them to be wrong. With the small air cells, the humidity will likeley go up on its own as they hatch. Really, you don't want the air to be too dry for pipping because of shrink wrapping concerns.
Did you add the chicken eggs to hatch at the same time to be tutors for the poults?

Thank you for your response. My independent Govee showed the incubator holding at exactly 99.5, I'm impressed with this incubator! Thankfully I dropped the humidity 4 days ago and the air cells are definitely bigger, and they're obviously breathing because they're talking to me. I upped the humidity to 65% immediately and just hoping that shrinking their space did not have them pip too soon.

 

[Sylver Queen]

The majority of my turkeys pip internally on day 24-26, and hatch on day 26 or day 27.

Thank you SO much. I'll sleep better tonight knowing that, regardless of what happens. I appreciate you!

 

[R2elk]

Hi there! This is my first time incubating turkey eggs and I'm concerned for them and would appreciate input from experienced hatchers...

Info: Eggs were approximately 5 to 7 days old, stored properly big end up and cool, I put them in a Brinsea Ovation 28 EX at 99.5° and 55% humidity, and they developed very well. Went to put them into lockdown today on day 25 and they had already internally pipped and were peeping at me! The trouble is, after 7 days I put chicken eggs in with them and I was concerned that everybody's air cell might be too small, so for the last 4 days I dropped humidity to a dry hatch after keeping it at 55% all along. I'm concerned now that the drop in humidity the last 4 days caused them to hatch early! They peeped at me when I put them into lockdown and I bumped the humidity to 65% immediately, but anyone have experience with internal pips and peeping on day 25 and turkey babies being okay?? I do not think there were any external pips as I only noticed internal when I candled and then of course heard them talking. Thanks for any help!

I incubate turkey eggs at about 35% humidity and raise it to 65% to 70% for lockdown.

I do not recommend brooding chicks and poults together due to the imprinting which can cause serious problems later. When the turkeys become adults they are not capable of understanding that chickens are not turkeys. When they treat the chickens the same as they treat other turkeys it can end up badly for the chickens especially if it is a tom trying to breed a chicken.

There is also the feed issue with poults needing a high protein turkey or game bird starter which the chicks don't need.

 

[Sylver Queen]

I incubate turkey eggs at about 35% humidity and raise it to 65% to 70% for lockdown.

I do not recommend brooding chicks and poults together due to the imprinting which can cause serious problems later. When the turkeys become adults they are not capable of understanding that chickens are not turkeys. When they treat the chickens the same as they treat other turkeys it can end up badly for the chickens especially if it is a tom trying to breed a chicken.

There is also the feed issue with poults needing a high protein turkey or game bird starter which the chicks don't need.

Thank you for your response. I will not be brooding them together, only incubating. They will be fed separately and no imprinting. ;-) I was concerned that if I have the humidity much lower than the incubator manual recommends, which is 55%, I would have issue, but it's a relief to know they can hatch at much lower humidities, thank you!! I had an external pip in the night, hoping for the best!

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for your response. I will not be brooding them together, only incubating. They will be fed separately and no imprinting. ;-) I was concerned that if I have the humidity much lower than the incubator manual recommends, which is 55%, I would have issue, but it's a relief to know they can hatch at much lower humidities, thank you!! I had an external pip in the night, hoping for the best!

Good luck.

 

[Sylver Queen]

The majority of my turkeys pip internally on day 24-26, and hatch on day 26 or day 27.

So now it's been over 24 hours since the first pip and the other two poults have now pipped as well and the first egg is still moving but has still not begun to zip. I've read it can take up to 48 hours but of course I'm nervous. I dropped the temp a bit and raised the humidity to 70%, but these eggs came from a neighbor's turkey who laid them in my carport and he says he always has to help them out of their shells and they have health problems. He said the same things about his chickens though and I hatched his out no problem, so I'm hoping it was incubating conditions. Not inclined to step in but does anyone have experience with zipping taking longer than 24 hours to begin? Thank you!!

 

[R2elk]

So now it's been over 24 hours since the first pip and the other two poults have now pipped as well and the first egg is still moving but has still not begun to zip. I've read it can take up to 48 hours but of course I'm nervous. I dropped the temp a bit and raised the humidity to 70%, but these eggs came from a neighbor's turkey who laid them in my carport and he says he always has to help them out of their shells and they have health problems. He said the same things about his chickens though and I hatched his out no problem, so I'm hoping it was incubating conditions. Not inclined to step in but does anyone have experience with zipping taking longer than 24 hours to begin? Thank you!!

It's not uncommon for one that pips early without any zipping to end up needing assistance due to shrink wrapping especially in a forced air incubator.