Hatching marans- eggs are chirping, no pips.

[Offshoreorca]

so if I dont hear peeping yet, and no pip, but when I hold it to my ear and chirp, I can hear movement, like a faint tap, that doesn't mean necessarily that they have pipped internally-? but if I hear actual chirping it does? is that right?

Rhythmic tapping is also a sign that they have already internally pipped and are attempting to externally pip. So yes, this is another sign of being internally pipped. You should not hear this distinctive tapping or peeping before the internal pip has happened.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I normally wouldn't bother the eggs... but I have had chicks (17 easter eggers) hatching for 30 hours now.

One hatched the night before yesterday.
Three hatched yesterday.
Ten hatched overnight.
Four hatched late this morning. (one marans- the only one so far)
The only eggs left are the marans.
There are 6 eggs and 3 are chirping. No one has pipped.
This morning, none of these eggs were chirping.
At lunch none were chirping. Now 3 are.
Should I wait 12 hours until a pip???
I don't want them to run out of air.

This is day 21. And yes, I counted the day I put the eggs in as day zero.

Just checking back to hear how you are doing?

 

[aart]

Hatching Marans eggs is hard.
Not only is candling usually impossible, the thick coating slows evaporation.

 

[Minky]

I had 7 going into lockdown. 5 hatched. 1 was fully developed in shell, but upside down. BIG BIRD. no room to move, yolk sac not sucked inland abdomen open still.
last egg- when I cracked open I could see fluid so it wasn't fully developed.
not bad. 5 out of 7.
kept humidity at around 40-45 and they all came out nicely - not sticky or crusty.
I scratched up around the pipping line with a set of keys. apparently when broody hens sit, the sand and dirt and scraping helps break down the strong shells. so I did a bit of that- I am prepared for my next marans hatch now- more then 20 eggs this time!

 

[Diana777]

I'd put a safety hole in. I usually do for Maran eggs because the shells are so strong, the last time I didn't they died in shell (DIS).

Do you do safety holes at lock down regardless or do you wait to see if they pip internally?

 

[Zsuzzzs]

With dark shelled eggs, I can’t see anything. When I first set eggs under a broody, I candle and draw a line with a Sharpie fine point pen over the air cell. Every time I candle, I redraw the outline of the air cell as it gets bigger and bigger. If I suspect it’s delayed hatching, I tap and listen with the egg close to my ear. If the chick responds with peeping, I put a sewing needle to the edge of the traced line of the air cell, needle aimed *parallel* (not perpendicular) to the shell aimed towards the blunt end of the egg, and gently scratch a tiny hole.

Hi! I'm hatching BCM eggs for the first time and I'm not sure I understand perfectly the needle part. Could you make a pic / drawing of it so I can help them if necessary? Thank you in advance!