HELP FAST!!!! I am new at this!

[fantastic4]

I set eggs late night on 3/13. I can see the eggs twitch every now and then so I think they are fine if I can see the eggs slightly move. They wont hatch! What can I do? I don't want them to go too long and die in there!

 

[smchickfarm]

there is really nothing you can do but wait. I know it is hard.

What has your temperature been running? What is your humidity??

 

[t/m]

Just wanted to say I'll be watching this as I have my 1st batch in now. Have they pipped yet, how is your humidity? What are you using to incubate? Did you read the sticky on candling and go all the way to the bottom, they have info on how long hatching might take.

and

from VA!

 

[Oceanseve]

Mine started twitching two days ago, finally had one pip this morning, still waiting on the rest, finally hearing chirps from the unpipped ones. If you just can't stand it you could always take one out and "help" by poking into the air cell to see what's going on, but keep in mind you might end up killing it. It's a gamble. Depends on which side you go with, some say if they don't hatch they were weak and you don't want them in your flock, but if you think you screwed something up while incubating and don't agree with that logic you might want to help. It's hard to sit and do nothing. I'm helping my one that pipped cause it started at the small end, hope I don't kill it, but he's not chirping either, just making strange noises. He's probably doomed, so I don't feel bad helping him.

 

[TheDuckLady]

From what I understand, baby chicks are supposed to be able to survive off their sac for about 72 hours, and it can take that long for them to hatch. How is the humidity? Temp? Some babies just take a little bit longer to hatch. If earlier on the temp was too low, they can take longer to hatch & in the same manor, they can hatch too early if the temp was too high. This is just what I have found from researching my own hatchlings, having the only differentiating factor being the heat. I have found that (with 4 eggs) having the temp at a constant 101, for the first 2 weeks, than set to 99 for the remainder, the babies hatched 4 days early, but had problems with pipping and hatching & 2 died. I did another trial with the temp being at a constant 97 for 2 weeks and the remainder being at 99, they took an extra 3 days to finally come out of the shell after the initial pip; 2 of them died as well. I also had a third with 4 eggs, 99 temp the entire time. These were done with eggs that came from the same chicken, 4 in each hatch, the same make/model incubator, and set at the same time with precise turning, and adding water. They were all on a "turn 1/4 turn every 8 hours" the entire time with the exception of lockdown. I kept humidity about 75-80 in all 3. IDK if any of this helps, but please keep us updated.

 

[46hillbilly]

Odds are that God set their Time Clocks; they will likely come out soon if moving.
Had 6 kids of chckens and they hatched at about 26-28 days if I am remembering right. Not sure anymore; but, we rarely lost over 2 out of 100.

 

[fantastic4]

i don't have a hygrometer but i have the styrofoam incubator w/ auto turner from TSC. I have done the best I could at 99.5 with the occasional varrience a few degree since I live in GA and it isn't hot enough to turn on a/c and have a constant temp. in the house :/ I did add two small cups of water at 17 days to increase humidity. I couldn't stand it so i did break away a little of the shell on the most active one (did not tear into membrane and no bleeding) the shell kept cracking because of movement and i pulled it away afraid it would tear. seems fully developed and fine but just cased in the membrane. I can't see the beak pushing through anywhere. Hummm....what now? I put some water on it with a syringe water from the cup in incubator so it was same temp and just replaced my "sack of chick"

 

[t/m]

DuckLady,
What was the outcome of your 3rd hatch?

From what I understand, baby chicks are supposed to be able to survive off their sac for about 72 hours, and it can take that long for them to hatch. How is the humidity? Temp? Some babies just take a little bit longer to hatch. If earlier on the temp was too low, they can take longer to hatch & in the same manor, they can hatch too early if the temp was too high. This is just what I have found from researching my own hatchlings, having the only differentiating factor being the heat. I have found that (with 4 eggs) having the temp at a constant 101, for the first 2 weeks, than set to 99 for the remainder, the babies hatched 4 days early, but had problems with pipping and hatching & 2 died. I did another trial with the temp being at a constant 97 for 2 weeks and the remainder being at 99, they took an extra 3 days to finally come out of the shell after the initial pip; 2 of them died as well. I also had a third with 4 eggs, 99 temp the entire time. These were done with eggs that came from the same chicken, 4 in each hatch, the same make/model incubator, and set at the same time with precise turning, and adding water. They were all on a "turn 1/4 turn every 8 hours" the entire time with the exception of lockdown. I kept humidity about 75-80 in all 3. IDK if any of this helps, but please keep us updated.

 

[fantastic4]

I am on Day 24 and going nuts! I have 8 eggs on day 24, 15 on 23, 15 on 22, and 12 on 21. They are most all moving around in there but no sounds and NO BABIES! They are in my bathroom (the tub has hot water in it) and I put 2 wash cloths in the bottom of the incubator in addition to the water tray in bottom. The egg I cracked did die, so I disected it :// Fully formed and looked good but the membrain sure seemed thick to me?! Maybe tough is a better word? IDK Im going nuts. I also put a heater in the bathroom and got it to about 85 degrees and took the lid off and quickly installed a PC fan into the incubator to try to circulate. As best I can tell the eggs only dropped to 97.9 so I hope the fan helps and the increase humidity.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

How it going? If I am understanding things right, you didn't have a fan until you put one in on day 24? Then you had a still air bator and the temp should have been 100.5-101 degrees. A fan doesn't increase the humidity, it only circulates the air.