HELP! Need advice regarding shelf liner, on day 20

[katiek77]

I marked these a tad above where their air cells were on day 16. I did that in case I had to assist in any way and didn't want to be anywhere near the actual "line".

Some of the lines look good some look a little less than what I like to see them. Day 18 you should mark the line exactly. Your eggs air cell could grow a tiny bit the last couple of days. Here are some of my lines using the dry hatch method. When they pip I always take a pic so I can see how long it took them to pip and unzip. One of the chicks decided it didn’t like the area they pipped so they ended up pipping again. Another one pipped in the middle of the egg. I thought it was drowning on its albumen because it was bubbling when it breathed out. But a little over 24 hours and hatched on its own. And you can see I do not clean my eggs. All I did was take a dry paper towel and knocked off anything that would of prevented them from turning. I’ve never hatched shipped eggs. I have driven an hour in a half to pick eggs up. And I let them sit for 24 hours before setting them if this hatch doesn’t work try finding a local breeder through Facebook swap shops. Still fingers crossed for you. I hope to hear great results.

 

[LynnaePB]

All of my silkie babies hatched within 48 hours after internally pipping (usually less than 24 hours after with most of them). They internally pipped on days 19 and 20. The ones who internally pipped on day 19 hatched sometime during day 20 and the ones who internally pipped on day 20 hatched day 21.

It sounds like you are doing really well with your shipped eggs to have got so many to lockdown! I listed what managed to get to lockdown with my 3 batches but I had a lot of quitters or non starters in the 1st and 3rd group. The first group had 12 eggs initially the second had 16 and the third 15. Still I consider it a win if I get any to hatch, shipping is just such a gamble!

Your air cells look like they are definitely large enough to me, some might be a little extra large but I'd much rather have too large than too small. I've had chicks hatch out of some eggs with huge air cells, I haven't been as lucky with extra small air cells.

I hope your little ones make progress soon, could the temperature possibly have been a little low during incubation causing them to be a little late? In your situation I'd definitely be candling at this point to see whats going on as long as there is still no external pips, it's about day 22 now right?

I really like this assisted hatching guide, if you end up needing to assist this has some really good information. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[dcorrell]

Some of the lines look good some look a little less than what I like to see them. Day 18 you should mark the line exactly. Your eggs air cell could grow a tiny bit the last couple of days. Here are some of my lines using the dry hatch method. When they pip I always take a pic so I can see how long it took them to pip and unzip. One of the chicks decided it didn’t like the area they pipped so they ended up pipping again. Another one pipped in the middle of the egg. I thought it was drowning on its albumen because it was bubbling when it breathed out. But a little over 24 hours and hatched on its own. And you can see I do not clean my eggs. All I did was take a dry paper towel and knocked off anything that would of prevented them from turning. I’ve never hatched shipped eggs. I have driven an hour in a half to pick eggs up. And I let them sit for 24 hours before setting them if this hatch doesn’t work try finding a local breeder through Facebook swap shops. Still fingers crossed for you. I hope to hear great results.

Thanks so much for the pictures and your comments regarding mine! Still nothing yet. Thought I would at least see movement

 

[dcorrell]

All of my silkie babies hatched within 48 hours after internally pipping (usually less than 24 hours after with most of them). They internally pipped on days 19 and 20. The ones who internally pipped on day 19 hatched sometime during day 20 and the ones who internally pipped on day 20 hatched day 21.

It sounds like you are doing really well with your shipped eggs to have got so many to lockdown! I listed what managed to get to lockdown with my 3 batches but I had a lot of quitters or non starters in the 1st and 3rd group. The first group had 12 eggs initially the second had 16 and the third 15. Still I consider it a win if I get any to hatch, shipping is just such a gamble!

Your air cells look like they are definitely large enough to me, some might be a little extra large but I'd much rather have too large than too small. I've had chicks hatch out of some eggs with huge air cells, I haven't been as lucky with extra small air cells.

I hope your little ones make progress soon, could the temperature possibly have been a little low during incubation causing them to be a little late? In your situation I'd definitely be candling at this point to see whats going on as long as there is still no external pips, it's about day 22 now right?

I really like this assisted hatching guide, if you end up needing to assist this has some really good information. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

I tried to candle through the window but they are just a little too far away I don't see anything different today either I tried to listen by the window but you know how loud these incubators are! I have two of them and I just put the other in lockdown too. Those eggs are also silkies from another farm - again mailed. But, these were very active little sweeties in their eggs so I locked down a day early. Now I get to be double nervous! I have read that at least five times LOL and am hoping I don't have to assist!

 

[LynnaePB]

Sorry to hear you aren't able to get a look in those eggs, I hope your younger group hatches in a more normal time frame and saves you some stress (and that you don't have to assist)!

My silkie babies didn't peep very often at all once they internally pipped. They'd peep maybe a few times and then go quiet for a few hours.

 

[dcorrell]

Sorry to hear you aren't able to get a look in those eggs, I hope your younger group hatches in a more normal time frame and saves you some stress (and that you don't have to assist)!

My silkie babies didn't peep very often at all once they internally pipped. They'd peep maybe a few times and then go quiet for a few hours.

Oh my gosh! I swear I'm having a stroke! My 2nd bator wasn't holding its humidity so I fixed it like I did the other and put a few sponge pieces in the bottom. When I put it all back, one of the eggs rolled off and cracked and chipped! the small end has cracks and the large end over the air cell chipped away a lot but not through the membrane. I quickly candled it and the baby is still moving around. I melted some birthday candle wax over the cracks and put scotch tape then silk tape over the rest. I candled again and the baby is still moving. So back in the bator I put it. I cut just the smallest bit of shelf liner and placed the piece just under the small end of the egg so it would sit on its side. I thought that would take some pressure off of it. I thought if it has any trouble pipping I will wait until the other 5 have hatched and made it out of the bator, then carefully take the tape off the egg cell end. THEN as I am doing all of that, I hear some chirping!!! I look in the other bator and just ONE of the eggs has the smallest pip in it! AHHHH!!!!

 

[dcorrell]

Some of the lines look good some look a little less than what I like to see them. Day 18 you should mark the line exactly. Your eggs air cell could grow a tiny bit the last couple of days. Here are some of my lines using the dry hatch method. When they pip I always take a pic so I can see how long it took them to pip and unzip. One of the chicks decided it didn’t like the area they pipped so they ended up pipping again. Another one pipped in the middle of the egg. I thought it was drowning on its albumen because it was bubbling when it breathed out. But a little over 24 hours and hatched on its own. And you can see I do not clean my eggs. All I did was take a dry paper towel and knocked off anything that would of prevented them from turning. I’ve never hatched shipped eggs. I have driven an hour in a half to pick eggs up. And I let them sit for 24 hours before setting them if this hatch doesn’t work try finding a local breeder through Facebook swap shops. Still fingers crossed for you. I hope to hear great results.

OH MY GOSH! LOOK AT MY OTHER POST TO LYNNAEPB! I'M A NERVOUS WRECK!

 

[LynnaePB]

Oh no I'm sorry about the dropped egg, as long as the blood vessels aren't broken I think it still has a good chance! Even if some blood vessels did break as long as it wasn't very large vessels it might still do ok. When you have to do a full assist you usually remove a large section of the shell over the air cell so even if that is missing the baby will hopefully be ok. It's good that it's taped up though since it's in with the other eggs, once they start hatching it's important that it is protected, you could always make a small safety hole if the tape is in the way of where it might externally pip to make sure it gets enough oxygen after it internally pips. Good luck with that little one, I hope it hatches alright!

And congratulations on the little one who made a pip, that is fantastic news, I was worried they were so late but maybe the temp was just a little low if you've got a first pip!

 

[katiek77]

OH MY GOSH! LOOK AT MY OTHER POST TO LYNNAEPB! I'M A NERVOUS WRECK!

I can see that. Lol. Accidents happen. Sounds like you mended it nicely. If it will help ease your nerves you can take an egg out that is overdue and candle it and drill a safety hole to check on it.

 

[katiek77]

Oh my gosh! I swear I'm having a stroke! My 2nd bator wasn't holding its humidity so I fixed it like I did the other and put a few sponge pieces in the bottom. When I put it all back, one of the eggs rolled off and cracked and chipped! the small end has cracks and the large end over the air cell chipped away a lot but not through the membrane. I quickly candled it and the baby is still moving around. I melted some birthday candle wax over the cracks and put scotch tape then silk tape over the rest. I candled again and the baby is still moving. So back in the bator I put it. I cut just the smallest bit of shelf liner and placed the piece just under the small end of the egg so it would sit on its side. I thought that would take some pressure off of it. I thought if it has any trouble pipping I will wait until the other 5 have hatched and made it out of the bator, then carefully take the tape off the egg cell end. THEN as I am doing all of that, I hear some chirping!!! I look in the other bator and just ONE of the eggs has the smallest pip in it! AHHHH!!!!

I missed the pip part. Congratulations. I’m so happy!! So there is hope for the others also. Maybe them hearing the chirping you will get more pips. So excited for you!!