Help! stopped turning eggs too early

[aroostercalledBrownie]

I think I may of stopped turning eggs a little too early, it's been four days since I stopped and they haven't hatched. It is their 23rd day in incubator and they are wobbling around and may of peeped a couple of times. I think they may hatch tomorrow or the day after that. Will they be okay?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Welcome to BYC! Taking them out of the auto turner or putting them on "lockdown" on day 18 of incubation is great. There have been studies done showing that even if you stop turning as early as day 13 there were little to no detrimental effects to the hatch. Now, day 23 is still a bit late for chicks to start hatching but it may be because the thermometer was reading incorrectly or you have cold spots in your incubator, lower temps can lead to late hatches. What kind of incubator are you using? What do you have the humidity set at right now?

 

[aroostercalledBrownie]

Welcome to BYC! Taking them out of the auto turner or putting them on "lockdown" on day 18 of incubation is great. There have been studies done showing that even if you stop turning as early as day 13 there were little to no detrimental effects to the hatch. Now, day 23 is still a bit late for chicks to start hatching but it may be because the thermometer was reading incorrectly or you have cold spots in your incubator, lower temps can lead to late hatches. What kind of incubator are you using? What do you have the humidity set at right now?

Thank you so much for your reply! I am using a brinsea incubator, it has a maximum occupancy of seven eggs, and I am hatching three. They all appear to fertilized! One started pipping at 6:30 and fully hatched at 6:45! I am not sure how to monitor the humidity level, but I do fill a grate with water, and the water level goes down in there, so I assume that controls the humidity. Thank you so much!

 

[Mvan42]

If one has hatched, give them time.. you may want to candle see if they have internally piped, and look for movement. Beak through the air cell. If so I agree temp may have been a little low... I am assuming it is day 24 or getting close to it. They can still hatch if they are still moving. I have heard of them hatching up to day 27.. good luck and keep us updated

 

[aroostercalledBrownie]

If one has hatched, give them time.. you may ant to candle see if they have internally piped, and look for movement. Beak through the air cell. If so I agree temp may have been a little low... I am assuming it is day 24 or getting close to it. They can still hatch if they are still moving. I have heard of them hatching up to day 27.. good luck and keep us updated
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Thank you so much for the advice, it makes me feel much better about my eggs and chick! I can't candle the eggs because I don't own the special thing that is used, and I don't have a flashlight. The eggs have started to peep so I am assuming there is growth in both of them, and I am very happy about that. I am typing this while sitting by the incubator and observing my eggs and chick who is completely trampling them. I think I will name him/her Brownie, after his/her father, who we had to get rid of very much against our will. I really miss my little Brownie Boy! second egg has just started pipping and the last one is peeping like crazy. Should I take the eggshells from the first hatch out? How long could I keep the chick(s) in the incubator?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Should I take the eggshells from the first hatch out? How long could I keep the chick(s) in the incubator?

I'm glad to hear it sounds like they are hatching successfully now! Wait to remove the eggshells until all of the chicks with external pips are hatched, this will keep the humidity more stable as they are actively hatching. Leave the chicks in the incubator until they are dry so that they won't get a chill in the brooder. Keep us updated!

 

[aroostercalledBrownie]

Thank you all for the support you have given me! The third egg pipped once and then stopped completely for two hours. Is this okay? is it still moving around a lot though and sometimes peeping. Could it be possible that it starts pipping today, stops, and then hatches tomorrow? I heard that chicks eat their eggshells and membrane after they hatch, is this true?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you all for the support you have given me! The third egg pipped once and then stopped completely for two hours. Is this okay? is it still moving around a lot though and sometimes peeping. Could it be possible that it starts pipping today, stops, and then hatches tomorrow? I heard that chicks eat their eggshells and membrane after they hatch, is this true?

Yes, that's normal. It may take several hours before the chick starts to zip. Once you see an external pip the chick will often rest and take time to absorb the rest of the blood and yolk sac before proceeding to hatch. Once you see a pip you're in good shape though! Once they're getting oxygen there is very little worry and more of just a waiting game, it could be tonight, it could be tomorrow.

You may have heard that broody hens will eat some of the shells while the chicks are hatching but chicks do not eat their shells, they might peck at them out of curiosity while drying and waiting to go into the brooder.

 

[aroostercalledBrownie]

Yes, that's normal. It may take several hours before the chick starts to zip. Once you see an external pip the chick will often rest and take time to absorb the rest of the blood and yolk sac before proceeding to hatch. Once you see a pip you're in good shape though! Once they're getting oxygen there is very little worry and more of just a waiting game, it could be tonight, it could be tomorrow.

You may have heard that broody hens will eat some of the shells while the chicks are hatching but chicks do not eat their shells, they might peck at them out of curiosity while drying and waiting to go into the brooder.

Thank you SO much! I was getting really worried! I also heard that you can make a hole in the air compartment of the egg to get oxygen flowing, is this true? I've seen it been done to an emu egg. The egg that had started pipping and then stopped only penetrated the shell and not the membrane, will oxygen still be flowing? I was holding the egg to inspect it when I realized it had started pipping, and I put it back in the incubator with a different side facing up, could this turn affect anything?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you SO much! I was getting really worried! I also heard that you can make a hole in the air compartment of the egg to get oxygen flowing, is this true? I've seen it been done to an emu egg. The egg that had started pipping and then stopped only penetrated the shell and not the membrane, will oxygen still be flowing? I was holding the egg to inspect it when I realized it had started pipping, and I put it back in the incubator with a different side facing up, could this turn affect anything?

The orientation of the egg shouldn't prevent a successful hatch, the only time there are issues with this is when you're experiencing an issue with humidity being too high.

If the chick pipped externally through the shell it's likely that it also penetrated through the membrane. There are actually two membranes, an internal membrane and an external membrane. They pip internally first and then pip through the external shell and membrane. What you're talking about is called a "safety hole" and it isn't necessary once the chick has pipped externally.

Glad I could be of assistance!