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[melamom]

Hi, we are newbies here. We are also newbies at hatching eggs. We set our eggs late afternoon on the 6th. Would you consider today being day 21 or tomorrow? We started with 21 eggs and after candeling we are at 13. We have 4 eggs that have pipped today and we are hearing lots of peeping. How long does it normally take for them to completly hatch once they have piped? Just curious and VERY excited!
Thanks

 

[BamaChicken]

Well looks like you are into the hatch so I wouldn't be concerned what day it is. It can take up to three days to complete the hatch. Just keep your humidity above 60 percent or if you filled the trays when you quit turning them they should be okay as extra humidity happens as the chicks hatch. I just finish a hatch that started Wed nite and finished last hatch Friday Morn.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Today is day 21 for you....just have patience!!...eggs can hatch from day 19 to day 25....can take up to and beyond 24 hours from pip to hatch...don't open the bator... they can make it in the bator for up to 3 days..they need time to fluff up anyway before going in a brooder box... chicks live off their yolk sacs ..opening the bator alot takes away your temps and humidity for the other chicks to pip and hatch...

 

[melamom]

I am not sure what the humidty is. The folks we got eggs and bator from said to just drop a few drops of water in the top in the begining. We have the temp set and steady throughout the whole time but no way to monitor humidty. The eggs were on electric turner that we took out on the 18th day. I have been reading that your humidty should be high during hatch so I did put more water in the bottom but I believe it is gone. Do you thin kI should put in more?
The 4 that have cracked are chirping and wiggiling.
This is quite addicting and worse than having a baby. Not sure how you guys do this all the time. lol

 

[Tuffoldhen]

What type of incubator do you have?....most of us have water wells or toughs that we keep our water levels at with a humidity gauge help...

I don't want to compromise your hatch so I have no idea about adding more water at this stage if you have to open the bator....opening it is not good if you have pips.....

 

[silkiechicken]

Since they are hatching, let them finish and don't do any thing else. I never measure humidity so if they are making it out, should be just fine.

 

[melamom]

It says Hova-Bator model #1602N It is stryofoam. Does that help any?

 

[melamom]

By the way, I do not have to open it there is a whole at top where you can take a medicine dropper and drop the water through. I am gettin gvery nervous. How do you all handle the stress

 

[Tuffoldhen]

You should be okay then with that type bator...and your water well should be at a good level...As the chicks start pipping and hatching that causes the humidity to increase and you won't have to add anymore water....

It never gets any easier, all hatches are stressful on humans!!...lol...just have patience that they know when to zip out...

 

[luvzmybabz]

I just had 1 hatch 32 hours after pip. so yeah It can take a while.