Help123456
Hatching
- May 11, 2019
- 2
- 1
- 4
This is my first time hatching with a broody, and also my first time hatching my own chickens. Ever. Things were going well until yesterday (day 21) the hen started to eat the chicks as they pipped. She ate two before I found out and took the eggs away from her. I moved them to my Hovabator which I use for hatching reptile eggs. They've been in here since about 3:00 yesterday. There are six eggs remaining, three of which were pipped when I removed them and three of which have pipped since I put them in the incubator. The temp is around 99/100 and the humidity is between 70 and 75.
One of the chicks I am particularly concerned about. The shell was very open when I found it and I don't know if that was the chick or the hen's doing. The chick has been peeping and moving but is now more quiet and still. The membrane seems to be drying out and turning brown so I put coconut oil on it. The chick hasn't made much progress since yesterday and around 2:00 today will be about 24 hours since I found it open.
How does this egg look to you guys? Is there anything else I should do? At what point should I assist? I know that they can sometimes take a very long time to hatch and assisting can be harmful.
One of the chicks I am particularly concerned about. The shell was very open when I found it and I don't know if that was the chick or the hen's doing. The chick has been peeping and moving but is now more quiet and still. The membrane seems to be drying out and turning brown so I put coconut oil on it. The chick hasn't made much progress since yesterday and around 2:00 today will be about 24 hours since I found it open.
How does this egg look to you guys? Is there anything else I should do? At what point should I assist? I know that they can sometimes take a very long time to hatch and assisting can be harmful.