Incubating accident - need advice!

[possumhunter]

My eggs went into lockdown on Monday. When I went to put them into the cartons I realized that the turner had accidently been uplugged. I think it happened 2 days earlier when I moved something in that room that needed to be plugged in - then forgot to plug the turner back in. I was hoping that the 1.5 days without turning before lockdown wasn't a huge deal. Well yesterday was D-day....and only 2 have emerged. I have another that pipped yesterday morning, but hasn't zipped or made any more progress in almost 24 hours. Another one was completely zipped as of last night and still isn't out this morning. It doesn't really look like its made much progress since last night. I still have 20 eggs in there and not a single pip this morning....

Did I screw up my hatch? Should I help out the 2 that have pipped? Should I open any of the rest of them? I'm going to be gone all day - have to leave in about 1.5 hours. I just don't know what to do!

 

[raimnel]

I don't believe the not turning was a problem. did you just "start" ur 21st day? most of mine hatched when they were "in" the 21st day. 24 hours is not uncommon for pip - hatch, but I would keep a very close eye on that zipped one (zipped for 24 hours?) I probaly would pull the 2 halves apart a little maybe the membrane is too strong for it to brake it...... on the other hand the one of mine that was the same way and I helped 3 weeks ago, is the uglyest thing you ever did see, if I would of let nature take it's course, it would not be here today for me to call it ugly.

 

[possumhunter]

Yesterday was day 21.

The zipped one has been zipped for about 14 hours. The pipped one hasn't made any progress in 24 hours.

Thanks!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

you can stp turning as early as 14 days with out a problem, once the chick fills the egg it is not as important, a late hatch can be low temp, or alot of different things

 

[possumhunter]

I monitored the temp fairly closely with a brinsea spot check and it ranged from about 99-100.1. Unless it had a temp spike when I didn't notice....

 

[raimnel]

does ur therm/hygrom show you ur high/lows. that has totally helped me

 

[Brickman House]

Give it some more time-- my hatch took three days from start to finish, and it was a bit late, even though my temperature was spot on 99.5F the entire time.

 

[possumhunter]

Well I did end up helping the two out...the one that had pipped over 24 hours earlier, wasn't making progress and when I checked, the membrane had dried to his face...there was no way he was getting out on his own. The other one plopped right out as soon as I pulled the shell apart. I had one more hatch this afternoon, but nothing else. Checking the eggs I found that of the 24 that I set only 5 others were fully developed, but they were dead when I opened them. The others were not developed completely and were dead as well...I am so discouraged with this hatch, I don't even want to try again... I started with 39, lost 4 in shipping...and only hatched 5. One still isn't completely healthy, so I might end up losing it too. I don't know what went wrong, but I think I am done with hatching for a while.

Thank you all for the ideas. If I ever decide to try hatching again, I will use a thermo with a memory to see highs/lows to make sure I'm not have thermostat issues.

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Thats a good temp. , if the incubator has a fan... if not the temp was to cool. still air incubators temp needs to be 101 at the top of egg.

 

[possumhunter]

It does have a fan...I'm wondering now about it being a temp issue, since two of the chicks hatched just fine and perfectly developed.