INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[JillZ]

Well, I gently wiped with a paper towel right along the zip line and where the beak was trying to poke. Nothing really soaked onto the paper towel. Some ppl have said that days 22 and 23 are still considered possible hatch days. True?

 

[Chaos18]

Hi hatchers. Please help with advice. I feel like a terribly bad hatching person. Firstly, this is my first incubation attempt. I received the eggs from a friend. She has been hatching for quite awhile, however her last hatch was 1/42. This might affect my hatch rate.??? I have attempted 31 eggs. Of those, 7 were definitely not fertile when candled on days 11 and 14, so they were removed. Of the 24 remaining, 12 are olive and blue Araucanas and were impossible for me to see through when I candled. The rest were definitely developing and most were moving. I am using a forced air incubator, model 4250 from farm innovators. I used three thermometers at the beginning. Two were reading exact same temps consistently. One was way off. The digital one with the unit was correct. For the first 17 days they were on a turner. The humidity was between 40 and 58. It fluctuated wildly. On the 20th day an Araucana hatched perfectly. It basically pipped, zipped, jumped out and started walking around. It didn't look even all that wet. My second BCM hatched yesterday, day 21. A little slower out, a little more wet but not much, and within an hour of hatch was walking around also. I have one more trying to zip today, day 22, another Araucana. It looks soggyish around the zip line. I've been trying to keep my humidity around 70. I'm afraid it's drowning or something. Not a thing is going on with any of the other eggs. I feel totally responsible for these little things and am also a bit heartbroken that only 2 have hatched. This third peep looks wet to me. A bubble came out of its beak. Please give me advice. This is just really crummy. I don't know how you all do this without being sick over it!

Most people try to aim for between 30-35% for humidity but it all depends on your air cell development.
HUMIDITY Humidity is NOT a set number!

Its a tool to get the correct weight loss in the egg! post #8924 see Hatching Eggs 101

WHY do we need less humidity to get the best weight loss for colored hatching eggs during incubation? post #36320

MARKING AIR CELLS DAY 18, DRAW DOWN, INTERNAL PIP, EXTERNAL PIP, and ZIPPING post #35770
Pips and ZIPS ARE NOT THE SAME PATIENCE is a MUST!
DONT PICK THE PIPS! post #24611

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Well, I gently wiped with a paper towel right along the zip line and where the beak was trying to poke. Nothing really soaked onto the paper towel. Some ppl have said that days 22 and 23 are still considered possible hatch days. True?

21 days is the average time it takes for chicken eggs to hatch. Lower temps typically result in late hatches, and higher temps typically result in early hatches. The chick should be fine if there's a zip line, but keep an eye on it to make sure the membrane didn't dry too much and become rubbery. This will make it difficult for the chick to tear. Just remember, if a chick is zipping... it doesn't need help. You should intervene only after a chick has externally pipped and hasn't started zipping after 24 hours.

 

[BullChick]

Well, I gently wiped with a paper towel right along the zip line and where the beak was trying to poke. Nothing really soaked onto the paper towel. Some ppl have said that days 22 and 23 are still considered possible hatch days. True?

Definitely! For so many reasons it could happen, even with a broody hen! Some people have successful chicken hatches on day 27!

 

[JillZ]

Thank you for the advice And encouragement! I am reading the articles again now. I think it was almost less stressful having my own babies than trying to hatch chickens. The chick trying to zip is still peeping so I am still hopeful.

 

[Chaos18]

Thank you for the advice And encouragement! I am reading the articles again now. I think it was almost less stressful having my own babies than trying to hatch chickens. The chick trying to zip is still peeping so I am still hopeful.

Are your thermometers and hygrometers calibrated as well?

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

Definitely! For so many reasons it could happen, even with a broody hen! Some people have successful chicken hatches on day 27!

Loser. Could be worse... there's a song about me:

Thank you for the advice And encouragement! I am reading the articles again now. I think it was almost less stressful having my own babies than trying to hatch chickens. The chick trying to zip is still peeping so I am still hopeful.

As long as it's chirping, it's doing good. Never try to rush zipping. From the time a chick pips until it zips, it's developing and strengthening it's lungs for the difficult transition into the outer world...

 

[JillZ]

The thermometers, yes. I wasn't able to calibrate my hygrometer. It's the digital one that came on the unit. The Accurite therm/hygrometer was four degrees off on temp than the other two, so I didn't trust the hygrometer on it either. Before I try to incubate again I will definitely invest in a good one. I thought I would get the kind with the probe?

 

[JillZ]

Ok. Patience is definitely a virtue. I'm seeing that now.

 

[Chaos18]

The thermometers, yes. I wasn't able to calibrate my hygrometer. It's the digital one that came on the unit. The Accurite therm/hygrometer was four degrees off on temp than the other two, so I didn't trust the hygrometer on it either. Before I try to incubate again I will definitely invest in a good one. I thought I would get the kind with the probe?

Whatever kind you end up going with it must be calibrated. I have two of these in my bator. I've checked to make sure the thermometer and hygrometer are both accurate on them and would trust both of them.