Is it time to panic? NEW UPDATE - SEVEN!!!

[Shaun]

OK, tonight at 10PM the turkey eggs will have been in the incubator for 26 days. I took the Brinsea out of the rocking cradle this morning, and within 3 hours I had one pipped through and one with just some cracks. The one that pipped is pipped in the wrong (small) end. Since it broke through, about noonish, there has been no progress at all, although I can see some movement through the hole. The other one has made no progress either in 6 hours now.

I know the purists out there will tell me NOT to worry, but I am worried. I know you shouldn't "help", but at what point should I be considering it if I'm going to?

 

[longranger]

Shaun, purist or not the reality is that "helping" often hurts or kills a poult that will hatch on it's own, particularly this early or if you have not done a whole bunch of other stuck poults before. Pipping in the small end is not good but your best bet is to let the poult turn into the correct position and hatch normally.

If another 48 hrs go by, others are hatching and this one is alive but stuck then maybe use assistance as a last ditch effort.

In my experience poults that I help have at least 50% mortality during the first week even if the help caused no significant bleeding and they looked totally normal at 1 day etc.. Not sure why.

 

[Shaun]

Everything I can find here or online says 5-10 hours to hatch. Two of these guys are 8 hours already! I've got three more cracked, but not pipped thru, have been making Mama turkey noises at them and the one I can see does seem to respond. But no one is making progress. Before when we've had unsuccessful hatches, either they never pipped, but were alive as the eggs were rocking - or they've pipped and failed to hatch - it seems like the shells or membranes are too tough. We thought it was a humidity issue, thus the Brinsea with the humidity pump, but these guys aren't doing very well either.

I'm just beside myself - no matter what I do, it seems we have no luck with hatching these birds. I really thought the different incubator was going to be the ticket - but so far it doesn't seem like it.

Two of these were this far at noon, and it's 8:30 now.... If you could worry them out of the eggs, I'd be all set.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Turkey eggs hatch in 28 days not 26, we stop turning on day 25. Any Purist should pass that on to you.

If they are pipping on day 26 your temp was to warm.

Steve

 

[Shaun]

Steve - temp was 99.5 kept very stable in the new incubator, PLUS we had a 2 hour power outtage when the eggs cooled. Really expected them to be late, not early. Can you not trust the Brinsea's temp regulation?

 

[ziggywiggy]

Longranger is right. Just be patient. They can take 24 hours to hatch after they pip. The more you try and help the more of a chance you're going to do harm. Brinsea makes a very good incubator trust it. Also, there are factors beyond our control like fertility, age of the eggs, shipped eggs are less viable than non shipped ect...

 

[Shaun]

Eggs were ours, the oldest would have been a week old when we put it in the incubator. They were kept in a cool, but not cold spot, turned 1-2 a day. At 1 week we had development in all 8 eggs we had in the incubator. Have not messed with them at all since then, hoping not to kill off yet another batch of poults.
We had 99.5 for the temp - 45% humidity.

I sure hope this is not going to be another total failure - I don't think I can handle it, and we'll quit trying to raise turkeys altogether. In my job, I'm to save lives, so being so totally inept at this and killing off these poults is just making me crazy.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Quote:
?

When I really want to know I use a calibrated measuring tool, I can tell you from years of hatching eggs that if they are pipping 2 days early that your temp is to high. My GQF Sportsman runs right at 100F - and yes I have checked it with a calibrated therometer, The eggs pip on day 26 and hatch day 27 with the late hatchers on 28.

Can you not trust the Brinsea's temp regulation

So I would in this case no you can't trust it


Steve​

 

[TriciaHowe]

Everything sounds perfect.....walk away now

They will hatch when they are ready. They are absorbing the last of the yolk and gathering strength for the last push. I have had poults go more than 12 hours from pip to hatch.

 

[Shaun]

OK. I will take a deep breath and try and get some sleep tonight. Perhaps some will hatch before I need to go to work in the morning and I will feel a little less stressed out. We've just had such bad luck...