I set this batch of fifteen eggs (from eBay seller, allowed to rest twelve hours after receiving) late in the evening of May 2. Incubator has a thermostat and temp has been 99.5 F the whole time, humidity around 50-60 percent. I locked down the incubator on May 16 and raised humidity to 75. Last night (May 18) I noticed an egg was pipped and peeping. This morning, that egg looked no different but, by 11 AM it had hatched.
None of the other eggs has pipped, and this chick was peeping continually, so I thought she/he may be thirsty. I moved it into the brooder just now and dipped its beak. It drank just a little.
It isn’t walking yet. It seems like my other two batches were walking right away, and I know they all hatched within hours of each other. I think there is something wrong with this baby’s legs, as it isn’t standing upright and is 3 1/2 hours old. Is there anything I can do? I’ll attach a photo or maybe a video, whichever one works for me.
Also, I know there is nothing I can do about how many eggs end up hatching at this point but, if you had to guess, would you be worried about the remaining 14 eggs? I do feel this one was about a day premature (didn’t expect them until tomorrow evening), but is it typical for a single egg to hatch so much earlier than all the rest, or would you guess the rest are bad eggs? I don’t candle or float, reasoning that the less I mess with them, the better, since I can’t “fix” it if an egg’s a dud.
Thanks to anyone who offers advice or a “best guess” here.