Long period between eggs hatching?

[Dschickchicks]

My pleasure. We need pics of the chicks

First two in the brooder! Two are pipped and I didn’t need to candle the other two because they peeped at me as soon as I touched them.

 

[Ridgerunner]

From what I understand the first hatched chick would start needing food and water at 11am today since that would be 24 hours post hatch?

Wrong. They can go at least 72 hours without food and water as long as they absorb the yolk. That's why they can be mailed to us from the hatchery. They is no need to panic about getting the chicks out quickly. It does not hurt for them to eat and drink sooner, it's just that they don't have to.

Opening the incubator won’t hurt anything, even if the other eggs have pipped, so just work quickly and close it again.

Opening the incubator usually won't hurt anything, even if the eggs have pipped. Usually. Shrink wrap is a real thing. That's why we increase humidity at lockdown, to reduce the chanced of shrink wrap. That's why there are so many threads on here telling people what to do with shrink wrapped eggs.

I believe it happens very rarely, even if the eggs have already pipped and you don't take any precautions. If you open the incubator and let the moisture out the chances of shrink wrap goes up, just not much. Many people open the incubator all the time and never have a problem. Many does not mean all.

Did you harm your eggs by opening the incubator? Most likely not. I would not over worry about it. It really does happen very seldom. But the way I look at it, since the chances of it happening are not zero, I see no reason to take an unnecessary chance without a reason.

That does not mean I never open the incubator during lockdown. If I have a reason I will open it. I just have to have a reason to make it worth taking the risk.

I agree that the bumper games generally don't matter. You don't know which side was up to start with (I had not thought of it that way but that's right). One time I had a half shell cup an unhatched egg, fit tightly on that half. That is one of the times I have opened the incubator during lockdown. I took that half shell off and out of the incubator. You never know what will happen so I try to not have rigid rules. I just try to do the best I can.

 

[Dschickchicks]

Wrong. They can go at least 72 hours without food and water as long as they absorb the yolk. That's why they can be mailed to us from the hatchery. They is no need to panic about getting the chicks out quickly. It does not hurt for them to eat and drink sooner, it's just that they don't have to.


Opening the incubator usually won't hurt anything, even if the eggs have pipped. Usually. Shrink wrap is a real thing. That's why we increase humidity at lockdown, to reduce the chanced of shrink wrap. That's why there are so many threads on here telling people what to do with shrink wrapped eggs.

I believe it happens very rarely, even if the eggs have already pipped and you don't take any precautions. If you open the incubator and let the moisture out the chances of shrink wrap goes up, just not much. Many people open the incubator all the time and never have a problem. Many does not mean all.

Did you harm your eggs by opening the incubator? Most likely not. I would not over worry about it. It really does happen very seldom. But the way I look at it, since the chances of it happening are not zero, I see no reason to take an unnecessary chance without a reason.

That does not mean I never open the incubator during lockdown. If I have a reason I will open it. I just have to have a reason to make it worth taking the risk.

I agree that the bumper games generally don't matter. You don't know which side was up to start with (I had not thought of it that way but that's right). One time I had a half shell cup an unhatched egg, fit tightly on that half. That is one of the times I have opened the incubator during lockdown. I took that half shell off and out of the incubator. You never know what will happen so I try to not have rigid rules. I just try to do the best I can.

All of that is very reassuring! I was pretty stressed out trying to keep their humidity perfect since I started the incubation. The only other time I attempted to incubate chicken eggs was when I was 10 years old with a cheap styrofoam type incubator and I didn’t have a single egg hatch. I hatched some bobwhite quail last year and that was overall just a disaster. Thank you all for being so kind and helpful! I was nervous to post haha.

 

[igorsMistress]

Wrong. They can go at least 72 hours without food and water as long as they absorb the yolk. That's why they can be mailed to us from the hatchery. They is no need to panic about getting the chicks out quickly. It does not hurt for them to eat and drink sooner, it's just that they don't have to.


Opening the incubator usually won't hurt anything, even if the eggs have pipped. Usually. Shrink wrap is a real thing. That's why we increase humidity at lockdown, to reduce the chanced of shrink wrap. That's why there are so many threads on here telling people what to do with shrink wrapped eggs.

I believe it happens very rarely, even if the eggs have already pipped and you don't take any precautions. If you open the incubator and let the moisture out the chances of shrink wrap goes up, just not much. Many people open the incubator all the time and never have a problem. Many does not mean all.

Did you harm your eggs by opening the incubator? Most likely not. I would not over worry about it. It really does happen very seldom. But the way I look at it, since the chances of it happening are not zero, I see no reason to take an unnecessary chance without a reason.

That does not mean I never open the incubator during lockdown. If I have a reason I will open it. I just have to have a reason to make it worth taking the risk.

I agree that the bumper games generally don't matter. You don't know which side was up to start with (I had not thought of it that way but that's right). One time I had a half shell cup an unhatched egg, fit tightly on that half. That is one of the times I have opened the incubator during lockdown. I took that half shell off and out of the incubator. You never know what will happen so I try to not have rigid rules. I just try to do the best I can.

I agree no rigid rules, but there are general guidelines to follow for sure. When the hatchlings are rambunctious enough to play soccer with their siblings it’s time to move lol. It always makes me think of Rio when Rafael says, “Hey, he’s not a maraca, stop shaking him!”

 

[Dschickchicks]

Here’s everyone who hatched! 5/6 eggs. One had stopped developing.