March 2017! Hatch with us!

[lilwildrabbit]

Quite a lot of BYCers refrigerate their eggs before incubating with great results!

I just did that with some refridgerated eggs but because of a disaster not our fault my eggs were OLD eggs all over 20 days old I didn't think they had a chance but had to try, well long story short youngest egg was at 21 days to about 2 months old I still had a good 25% hatching !!

 

[dawn secord]

ha ha - yes, it is so much easier just to throw the shavings in.

 

[angieangie]

So 2 piped last night at 1030. This morning around 9, the one that had the bigger pip started sipping then within the hr I would say, she was out wobbling around knocking the other eggs around. I just took her out, very quickly since she is not all dry and its been 5 hrs and she was knocking into the other pip egg and making it so I couldn't see what was happening. Now she (hopefully she) is sleeping comfy under a heat lamp. I have a question though. The one egg that still hasn't zipped, the pip is not very big, just part of the shell pushed out a little. I hear chirping, could be from that one or another one. But why is it taking so long for this other one to get going? I see the egg rocking a little. Oh and there is also another egg that pipped at about 10 this morning, but it is not in the right spot, it's in the middle of the egg, kinda at the other end where it shouldn't be. And it too barely has the egg pushed out. No hole, just egg shell pushed out. There are more eggs rocking. One egg that my husband and I have been watching for 2 days now rock. But nothing on that one yet. (It happens to be the one we can see the best through the window so that's the one we have been focusing on).

I will post pics as soon as I can. I have toddlers who keep watching her, and I don't want to do anything yet because they will want a hands on experience too.

 

[orrpeople]

So 2 piped last night at 1030. This morning around 9, the one that had the bigger pip started sipping then within the hr I would say, she was out wobbling around knocking the other eggs around. I just took her out, very quickly since she is not all dry and its been 5 hrs and she was knocking into the other pip egg and making it so I couldn't see what was happening. Now she (hopefully she) is sleeping comfy under a heat lamp.  I have a question though. The one egg that still hasn't zipped, the pip is not very big, just part of the shell pushed out a little. I hear chirping, could be from that one or another one. But why is it taking so long for this other one to get going? I see the egg rocking a little.  Oh and there is also another egg that pipped at about 10 this morning, but it is not in the right spot, it's in the middle of the egg, kinda at the other end where it shouldn't be. And it too barely has the egg pushed out. No hole, just egg shell pushed out. There are more eggs rocking. One egg that my husband and I have been watching for 2 days now rock. But nothing on that one yet. (It happens to be the one we can see the best through the window so that's the one we have been focusing on). 

I will post pics as soon as I can. I have toddlers who keep watching her, and I don't want to do anything yet because they will want a hands on experience too.

Pips can be tiny little things, or even not really look like complete holes. Most really need a lot of time after the pip - mine often go a full 24 hours (there's always an exception though) before zipping. Zipping is the quick (usually under an hour) part. Try really hard not to mess with pipped eggs. It can have tragic consequences. They really need to absorb blood vessels and yolk during that time. Sometimes they peep a lot from their pip hole, some don't make a sound. Best of luck with your hatch!

 

[Jessimom]

So 2 piped last night at 1030. This morning around 9, the one that had the bigger pip started sipping then within the hr I would say, she was out wobbling around knocking the other eggs around. I just took her out, very quickly since she is not all dry and its been 5 hrs and she was knocking into the other pip egg and making it so I couldn't see what was happening. Now she (hopefully she) is sleeping comfy under a heat lamp. I have a question though. The one egg that still hasn't zipped, the pip is not very big, just part of the shell pushed out a little. I hear chirping, could be from that one or another one. But why is it taking so long for this other one to get going? I see the egg rocking a little. Oh and there is also another egg that pipped at about 10 this morning, but it is not in the right spot, it's in the middle of the egg, kinda at the other end where it shouldn't be. And it too barely has the egg pushed out. No hole, just egg shell pushed out. There are more eggs rocking. One egg that my husband and I have been watching for 2 days now rock. But nothing on that one yet. (It happens to be the one we can see the best through the window so that's the one we have been focusing on).

I will post pics as soon as I can. I have toddlers who keep watching her, and I don't want to do anything yet because they will want a hands on experience too.

It can take 24 hours or more from pip to zip. They pip to get air, then they sit and absorb all the yolk, and absorb all the blood vessels back into their body. Some fly through it, others take the full 24 hours. I've had one go almost 48 hours.

Once they start to zip, that's a different story. It shouldn't take them more than 30 - 45 min to zip. If it's taking longer, than you might consider assisting.

Congrat's on the one chick! Good luck on the rest!

 

[orrpeople]

Every hatch has one of these

The lonely first chick. There's always an early hatcher, and I feel so sad for it as it wanders the incubator knocking on every shell saying, "Won't you come out and play with me?"

 

[Jessimom]

Every hatch has one of these

The lonely first chick. There's always an early hatcher, and I feel so sad for it as it wanders the incubator knocking on every shell saying, "Won't you come out and play with me?"

That is so true. I have recorded those first chicks screeching for someone else to come out to play. When my eggs are chirping, but haven't started external pips, I play those recordings over and over again. I'm convinced it's speeds up the process.....

 

[dan26552]

That is so true.  I have recorded those first chicks screeching for someone else to come out to play.  When my eggs are chirping, but haven't started external pips, I play those recordings over and over again.  I'm convinced it's speeds up the process.....

My brother played a recording of a broody hen chirping while I hatched chicks, they all hatched within twelve hours of pipping and all within a couple hours of each other.

 

[angieangie]

Yeah I am not going to help the pipped ones because I saw the pictures of the poor chicks who were helped and hadn't absorbed all their stuff. I will wait. Just want them to hurry. My one is lonely.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Yeah I am not going to help the pipped ones because I saw the pictures of the poor chicks who were helped and hadn't absorbed all their stuff. I will wait. Just want them to hurry. My one is lonely. 

I had to help 3 this last hatch I did it slowly over time no blood or any breaking of the shell but I did open the pip to letvin air waited a long long time then helped them expand when I saw some activity a little at a time. Then by the next morning nothing else I had to zip them open being careful not to tear anything that bleeds after I zipped them around I laid them back in and let them shove themselves out at their leisure all three were in a bind and turned around wrong so I saved them