My first hatch is starting!

[Slothinc]

I have 7 silkie/silkie cross eggs in a brinsea mini advance. They came from a breeder an hour away from me. I put them in lockdown on Saturday and have been hoping for the best. This incubator doesn’t tell what the humidity is but I filled both water wells (as per the instructions) and haven’t opened the incubator at all. Everything looked great when I candled them before lockdown.

This morning I saw that two of the eggs have pipped - both at the wrong end!!! So upsetting as I was hoping to have a very uneventful hatch. I don’t intend to open the incubator or assist for at least 24 hours (I have read the assisting thread many times in preparation for hatch day.)

My one question is this: is it possible for them to pip at the wrong end and have shell pieces cracked off, but still not be able to breathe because they haven’t broken through the membrane? Or can they breathe if the shell has cracked even if the membrane isn’t broken? Thank you! Hoping that the other 5 eggs will pip in the right spot! I will keep you posted on this hatch as it progresses!

 

[Slothinc]

Good news, one of the eggs has an external pip in the right place. Two others have pipped internally into the air sac (I held a flashlight to the side of the incubator and can see through haha).

Took some pics of the two that are probably going to struggle. The first has broken a piece off of the shell but it is still sitting in place. The second has a tiny hole in the shell but I don’t know if the hole is going through the membrane.

This egg has broken off a piece of shell but it remains in place:


The egg in the back of this photo has the tiny hole on the side:

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Good news, one of the eggs has an external pip in the right place. Two others have pipped internally into the air sac (I held a flashlight to the side of the incubator and can see through haha).

Took some pics of the two that are probably going to struggle. The first has broken a piece off of the shell but it is still sitting in place. The second has a tiny hole in the shell but I don’t know if the hole is going through the membrane.

This egg has broken off a piece of shell but it remains in place:
View attachment 2098975

The egg in the back of this photo has the tiny hole on the side:
View attachment 2098974

Good luck with them!

 

[Whitehurst320]

Hello

Sorry to jump on your thread.

Could you help me by any chance? I found this abandoned duck egg. Can you tell how far along it is or whether it is alive?

Thank you

 

[Slothinc]

Whitehurst - I am no expert here lol, this is my very first hatch. But your egg does look viable to me - do you see movement inside? I feel like maybe it’s about 8-9 days along, but again I could be totally wrong here as I am brand new to incubating eggs.

 

[Whitehurst320]

Thank you for your reply! That is the part that has worried me a little, I can't see any movement but hoping maybe it is because it is too early? I don't know how people do this, I am so impatient . Good luck with yours!

 

[Slothinc]

Actually looking at the pics again if there are no blood vessels in the clear part then I’m not sure if it’s alive. Hopefully someone else will help you here or if you start a new thread you may get more responses. There should be movement in the egg, at least there was movement in mine when they were looking like that.

 

[Slothinc]

Wow what an amazing experience this has been so far!! At about 7 pm last night the first baby unzipped and hatched and then at 11 pm the second baby hatched - one of the malpositioned chicks! I was so worried about it, but he unzipped and hatched in under an hour. Then overnight we had 3 more hatch! I haven't opened my incubator at all. Even though the chicks are going crazy in there and there is egg debris everywhere. Lol I was not expecting them to be so so active after hatching. After the next egg hatches (pipped correctly) then I will remove the babies and look at assisting the last egg that is malpositioned.

 

[Slothinc]

Well the 6th egg has hatched and my plan was to take the babies out after that one hatched and check the one that wasn’t making progress. But then one of the chicks rolled that egg over and it actually is alive and working on making the hole bigger. So it’s possible we might get all 7 hatched, without any interference. I haven’t even opened the incubator since Saturday (4 days ago) when I put them on lockdown! This is so much fun! It looks like I have two partridge, one lighter partridge (maybe silver?), one black or blue, and two light colored ones - maybe splash? Can’t wait to see if the 7th egg makes it!

 

[Ghosty]

Pics!?