My First Hatch!

[Arosie]

Hello!

I'm hatching eggs for the first time. I started with some random chicken eggs from old nests in the barn (most of which are infertile but stll in the incubator anyway, lol), 24 Bourbon Red turkey eggs and 12 Ancona duck eggs. So far I've thrown out 7 turkey eggs because they were in fertile, which leaves me 17 turkey eggs. I've definitely been making mistakes as a beginner (like adding the duck eggs to the incubator 5 days after the turkey eggs), but here we are on day 29 and I have 10 healthy turkey poults! I did have to assist at least three of them that couldn't get out of the shell, but they are all doing okay. Of the remaining seven eggs, one pipped and then died and the other six haven't pipped at all.

So to be super specific, I put the eggs in approx 29 1/2 days ago. When do you think I should intervene and start helping them hatch?

 

[DavidReaves]

No expert on hatching, especially turkeys, but congratulations on the 10 poults!

 

[Arosie]

Here's a few pics of my little fluff-ball babies! I re-candled the six eggs and found one that was infertile, so there are five remaining that have not pipped. We're almost to day 30. Any advice?

 

[Arosie]

I guess I could also add, how do I go about opening the eggs when it's the right time?

 

[1Poultry wife]

Congrats on the ones that hatched!!!

You mostly want to observe the eggs and watch them hatch on their own, from the time they first break through the shell until they are out can take up to 24 hours or more. During this time they are drawing the blood back from the veins and absorbing the yoke, so you don't want to interfer unless the chick/gosling is in distress and can't break out on its own. Read about 'assisted hatching' so you are ready, but don't jump into breaking the egg open unless the chick hasn't made progress in 24 hours from external pip. Breaking the egg open too quickly can lead to blood loss and death of the chick.

Have your 5 eggs internally pipped yet?

Most of the hatches will not be 100% of fertile eggs. It's sort of survival of the fittest, if the poult is not strong enough to get out, it might not be strong enough to survive.

I'm not an expert, but while candling, I draw a line around the air sac. (NOT necessary, but on the 28th day for heritage goose eggs, I have made a tiny air hole in the center of the air sac end, with a screw. I read to turn the screw very slowly and steady, while I supported the rest of egg with my other hand.)

I hope someone more knowledgable will answer your question.

Keep us updated on your progress.

 

[Arosie]

Thank you for the information! I ended up opening the remaining eggs after they never pipped. All the remaining poults were fully developed but dead in the egg. I had a chick due to hatch the same time and it also died in the egg without absorbing the remaining yolk. It was disappointing, but I count the hatch as somewhat of a success anyway, because I learned some new things!

I don't know if the eggs that didn't hatch were internally pipped or not. I don't know how to tell that yet.

The turkeys that needed help hatching have all been doing well and aren't seeming at all weak.

Today was the day my duck eggs were due to hatch. Out of 12 eggs, at least 3 were infertile. As of tonight, seven eggs have pipped and four of those seven have hatched. A little better success on the ducklings! Some of them had to be assisted. The other two eggs haven't pipped yet, so I don't know if the same thing is going on with these ones or not...

I must've done something wrong because it doesn't seem normal that so many babies would need help hatching. Oh, well. Glad they're doing well now anyway!

 

[sourland]

Good luck with the rest of the hatch.

 

[Arosie]

Thank you!