**NEED FAST HELP*** Went to candle, found a pip.. Scared!

[SangaChicken]

I have 42 eggs in my bator, all marked for various dates of hatching. This was a shipped egg, and day 18 in the bator will be the 23rd (I put them in the bator on May 5th). Today I went to do a candeling in my dark room, just to check progress because I'm obsessive like that. Good veining on many eggs, movement in most.. and OMG a crack. I figured I'd hurt the egg picking it up, but the egg was jumping in my hands and chirping at me! This is the first hatch I've been present for, my last one I was called out of town for and my family presided over the hatching (My babies are beautiful!).

I didn't even have my hatcher set up yet, was doing it today, to lock down the eggs on Saturday. So first mistake: I touched a pipped egg.

I left it in the automatic turner for thirty minutes, ran and set up my hatcher and I'm watching the temps insanely to make sure they're stable. Now she's in the hatcher, rocking and rolling and peeping but I'm terrified I hurt her by touching her and moving her during this critical time. Any suggestions, help, advice? Anyone want to come to Memphis and do this for me? I think I'm going to have a heart attack! Please please tell me she might still be okay even though I touched and moved her...

 

[THough1956]

I think she will be fine, check on her in a little bit. Did you have it out long enough for the egg to dry out? If so wrap lightly in a warm damp paper towel.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

Patience - You need patience.....

Sounds like you have an eagger beaver. I think you did the right thing. You had to move it.

 

[horsejody]

Keep the humidity up, and it will probably be fine. Keep us posted.

 

[BeccaOH]

The chick should be fine considering how much my hatched chicks bumped into and rolled the eggs during my hatch this week. I did touch a pipped beak because I thought it was a quitter. It later hatched out fine.

 

[dancingbear]

Having not only touched, but picked up and examined pipped eggs and had them hatch just fine, I think you have nothing to worry about. Except your temp may be a tad high, thus the early hatching. But don't change it at this late date!

Think about what happens under a hen. The eggs are not only touched, they're sat on. And bumped and squooshed.

So relax. They aren't as delicate as you think.