Nervous and new to this !

[vikki73]

Hi I am totally new to hatching eggs although I have had chickens a number of years ago. I have 4 eggs in my incubator and one has pipped this morning but there is definitely a bad smell coming from one of the eggs in the incubator. Without realising I took the lid of the incubator off briefly to try to find out which egg was smelling and didn't realise I shouldn't have done that. I'm hoping everything will be ok as the beak of the chick is still moving but just hasn't been a lot of progress over the last few hours.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join us here! Try not to worry, I would have done the same thing if I had smelt something bad coming from the incubator. Opening can cause shrink wrapping of chicks but it's not a certainty. It may or may not happen. I would much rather do that than have the bad bacteria from an egg in there. Did you find the offending egg and remove it?
They can be pipped for up to 24 hours before they start to zip and hatch so no progress is nothing to worry about at this stage. During this time they are absorbing the yolk and blood vessels, they also rest an awful lot as hatching is a very tiring process for them.

Good luck with your eggs and enjoy BYC

 

[vikki73]

Thank you for your reply .. So glad I found this site as I've learnt so much already .. since I last posted I have another egg just starting to crack

But the poor chick in the other egg has had his beak sticking out partially for hours and I'm so worried that I've made the membrane shrink around him

I'm trying really hard to be patient and hoping that he's ok ..

 

[vikki73]

Sorry I forgot to say that when I was checking the egg I thought was smelling I couldn't be sure so I decided the only option was to leave them for longer and see.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

You are most welcome. Hatching sure can be stressful and a rollercoaster ride of worry and excitement.
Is the beak moving at all in the first to pip egg? It is more than likely resting so as long as your humidity is at least 65% plus you are doing all you can. I'm one for letting nature take its course and try not worry about things until I think hatch is all done or the incubator is full of chicks.

 

[vikki73]

His beak is moving just not very much .. I have my fingers crossed .. I have a brinsea mini advance and can't see anything that shows the humidity although I was assured by the seller of this that it sorts itself ?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

It all sounds ok. Brinsea are good at keeping the humidity and getting back up quickly when opened. Just make sure both sides of your water pot is full on both sides and the cover is on it.

 

[vikki73]

Thank you .. here's hoping that he's out by the morning

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello, and welcome to Backyard chickens! So glad you joined us, and I hope you make yourself at home here!

 

[vikki73]

Thank you