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[Crazy_Acres]

Hi we are a new farming family. I have kids that are home schooled and are learning all about raising starting with hatching. The anticipation is killing us as today is 21 days. No pipping or chirping heard just yet. We are using a homemade Styrofoam still air incubator. Here's to a new hatch soon <3

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!
How many eggs do you have in the bator?

 

[Crazy_Acres]

10 chicks and a surprise egg. The humidity ranged 50s to 60s until day 18.

 

[oland1]

Welcome to BYC and good luck with your hatching.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Day 21 is not set in stone, so hang in there. If your temp was a bit cooler, this could set the hatch day back a day or so. Are they rocking around yet? Humidity during incubation generally should be around 45% until lock down when it should be bumped up to 65% or so. This allows the egg to dry out abit so the air cell grows just enough so when they internally pip, they have this pocket of air to breathe. Did you candle along the way at all?

Good luck with your hatch and if you need help, you can always post in our Incubation forums.

 

[Crazy_Acres]

Welcome to BYC and good luck with your hatching.

Thank you!

 

[Crazy_Acres]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Day 21 is not set in stone, so hang in there. If your temp was a bit cooler, this could set the hatch day back a day or so. Are they rocking around yet? Humidity during hatch generally should be around 45% until lock down when it should be bumped up to 65% or so. This allows the egg to dry out abit so the air cell grows just enough so when they internally pip, they have this pocket of air to breathe. Did you candle along the way at all?

Good luck with your hatch and if you need help, you can always post in our Incubation forums.

The eggs have rocked around a bit but have not chipped or pipped. We candles all the way looking only 2 so far. My mom candles an egg last night during lockdown just to be sure things were still ok. We have movement and a good pocket. Assuming this is good, we are hopeful.

 

[TwoCrows]

The eggs have rocked around a bit but have not chipped or pipped. We candles all the way looking only 2 so far. My mom candles an egg last night during lockdown just to be sure things were still ok. We have movement and a good pocket. Assuming this is good, we are hopeful.

Sounds like you are right on track! Give them time then. The next thing that will happen is they will pip (break a tiny hole to breathe external air) Do NOT do anything at this point, as they can sit like this for 24+ hours. They are busy detaching from the inside of the egg and absorbing the last of the egg yolk. So go sit on your hands and don't be tempted to break them out as you can kill the baby. Just let nature take it's course and when the baby is ready, she will zip out of the egg, usually a day or so after you see this tiny tiny crack.

 

[Crazy_Acres]

Sounds like you are right on track! Give them time then. The next thing that will happen is they will pip (break a tiny hole to breathe external air) Do NOT do anything at this point, as they can sit like this for 24+ hours. They are busy detaching from the inside of the egg and absorbing the last of the egg yolk. So go sit on your hands and don't be tempted to break them out as you can kill the baby. Just let nature take it's course and when the baby is ready, she will zip out of the egg, usually a day or so after you see this tiny tiny crack.

I really hope so. We worried as temps fluctuated hard but they seem to be moving around still. Just hope they don't die from it.

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and do NOT open the lid of the incubator if any are pipping as this can dry out the ones that have pipped and this causes them to stick to the inside of the egg and die. So if you need to add water or remove turners or add some sort of no skid surface, do this before external pipping. And if you absolutely MUST open the lid during pipping, what I do is have a spray bottle full of luke warm water and I open the lid as fast as possible, do what I need to do and spray the inside of the incubator, eggs with a good soaking and then quickly shut the lid. Usually this keeps them wet enough as to not dry out. But I try not to have to do this at all.