Not sure what's gone wrong... A few questions...

[AmyLynn2374]

6 eggs have little tiny holes in the shells. Maybe more I can't see some of them properly. Lots of little chirps in there

Questions on terminology: What's the difference in pipping, zipping, etc?

The two circled in gray...they are pips. The one on the left is a fresh pip. Chick is just pushing through the shell. The pip on the right is a farther along pip where the chick has broken out a couple good size pieces of the shell. On the bottom circled in red is a zip. The chick is actually working it's way around the egg in preperation of pushing out and hatching.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
Sounds like everything is going well with your hatch.

The reason you are seeing what looks like an air sack on the pointy end of the egg is because this is the fluid reservoir for the business end of the incubating embryo....similar to a placenta in a mammal or human birth.
When you inspect the inside of the empty egg, it will make more sense.
The blood vessels all originate from this zone and fill the inner membrane around the chick. As the chick moves thru the motions of pipping and zipping, the blood in the tiny vessels is moved thru the veins to the navel end of the chick's bottom. When the chick pushes out of the shell, the "umbilical" function of the reservoir ends when the chick pulls away and breaks the connection.

A very few chicks will pip at the narrow or pointy end of the egg because it has been disoriented during incubation. The normal pipping is into the air sac where the chick makes the transition from the amniotic fluids to breathing air when the chick pips the outer shell. A chick that pips into the narrow end of the egg does not have this air sac for transition and blood absorption. It needs assistance in hatching and even with help may die.

 

[Jrose]

I've got 4 chicks out and wobblin' around! I think all the other eggs have at least a crack in them. One has a cute little beak sticking out

 

[Jrose]

AmyLynn and Nankat, thanks for the info!

Just to point out- I had watched several videos of chicks hatching and realized why hatching in an egg carton could be very difficult for the chick. I had cut the cartons down to just "egg holders" to keep them upright, but realized this could still be a problem. Maybe I shouldn't have, but the morning of day 20 (though technically day 20 started at 9pm that day so it was still the 19th day- confusing, right?) I very quickly opened the lid and gently placed the eggs on their sides. I waited a few minutes in between each set of eggs to let the humidity recoup. None of the eggs had pipped yet, otherwise I would not have tried it. But I figured it's a gamble either way- I'd rather the gamble be that I gave them a better chance at hatching! I'm so glad I did.

Seems like I have escaped complications. Amazing, considering how crazy and unstable this incubator was for the last 3 weeks. They literally made the first pip at 9pm, start of the 21st "day"!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I've got 4 chicks out and wobblin' around! I think all the other eggs have at least a crack in them. One has a cute little beak sticking out

Yay!!!

AmyLynn and Nankat, thanks for the info!

Just to point out- I had watched several videos of chicks hatching and realized why hatching in an egg carton could be very difficult for the chick. I had cut the cartons down to just "egg holders" to keep them upright, but realized this could still be a problem. Maybe I shouldn't have, but the morning of day 20 (though technically day 20 started at 9pm that day so it was still the 19th day- confusing, right?) I very quickly opened the lid and gently placed the eggs on their sides. I waited a few minutes in between each set of eggs to let the humidity recoup. None of the eggs had pipped yet, otherwise I would not have tried it. But I figured it's a gamble either way- I'd rather the gamble be that I gave them a better chance at hatching! I'm so glad I did.

Seems like I have escaped complications. Amazing, considering how crazy and unstable this incubator was for the last 3 weeks. They literally made the first pip at 9pm, start of the 21st "day"!

I'd be interested to know what in the videos made you change your mind. I have up to this hatch always had my eggs in the turner for the first 18 days and laid them down at hatch. I just feel that laying down is more natural and, at least in my mind, easier for them to push top and bottom apart. I read a paper a while back where they were experimenting to see what had a better hatch rate: hatching in cartons with the round end up, hatching in cartons with the pointed end up or hatching laying on it's side. The hatch rates weren't far enough apart to make much difference, but they found that it took longer for the eggs hatched upright to complete the hatch than the eggs laying on their sides.

I've seen the 'if you have them in a turner and then lay them flat, you won't have good hatches' before and there is no fact, definitely no scientific fact to this. That pic I added to show you teh difference between pip and zip was of my last hatch in November. They were incubated upright in the turner and laid flat to hatch. As you can see, I had much action going on in there.

I'm happy to hear that yours are hatching out well. Can't wait to see them all!

 

[Jrose]

8 now, pips in 5 of the other 7 eggs. Considering 5 of the eggs were added a day after, I'm not worried. No issues! Lots of little black babies, my black copper maran rooster's been busy! I thought I might get a little variety but I guess not

The biggest thing that changed my mind was that the chick would have to push upwards instead of sideways. And what if it pipped in the direction of the carton and was stuck with limited air, or if the chick started rocking and zipping, it would topple out of the carton (I had cut the sides down low) and probably send the other eggs sprawling as well, and I didn't know if the sudden impact like that would hurt them. Though now that I see the chicks rampaging around the incubator knocking the other eggs around like bowling pins, I'm sure that worry was unfounded. Maybe it would've been fine, but I'm apparently having no issues either way, so still glad I did it I think in the future I will continue to use cartons elevated at one end for turning, and take them out for hatching.

This is so going to become an addiction. I SWEAR I DON'T HAVE 2 DOZEN HATCHING EGGS ALREADY SAVED.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

8 now, pips in 5 of the other 7 eggs. Considering 5 of the eggs were added a day after, I'm not worried. No issues! Lots of little black babies, my black copper maran rooster's been busy! I thought I might get a little variety but I guess not

The biggest thing that changed my mind was that the chick would have to push upwards instead of sideways. And what if it pipped in the direction of the carton and was stuck with limited air, or if the chick started rocking and zipping, it would topple out of the carton (I had cut the sides down low) and probably send the other eggs sprawling as well, and I didn't know if the sudden impact like that would hurt them. Though now that I see the chicks rampaging around the incubator knocking the other eggs around like bowling pins, I'm sure that worry was unfounded. Maybe it would've been fine, but I'm apparently having no issues either way, so still glad I did it I think in the future I will continue to use cartons elevated at one end for turning, and take them out for hatching.

This is so going to become an addiction. I SWEAR I DON'T HAVE 2 DOZEN HATCHING EGGS ALREADY SAVED.

LOL, it is very addicting. Yes, the pushing out and the malepositioned pippers are what has held me back from trying to hatch upright. I'm just more comfortable with them in their "natural" position. Congrats on all the action!! It's so fun when you have so much happening at once.

 

[Jrose]

Oh! QUESTIONS!

The first chick hatched while I was away Wednesday. Safe to say it hatched no earlier than noon. So it's safe for the chicks to remain in the incubator until Saturday around noon? 3 days before they need food and water? Just checking in case I have an egg hatch real late or something.

I have a broody turkey hatching another dozen for me as we speak. She started 2 days after I set these eggs. So her chicks will be hatching in the next 72 hours. I'd like to add these guys to her clutch and let her raise the whole bunch in the brooder pen. I figured I should wait until ALL her eggs hatch, so she doesn't abandon any with the sudden appearance with more chicks. I planned to sneak the chicks under her at night once I make sure her eggs have all hatched. Sound like a decent plan?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Oh! QUESTIONS!

The first chick hatched while I was away Wednesday. Safe to say it hatched no earlier than noon. So it's safe for the chicks to remain in the incubator until Saturday around noon? 3 days before they need food and water? Just checking in case I have an egg hatch real late or something.

I have a broody turkey hatching another dozen for me as we speak. She started 2 days after I set these eggs. So her chicks will be hatching in the next 72 hours. I'd like to add these guys to her clutch and let her raise the whole bunch in the brooder pen. I figured I should wait until ALL her eggs hatch, so she doesn't abandon any with the sudden appearance with more chicks. I planned to sneak the chicks under her at night once I make sure her eggs have all hatched. Sound like a decent plan?

The experts say a chick can go 3 days. I personally take mine out periodically during hatch so they aren't in there more than 12 hours tops...lol As for the turker brooder....I have no experience in that field so I yield to the more knowledgable masses.....lol

 

[Jrose]

The experts say a chick can go 3 days. I personally take mine out periodically during hatch so they aren't in there more than 12 hours tops...lol As for the turker brooder....I have no experience in that field so I yield to the more knowledgable masses.....lol

Is it safe to remove them (open the incubator) when I have pipping chicks?