Now that they are incubating, what do I do??

[konatreehugger]

Hi! I was curious...my eggs have been in the incubator for 11 days as of today. I've candled them, they all seem fine, and there is movement in all. I've weighed them and they seem to be losing weight fairly close to ideal...I was told that three days before their hatch date, to not turn them anymore, increase the humidity, and to watch for the Pip. I am using the Brinsea Advance Mini 7 egg incubator. Can you tell me about how long I can expect to wait from pip to hatch? How do I know if one is in trouble? I've been watching videos on youtube and am learning a lot...what does it mean if there is blood in the egg? These eggs are so important to me, I don't want to do anything to cause trouble, but I don't want to sit by either if one is in trouble... any suggestions and or information would be super helpful! thanks!

 

[Creed Bennett]

I have the mini advance also. It's a great incubator in my opinion. My eggs started pipping last night around 8 pm. The first 3 of six hatched at about 3 am and the other three were out by 7am this morning.

 

[Me & Jack]

Hi Treehugger,

Don't get too worried about your eggs.

Most of the time there are more problems when folks start interfering with the whole process. The Mini Advance is a great little bator, and when you reach day 18, you do want to stop the turner, fill both sides of the humidity cup, and then leave everything alone. Chances are good all will hatch fine over a 24 to 48-hour window from the time you see that first pip. I often find it takes about 12-24 hours after that first pip before I have any chicks that have actually hatched, so don't assume that a pip without a zip (fully cracked around the egg) means they are in trouble.

Try to leave hatched chicks inside the bator until all have hatched and are dry and fluffy. The ones that hatch early will flop and move around and spin the other eggs about, but it is almost never a problem in terms of the other eggs hatching. Some how they all just manage to do fine.

If you go over a 24-hour period after a chick has pipped without it making any more progress you can post again then. Sometimes it is necessary to help the chick out (although some would say that nature should take her own course). But inexperience when helping chicks can actually result in you inadvertently killing the chick in the shell -- often when it would have hatched on its own without your intervention.

So, take a deep breath and try to relax (I know, easier said than done!).

Good luck and enjoy the next few days of wonder!

 

[konatreehugger]

<---- Takes a deep breath, and sighs a sigh of relief.... Thanks SO much for bringing me down a notch... my eggs have 6 days left...I have been an ooey gooey mess since Speedy died. I candled and weighed them today and all seems "right as rain" There was movement in every egg even though I can only see a mass of blackness... I will relax, and know that I can never be my Goddess of a Chicken, Speedy, and do as well as her with her eggs... but I know I have done the best I can. I can't wait to have my peepers running around! I have little bracelets all ready for them since I will have to figure who is who!