I just tried to up my humidity for lock down at like 2 thisafternoon. I then left for town. Once I got home, I noticed that I had condensation on the windows inside my bator. So I opened her up to remove a sponge or 2, and then I noticed it... I have a pip, or a dent in one of the shells
Did I mess up? Should this egg be OK?
BTW, this is my first ever pip, hatch, artificial incubation... I am excited, and now maybe a little scared now. This was not supposed to happen until at least tomorrow.
I brought a 21 day old egg inside the house (last minute problems with the broody) and 6 hours later, it hatched (I do not own an incubator). This was my first hatch also. The egg had not pipped when I first picked it up, but started cheeping at me when I carried it into the house. I placed it into a basket with a light hanging over it (for heat) and a meat thermometer next to it, to make sure I kept it at close to 99 degrees. It pipped and I started worrying about humidity. DH suggested using our room humidifier. I placed the room humidifier in the bathroom with the basket/egg and waited. I ended up cracking the door open, because the mirrors were all fogged up, but I have no idea what the humidity level was. This little chick hatched all on its own despite being in my house with no humidity for about an hour - then in a bathroom with unknown humidity, plus being picked up and carried by me right before it hatched. I think they are hardier than we give them credit for - your eggs should be fine.
edited to add pics:
hatching - the pointy thing is my meat thermometer
basket it hatched in and 3 year old girl that got to watch it hatch and then hold it
2 days later with it's 2 new friends (that I had to buy to keep it from being lonely) - broody broke all the other eggs and this is the only one I was able to bring inside to hatch