One chick early hatch

[Mavrik]

I have one chick that pipped about 30 hours early and is currently unzipping (12 hours latter), I take that back, she just fully hatched, there no sign of the others piping early. My question is since having the air cell up for the others seems important, should I move the other eggs into one spot (currently spread out evenly) to give the one chick room to run around and not disturb (roll over) the other eggs?

 

[MommaBee]

I wouldn't! It has plenty if room and will play a little rugby with the others! I would let it be though. If one hatched that early I am guessing you have quite I few internal pips and others will be along shortly. Why risk a humidity drop?

 

[Mavrik]

Playing rugby with the eggs is what I'm concerned about since it seems air cell up and orientation at this time seems important. I can recover the humidity fast, remotely adjustable.

 

[cohobby]

What kind of incubator do you have? I have read different things, some say to leave the chick because it will cause the others to want to hatch. I always worry that it will get to "rough".

 

[MommaBee]

I worried about that too ( I had one hatch way before the others on my last hatch) I am no expert but I can tell you from experience the others that were going to hatch did just fine. But I guess it depends in your bator. In the end I guess you have to do what makes you feel best about the situation.

 

[Mavrik]

So you got a 100% hatch rate?

 

[MommaBee]

Haha! No Mav, I certainly didn't. But I had shipped eggs (100% on shipped eggs would be rare) and did eggtopsies afterwards, and like I said, the one who WERE GOING to hatch did, even after the bumping and goo smearing. I said I'm no expert, but I think about nature, I am sure a hen doesn't separate one early hatcher so it won't bump the others.
But like I said, your peace of mind is most important.
What did you decide to do? Are you using shelf liner or just the wire bottom. Maybe my shelf liner helped keep mind in place better? Who knows? Best of luck to you! Hope you get more pips soon!

 

[Mavrik]

This chick still has the shell stuck to her butt, in all the efforts to remove the shell, she has rolled all the eggs.

I'm using he rubber shelf liner on top of hardware cloth.

I had 11 out of 12 hatch on some shipped eggs that traveled aprox 1200 miles. This batch is from my own crew.

 

[MommaBee]

Well that's awesome! Sounds like you had better luck or know more than I do anyway!.
I just watch 4 pips, looks like we will be hatching at the same time! Good luck with your early hatcher!

 

[MommaBee]

Wondering how your hatch went? My 5 eggs all hatched, I watched the first one roll two eggs pip side down. One rolled itself back over and the other zipped from the bottom to the top. Neither had a problem, wonder if yours had a problem so I, or others reading, will know if they need to intervene in the future!