Only starting not finishing

[ameraucanacrazy]

My eggs are hatching or well the babies are pecking a little hole and then not continuing and are just giving up and not hatching. I was wondering what was happening I have already had to help two of the babies and once I help them they are fine and it doesn't look like there are any with deformities that would make it hard for them get out.

 

[TeamChaos]

How long of a time are you giving them to hatch by themselves? Some of my hens' pipped eggs have taken 24 hours or more to bust themselves fully out of the shells...

 

[ameraucanacrazy]

I helped one that hatched in the morning and I helped it at ten o'clock the next morning then I let the other one stay in the egg for 1 day then I helped it because it hadn't made any progress

 

[wagoncab]

I am having to help mine too and don't get it.

They pip and then don't seem to make anymore progress.

A couple have died. I try to leave them alone as long as I can and
let them do it themselves. If I see no progress all day, I will help.

 

[Jocasta]

I'm pretty new to all this but as far as I can gather, it sounds like a humidity issue - have you got a hygrometer? If so, what's it reading? The humidity for lockdown until all that are going to hatch have hatched should be 65% or higher. If you're sure the humidity is right, you should leave them well alone as opening the incubator (even just for a few seconds) can dramatically reduce the humidity enough to "shrink wrap" a chick who has pipped. What this basically means is that the internal membrane (there are two - one just inside the shell and then one covering the chick - it's the one covering the chick I'm referring to) can dry out incredibly quickly and if this happens, a chick will have an extremely hard time hatching and may well die trying. So long as temp and humidity are right, you should leave well alone and let nature do it's thing.

HTH

 

[youngbiddy]

Quote:
x2

 

[llaaadyel]

You have to find the right humidity for your house during hatch. Generally it should be 75% to 80% during hatch. Usually when they pip but don't progress, it is a humidity issue. Try raising yours and see what happens. Also, don't open the incubator unless you really have to.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Patience people, it can take 24 hours or longer for chicks to go from pipping and egg to getting out.

 

[NanaLantana]

Wow, all this 'chicken science' - When I was a kid, almost 60 yrs ago, I was so anxious to see the new ckicks, I took the pipped eggs from under the broody and 'hatched' them myself! Never killed one this way, either. And my mom never went into the coop, it was my area. So no one ever told me it was not good to do that! I only learned that you should not 'hatch' your own pipped eggs here on BYC! Just my humble opinion, but you gotta do what you gotta do!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
BYC was started years ago as a place for people wanting to learn about poultry. This incubating and hatching section has lots of people that need answers quick. Experience with incubation/hatching methods most of us try to give answers that work for us. Some on here are thankful that someone calmed their fears and answered their questions. As for me, the birds that I raise I have spent hundred of dollars on and I don't like losing any when I hatch so I take care in how they are incubated and hatched. I've lost very few in all these years. I've watched high school science teachers open up pipped chicks lots of times and most do not make it. So to each there own.

I've raised chickens all my life too and so has my family. I was never allowed in my mothers henhouse or run. If I was caught trying to hatch out a new peeps, my fingers would have been smacked. What works for some doesn't mean it will work for all.