Pip??

[Hollyhobby]

Hello, this is my first time EVER incubating eggs . Today , I glanced in the incubator about 7 am and noticed a small piece of shell was missing. I've been monitoring it all day and he has only picked a little shell off, I hear him peeping every now and then. The humidity is 65% right now . I have it at a happy medium because I have younger eggs in there too. How much longer should I wait before trying to help? I've heard it can take over 24 hours...

 

[Hollyhobby]

And it's 7 pm my time. So it's been 12 hours since he broke a little shell.

 

[mattsinger]

Per other posts...everyone seems to agree waiting at least 24 hrs

 

[Hollyhobby]

Hmmmm, what happens after that 24 hrs? Should I help or get rid of it?

 

[kjxoxo1]

WOW!! i know you are excited! i cant wait to be a first time incubator.....which kind of incubator do you have? i have the Octagon40 but am hearing better reviews on the Reptipro so i am hoping to get the best one. No rush to incubate as I am scared!! Let me know about your experience! Thanks!

 

[Hollyhobby]

I have the square styrofoam one. It was given to me so I don't know the exact brand. I think its the forced air one?? I am very excited , but so nerve wracked because I want this baby to live!!!

 

[wabbit1964]

I think there may be something to help you here in this bunch of articles/threads https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...hing-eggs-important-topic-index-please-review

 

[Hollyhobby]

I was just watching my egg, another one rolled completely to its other side by itself. Should I move the egg back to how it was???

 

[dretd]

I was just watching my egg, another one rolled completely to its other side by itself. Should I move the egg back to how it was???

Welcome to the addictive world of chickens!

Don't open the incubator at all. Mother nature knows better than a first time hatcher.

If you open the incubator the humidity will lower and the membranes will dry out. The baby could get stuck. It can take quite some time for the little guys to emerge--its really hard work and they need to rest in between. Do you have a strategy for how you will handle the staggered hatch? How many eggs do you have that are due to hatch now vs later? Do you have a brooder set up? What kind of incubator (forced air or still air) do you have? etc...These are important details and its hard to give advice without any information!

 

[Hollyhobby]

I have to open it just to quickly turn the other eggs and in my room it will only lower a degree or two and pick right back up. Yes I have my brooder set up. It's so big I could lay down in it. I think I have the forced air incubator. The styrofoam one. I have ones that will be on lockdown the 23rd. And other ones that are on day 6 or 7. Last year I had a staggered hatch with my brooding hens. Now I have 3 brooding hens and eggs in the incubator. What do I do with the one hatching>