Okay, I think with my last couple of eggs that hatched I was spoiled because it went by fairly quickly. I checked this morning and one of my Americauna eggs (four of them due today) and a mixed egg were pipping. In the Americauna egg I can actually see the chick, the hole is about half the size of my pinkie nail right now. No progress since this morning but I am NOT opening the bator! The other egg is just small pips, a little bit of progress. So, what I want to know is, how long does it approximately take? Though I am sure that is not an easy question to answer because of variables. The second question is, last night I noticed a little bit of a smell. I know I shouldnt open the incubator but I also shouldnt leave a egg in there that might explode, right? So what would you do?
Quote:Often takes 24 hours, occasionally as long as 48. There will be a smell when the eggs pip, but it should not be a rotten smell. Kinda sweet (sickly sweet) smell really.
Yes it could take 24 hours. The good thing is that there is a hole so it can breathe. I think between positioning itself and pipping, they are exhausted.
Okay, thank you! I am SUCH a worrywart!!! I cant really describe the smell, except it smells "off". I am going to wait though, I dont want to risk the hatch by opening the incubator, leaving it is probably the lesser of evils right now.
another thing you can do is leave any newborn chicks that hatch in the incubator, the peeps they make will encourage the other chicks to hatch.
When I left them in they were pretty frantic and kept bowling over the eggs. I didnt have any others hatch. That might not have been it, but I suspect it could be the reason. With my TX, I dont have room to put a egg carton or I would. Next time round for incubating. I am using the TX for incubation and the LG for a hatcher.
I think some chicks like to make us crazy Might sound funny but I chirp to the chicks in the bator after they pip, really works well. Just a little loopy to do and my husband looks at me like there is something wrong with my head. I take all my chicks out when they are about half dry (I know shame on me) Ive never had an issue doing this and have great hatch rates, plus I find that the chicks dry much much faster under a heat lamp than in the bator, and also dont run over any other eggs. I know how people feel about this but, whatever works !!!! I know the smell you are talking about, I think its a musty/egg kind of smell.... Whats your hum at now ? What day are the eggs on ???
Quote:Don't worry about the eggs being bowled over. Never hurt one of mine yet. I leave the chicks in at least 5 or 6 hours, and up to 12 after hatching. Once the hatch has started I like to leave at least a couple in as the cheeping encourages the hatching of the others.
Well, the Americauna egg is slowly but surely on its way out, every time I look the hole is bigger and I can see the beak picking away. The other one that pipped today is also showing progress. And two of the other Americaunas have been rocking. The mixed arent actually due until tomorrow so the one that is pipping is a day early. Yikes, I am like an expectant mother! I doubt I will get much sleep tonight!!