I am hoping someone can reassure me that it is okay - or not! - for our shipped eggs to hatch a day or two apart even though they all went into the incubator at the same time. Wed evening one egg pipped, and then hatched Thursday morning. (day 20 or 21 depending on how you count it - they went into the incubator at 3AM on a Friday) It is now Friday morning, and nobody else has even pipped. Eggs had a very rough time through USPS, sat for almost 24 hrs after arriving, being weighed, candled etc. and most air sacks seemed to reattach. Weight loss was perfect through out and air sacks of those remaining looked great. Chick that hatched is healthy and going strong. Several eggs were culled, some for being non-fertile, some for blood rings. Candling and weighing happened on days 7, 14, and 18. Incubator is a Hovobator 1588, using dry hatch method. room temp and humidity constant at 70 degrees and 60% humidity. Incubator was always between 28 and 30% humidity, plugs open, and no power failures. Three of the eggs going into lockdown (humidity 65% - room still 70 deg and 60%) were clearly doing fine and two, I was not sure about, so kept them in anyway just in case. It has been 28 hrs since the one chick has hatched and nobody else has even pipped.
1. can the other two still be ok? stories of days between eggs hatching when all put in at the same time would be great!
2. I know it is good for the unhatched chicks to hear this chick chirping away, but I do want to take this one out of the bator soon to start eating/drinking. I know they can go three days, so I am not panicking, but isn't it better to take this one chick out BEFORE the others have pipped - I do not want to take it out after -but do not want to go TOO long without food and water as it's reserves from the yolk will soon be used up.
I know that I am also 'emotional' right now vs completely objective- got to actually witness the chick hatch - which was SO cool! I am also feeling 'badly' for the one chick - all alone - gets frequent visits from the people in the house etc.....even though I know it is ok. LOL
Ideas, suggestions, etc would be great. For putting up with my wordiness in this post - here is a vid we made yesterday of the hatch!
Hope it is ok I posted a link, if not let me know and I can remove it.
1. can the other two still be ok? stories of days between eggs hatching when all put in at the same time would be great!
2. I know it is good for the unhatched chicks to hear this chick chirping away, but I do want to take this one out of the bator soon to start eating/drinking. I know they can go three days, so I am not panicking, but isn't it better to take this one chick out BEFORE the others have pipped - I do not want to take it out after -but do not want to go TOO long without food and water as it's reserves from the yolk will soon be used up.
I know that I am also 'emotional' right now vs completely objective- got to actually witness the chick hatch - which was SO cool! I am also feeling 'badly' for the one chick - all alone - gets frequent visits from the people in the house etc.....even though I know it is ok. LOL
Ideas, suggestions, etc would be great. For putting up with my wordiness in this post - here is a vid we made yesterday of the hatch!
emotionally anyway.... 