Saddle shaped air cells - Help! Day 18 and will hatch soon. Saw one moving in bator!

[kupi99]

Yes, I have read this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101


I have been hatching eggs in my classroom for 5 years, and have never assisted before. However, this is my first year to use shipped eggs. I candled yesterday on day 15, and ALL of the eggs have saddle shaped air cells. I'm wondering if I'm looking at likely needing to assist them all, or if some can get out of their own. Also, I saw in the above article that I need to candle and watch the eggs carefully, but I'm not sure how often to candle at this point, and what to look for.

Thanks!

 

[kupi99]

Day 18- Bump and help please! I've never assisted before. The air cells today at candling where bigger, and I am nervous.

 

[Featherland]

First of all just relax.

Most of the time they don't need help. Why do you think you will need to assist their hatching?

 

[kupi99]

Mostly b/c the above thread said that saddle shaped air cells are a common cause of malpostioning, spefically, the chicks can't twist into a good postion to hatch out.
Glad to hear they should be able to make it fine on their own. Feeling much more relaxed now. They are chirping away in there today. Should get some babies soon!

 

[Roxannemc]

Mostly b/c the above thread said that saddle shaped air cells are a common cause of malpostioning, spefically, the chicks can't twist into a good postion to hatch out.
Glad to hear they should be able to make it fine on their own. Feeling much more relaxed now. They are chirping away in there today. Should get some babies soon!

You only need to consider helping if they have been zipped or pipped for over a day. and no further progress. Thenthey may be glued in. Its scary to help but i think everyone had to at one time or another probably more than once if you hatch much unless they just let the chick die in the shell.
But wait we are getting way ahead of ourselves.. don't worry until you need to find out. Plenty of time.

If they are chirping they are doing fine and have broken thru the air cell with their beaks ready to pip so already in position.

 

[Tj11]

I recently had the same problem with my shipped eggs but they all hatched with no assistance from me and are happy healthy 5 week old chicks now. Just gave me a lot of stressed out hours staring at the incubator (;

 

[kupi99]

Yea, I'm starting to enjoy some intestense hours here myself. We had our first pip yesterday afternoon, and this morning I got to work and saw it had started zipping. It hasn't made much progress beyond where it was when I got here at 7. Memebranes look good, and I'm trying not to get nervous about it.
We have another pip too. Hoping they come out fine on their own!

 

[kupi99]

Intense. Sorry.

 

[kupi99]

Well, I wound up having at assist one. Started zipping and didn't go anywhere for at least 8 hours. I have another one that's pipped since this morning, nothing else yet.

And.... one that's pipped on the wrong end. Not sure I can help it, but I'll give it some time and see.....

 

[Amykins]

Quick question, did you keep these eggs upright when putting them in lockdown, or leave them lying on their sides?