speaking of chick positioning....

[amazondoc]

Hey guys --

I know that lots of people leave their eggs in racks for hatching. I also know that lots of people don't.

Well --

One of these little guys that is currently pipping, is pipping towards the BOTTOM of the egg. The eggs are in the bottom half of an egg carton, so he can't roll it upright.

Should I take him out of the carton so he can roll around? Will he be able to break out if I leave him upside down? Any input would be appreciated!

 

[reallemons1]

I woud set it on it's side.....but I'm no eggspert. Good luck.

 

[hatchaholic]

Are there others that are pipping? If so, and you open the bator, you risk decreasing their chances for successful hatches.

 

[amazondoc]

Yeah, I know, that's one of the things I'm worried about.

There's 7 eggs in the hatcher. At least 5 are pipping even as we speak. Humidity is holding at 65-66%.

 

[hatchaholic]

I hate being in those situations! Maybe just keep your eye on it until the others hatch out??

My last hatch I had a similar problem. A few chicks hatched out, no problems, then I opened the lid for a split second to get an egg that needed help. All of the rest of the chicks that hatched afterwards seemed to have a tougher time getting out. And, I even had to help hatch the last two.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[amazondoc]

Thanks, I think that's what I'm gonna do.

I've got two baby chickens now! They went from tiny pips to strong cheepy chicks between 1:45 and 5 this afternoon. Yippee!!

I still can't see any pips on the araucana egg, or the sixth cochin egg. If the other two eggs that are pipping normally come out, then I'll open the hatcher and let the bottom guy lie on the hatcher's floor for awhile. Stay Tuned!

 

[hatchaholic]

I think that sounds like a good idea.

I'll be looking for updates!!

 

[amazondoc]

Well, I couldn't stand it.

My Hovabator has two plastic windows that you can actually remove. They were taped down, so I removed the tape on one and whisked it open just long enough to plop the egg down on its side. The humidity never went down below 61% and only for about a minute, and the temp never went down as much as a degree.

The deed is done -- we shall see what the consequences are!

 

[hatchaholic]

You lasted longer than I thought you would!!!

(I can't stand it either. I probably would have done the same thing!!)

Do you think you might have to help it out of the shell?

 

[amazondoc]

Dunno, but that is long down the pike. There's still two pipped eggs that haven't done much during the day today, and I'll definitely wait on them to get going before I worry about any more interventions with this guy.

I was worried that I had incubated him upside down, because a lot of those cochin eggs are VERY round. But once I got that egg out and on the floor of the hatcher, I could see that I definitely had the right end up. At least he's the one that's upside down, and not me!