Too Early for Hatching? Shipped Eggs with 100% Fertility? Is It a Full Moon? WHAT is going on?

[WVduckchick]

24 hours after external pip? OMG I’ll go insane. All the ones I have managed to hatch got shrink wrapped and had to be helped out. The ones I thought about helping but decided it was best to leave alone died in their shell. I have my humidity at 65%. I’m afraid to turn it up more because half of the eggs lost 11-13% weight and the other half only lost 6-8% weight. The air cells look okay. I haven’t seen any that make me think I should set up a dehumidifier but it really wouldn’t hurt for them to be a bit bigger. Now I’m wondering if maybe I should have left those in the other incubator with a lower humidity. Oh well. Too late to change my mind now.

I agree, 65% should be fine. The weight loss is low on some, but at this point, not much you can do about it. Hatching early usually indicated your temps ran a little high, but if they are pipping, then they must be close to being ready. And yes, 24 hours from initial external pip to zipping and hatching is not unheard of. I think 12-18 hours is probably more common, but I don’t worry until getting close to 24.

 

[Kseale1986]

Thanks again for the replies. I don’t knew when exactly they pipped. I left at 7:30 this morning for a doctors appointment and didn’t get back until 3 this afternoon. I did raise the humidity up a bit. It looks like the membranes on 2 are drying out because they have a few spots that are turning brown

 

[chickens really]

Browning is normal before zipping out

 

[Kseale1986]

Well I turned it up to 75% several hours ago but it’s still reading at 65%. I’ll try to see if I can get a better pic.

 

[Kseale1986]

Little beak poking through!

This is the one that has me wondering about humidity.

 

[chickens really]

View attachment 1733981 Well I turned it up to 75% several hours ago but it’s still reading at 65%. I’ll try to see if I can get a better pic.

That's normal amd don't keep opening the incubator..65 sounds okay

 

[Kseale1986]

Ok. Thanks. I haven’t had to open the incubator since I put them in there last night. It has automatic humidity control. Just press a few buttons to raise or lower the humidity. After my last few hatched that were disasters I had enough of filling up the different trays to get humidity right. These eggs were in my styrofoam incubator for the first 18 days and moved them to the automatic last night at the end of day 18. I figured if I couldn’t hatch with this then I needed to hang it up.

 

[Kseale1986]

Day 20 as of 1am this morning. Babies are chirping and pipped all over. And this is the first to hatch!!!!!

 

[Stacyoung13]

Day 20 as of 1am this morning. Babies are chirping and pipped all over. And this is the first to hatch!!!!!

View attachment 1734090

 

[Kseale1986]