Topic of the Week - Hatching Eggs

[sumi]

Following the previous thread on Incubating eggs, this week I would like to talk about hatching eggs. Specifically:

- How long would you consider a "normal" hatching process for different species, from pip to hatch?
- Do you assist struggling hatchlings and when is best?
- What do you do when you have a malpositioned hatchling (For example, pipping on the wrong side of the egg)?
- How long do you leave hatched chicks in the incubator, before moving them to the brooder?

Anything you'd like to add?

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Following the previous thread on Incubating eggs, this week I would like to talk hatching eggs. Specifically:

- How long would you consider a "normal" hatching process for different species, from pip to hatched?
- Do you assist struggling hatchlings and when is best?
- What do you do when you have a malpositioned hatchling (For example, pipping on the wrong side of the egg)?
- How long do you leave hatched chicks in the incubator, before moving them to the brooder?

Anything you'd like to add?

For chickens I consider normal hatching process from external pip to zip roughly 24 hours.
I do assist. If there's no progress by 24 hours I will start an assist, but to be honest, many times I don't go very far because they still have veining, which is most likely why they haven't progressed on their own. My fear is having them get that far and quit, so it does ease my mind knowing there's a reason. Many times after I start an assist, the chick finishes it themselves when it is ready.
Malepositions I just keep a close eye on and it. How quick I am to help depends on just where the pip is. I'm more likely to assist a malpo that is in the pointed end than one in the middle, (that might still be in the air cell due to the significant amount it draws down at hatch) or one that is high but on the flip side of the air cell. I will however make sure that malpo pips are all the way through membrane and beak is at the pip to insure clear breathing while they have time to do their thing.
I remove my chicks to the brooder as they become active in the incubator. I keep the temps under the light at 100 for the first couple days and there is no drafts where my incubator is. I try to make sure I have at least two hatchers before I move the first ones to brooder so they aren't lonely in the big open space. My brooder is a couple feet from the incubator, so the other chicks still hear the peeping and I also play chick peeping videos at the incubator for motivation of the others. They have electrolyte enhanced water and food in the brooder at all times.

Add, for two and a half years I used an old lg 9200 model (with fan). Anyone familiar with these knows how touchy the control is. If I could get the bator to settle above 99.5 and under 101, that's where it stayed. I started noticing something. I'm not sure where it fits into scientific reality, but it seemed like the early hatchers, those that hatched out day 19/20, seemed to take much longer to progress from pip to zip than did hatches that hatched the latter part of day 20 into 21. The more on time hatchers seemed to progress within 12 hours give or take, whereas the early hatchers pushed 18-24 hours or better.

 

[chickenjoe12]

I always move them out of the incubator when they have dried or if they are full of energy

 

[rainee63]

Following this thread! I need to know the answers to these questions! I just reloaded my mini incubator yesterday!

 

[sumi]

I really didn't want to Crack it open. Just wanted an easy way to find out without damaging the egg.

Unfortunately the only way to determine fertility without opening the egg is by incubating it and candling it after approximately 7 days to check for development. Before day 7 it's hard to tell for sure, unless you have a pale enough egg shell and a very strong light for candling. I usually candle again at day 10, before discarding clear eggs.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

It is a little giant forced air the first 13 days it was 65%then up to 77%

Ok, humidity that high will most certainly drown them. The 9300 is notorious for the display being off. First, I would suggest, if you don't already, to have your own checked thermometers and hygrometer in the bator, or at least check the bator's thermometer display against a known accurate thermometer and hygrometer. Second, drop that humidity the first 17 days. Anything over 45% for the incubation period in my opinion is risky. Many of us use low humidity around 30-35% to get a good hatch. I'm going to give you a couple links that should help you. One on humidity and one that's a general hatching guide from a hands on perspective. Give them a read, and give it another shot.
http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity
http://hatching411.weebly.com/

 

[chickenjoe12]

I also try not too but if the egg is starting to dry i make the crack bigger once i helped one and now she abit smaller then the rest of the flock now i called her po after the smallest telletubby and she has a half sister lala

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I was wondering this too.

Yes, it can lead to shrink wrapped chicks but it really depends on the environment and location of your setup. Always take into account the room environment and season. Here in the north during winter/spring the air is very dry indoors, forced air furnaces creates cold/warm areas, and drafts from entering/exiting the house impacts air flow. Opening the incubator at any time dramatically reduces it's humidity and temp. Best to leave it alone, but sometimes opening the incubator is necessary. For this reason I find it helpful to me to set up my incubation operation in a guest bathroom, and I run the shower for steam to make it less impactful to the eggs upon opening the lid from anytime after day 17 (to be certain)-that's just me being super cautious.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Not sure if I'm in the right place but my question pertains to egg fertility. I have 2 Peking drakes, a malard drake and a female malard. I have seen Freedom taken place by one Peking and my female mallard she has recently laid an egg but I'm not sure if it's fertile can anyone tell me an easy method so I could find out

When you crack one open look for the formation of the blastodisc and bullseye. These are chicken, but same concept

 

[sumi]

@trixt https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-failure-to-hatch-diagnosing-incubation-problems