Varied Hatching

[KDailey]

My eggs are due today. 6 hatched yesterday and last night. My question is: if some of the eggs are hatching early/on time does that mean that more than likely any eggs that are going to hatch should hatch in the next day or two? Or is it possible to have a chick hatch early and one 5 days late? I just want to make sure I'm waiting a sufficient amount of time before throwing them out to start the next hatch.

 

[Lacrystol]

I have always had at least one chick hatch early and the rest would follow behind the next day or two. It seems once one gets out the rest will be inspired to come out. waiting 5 days after the due date, I would say is enough time to wait. I would candle to be sure, check to see for movements if there are then condsider him a slow poke.. But I wouldn't give up if all but one hatches out, a day or two or even three days later then the rest. It takes time to put on that make up and do your hair just right.. LOL

 

[KDailey]

Well I've got 6 out right now and several more pipped and/or zipped. So it seems like they're all planning on making an appearance right on time. To me that says that they all developed on schedule and surely the rest should have developed at the same rate since I never opened the incubator except to add water when needed, 3 times total and it was very quick.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of different factors that can affect whether eggs hatch early or late. Average incubating temperature is a big one. Humidity can affect it. Some other things that can affect it though may be relative to an individual egg. Heredity, how it was stored before incubation started, age of the egg, and relative size of the eggs are a few that come to mind pretty quickly.

If the eggs were stored about the same way and incubated together, they will probably hatch roughly about the same time, certainly within a couple of days of each other. But if they came from different places and were stored different ways before incubation started, then they could be more spread out.

I have had some hatches that were over within 18 hours of the first chick hatching. I've had some that drug out more than two days, I think because I stored some of the hatching eggs too warm.

 

[KDailey]

Hmmm That's interesting. Well I guess that would mean I could very well have a hatch spread out quite a bit. The eggs come from 3 different people and I think even completely different areas of the US

The temp has been very stable the entire time. I have a hovabator 1588 Genesis and it is very good at maintaining a constant temperature. I've been very impressed with it. As far as humidity, I have no clue. There are trays in the bottom of the incubator and the instructions said it's calculated to be the correct humidity by filling each tray. The first tray for the length of incubation and then fill the second as well for lockdown and hatching. So I don't even monitor humidity as far as numbers. I just make sure the trays are filled correctly.