Whoa pipping early on day 18?! Update: 1 hatched!! 18 days 5 hours

[rachel]

I'm at the very beginning of day 18 for some EE cross chicks. All of the EE/Barred rock chicks pipped at some point during the night (which would actually be late day 17) The EE/EE and EE/Leghorn eggs are all unpipped. I haven't even taken them out of the turner yet... My temps were running a little warm- about 100.4 but nothing outrageous, no temp spikes etc. The pipped eggs are spread out in the bator, so no chance they're just in a hot spot and I know I didn't count the days incorrectly, I double-checked.
What is the likely outcome for birds this ahead of schedule?

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Wow that is kinda early...little overachievers! Hopefully they'll not zip until they cook a little longer. My EE's started pipping on day 19 and everyone popped out just fine. Most likely yours will be too.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Mine usually hatch anywhere from 19-21 days. They'll be okay.

 

[rachel]

I just remembered that the last time I hatched out some of these EE cross chicks, my muscovy did it (my avatar pic) and they were dry and fuzzy late day 19 early on day 20. I was a little surprised when I saw them, but I thought maybe my duck had just overheated them a little. Thanks for your responses.

 

[rachel]

Update: One of these little chicks seems very intent on hatching right away, he/she is already halfway zipped, only it's not so much a zip as it is busting a giant hole in the egg. Hopefully the yolk will be absorbed, though it seems kind of unlikely this early on. I'm now about 2 hours into day 18.

If chicks can hatch successfully so early, why don't hatcheries breed for that? It seems like they could make a lot more money if each batch only took 19 days instead of 21...

 

[Chicky Tocks]

OooooH! Do keep us posted if this chick hatches fully cooked!

I thought day 19 was early when my last batch started. I had two different sets of eggs in my bator though. One set was mutts and the second set was EEs. The EE's all hatched out first. The mutts went onto the 20 and 21st day. I'm sure breed has something to do with it...and also I've read that bantams tend to hatch a little earlier.

 

[rachel]

Well one hatched out already! She looks totally fine, the yolk was completely absorbed and she's cheeping like crazy trying to encourage her siblings. Another one of those pipped and it looks like one is partially zipped.
I know I didn't miscalculate dates or have high temps, this seems so strange to have healthy looking chicks hatch 3 days early. Anyone else experience day 18 hatches?