why not help zip?

[jimma207]

I had 7 eggs at lockdown. 6 have hatched. the last one pipped about 20 hours ago. the egg is getting tossed around by the roudy bunch, is there any reason why I shouldnt help out this holdout? Id like to lower the humidity to help fluff up some of the hatches. and also they seem to peck at each other quite a bit, Is this normal? help.thanks

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
I noticed the same thing with my last hatch (I've only had two!). I have a Brinsea Mini Advance incubator which keeps temperatures like a dream and when the first 3 eggs had hatched, I let them stay in there for a while until they had fluffed out and then put them in their brooder. This gave the last two a fighting chance to get out of their eggs without being unduly knocked around. As far as "helping", you really should just leave him alone and let him hatch at his own pace (or not). You risk harming him by going in without cause. The chick has lots of work to do, even after pipping, before he can hatch and they all do it at their own pace. You may have noticed little veining around the egg shells of the ones that did already hatch. Before hatching, those veins are full of blood that the chick must absorb into its tiny body before hatching and if you interfere before he is ready, he can bleed to death.

Good luck with the rest of the hatch! Be patient.

(HA! easier said than done!)

This is one of my favorite hatchling photos (taken 2/11/10):

 

[crazyhen]

Quote:
I noticed the same thing with my last hatch (I've only had two!). I have a Brinsea Mini Advance incubator which keeps temperatures like a dream and when the first 3 eggs had hatched, I let them stay in there for a while until they had fluffed out and then put them in their brooder. This gave the last two a fighting chance to get out of their eggs without being unduly knocked around. As far as "helping", you really should just leave him alone and let him hatch at his own pace (or not). You risk harming him by going in without cause. The chick has lots of work to do, even after pipping, before he can hatch and they all do it at their own pace. You may have noticed little veining around the egg shells of the ones that did already hatch. Before hatching, those veins are full of blood that the chick must absorb into its tiny body before hatching and if you interfere before he is ready, he can bleed to death.

Good luck with the rest of the hatch! Be patient.

(HA! easier said than done!)

This is one of my favorite hatchling photos (taken 2/11/10):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43104_2-11-10_three_is_rosie_20.jpg

That picture is precious for sure. Love it. Gloria Jean

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Thanks.

I'm really praying that "Rosie" turns out not to be a "Robert"!