Day 18.....Lockdown

[AmericanMom]

Had six out of the first eight hatch between yesterday and today. Today is day twenty two how much longer should I give the last two to hatch

I have heard 23 days then if no pips candle.. I have read about the float test but not sure how exactly to do that, maybe someone else can help you.. I gave my eggs til day 23, had 20 hatch, on day 23 took out the remaining 3 , candled, no internal pips so I placed each of them in a plastic baggie and did an eggtopsy...2 were fully formed but mal positioned and dead, the third (and this is why I recommend ziplock bags) was an early quitter I had missed and was rotten...thank goodness it didn't explode in the incubator!!

 

[Houma Saint]

Thanks for the input

 

[kallan]

Great information!!! This is my first hatch and only have 4 LF Cochin eggs due to hatch Sunday. These eggs have been through a lot because I didn't get them into the incubator until Friday, the 10th of January. Until then, I was keeping them warm, etc. and they were developing. I have been candling and still see lots of movement, but am not sure about position, etc.

I'll read up some..... I am so nervous and excited!!! I do have another batch ready to go in, too.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Great information!!! This is my first hatch and only have 4 LF Cochin eggs due to hatch Sunday. These eggs have been through a lot because I didn't get them into the incubator until Friday, the 10th of January. Until then, I was keeping them warm, etc. and they were developing. I have been candling and still see lots of movement, but am not sure about position, etc.

I'll read up some..... I am so nervous and excited!!! I do have another batch ready to go in, too.

yay!! seeing them moving is so exciting!! what day are you on?

here's a candling link if you like:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/chicken-embryo-development-views-from.html

 

[Lyrika]

hi there... what day are you on?
it is unlikely that the chick is capable of zipping if it pipped at the wrong end, it is too malpositioned. what day?

Now day 20, it pipped evening of day 19, much earlier than expected. It's made no progress so far... I am going to try to make a breathing hole.

No other pips, but I heard a cheep this morning so someone has internally pipped.

 

[kallan]

yay!! seeing them moving is so exciting!! what day are you on?

here's a candling link if you like:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/chicken-embryo-development-views-from.html

Day 18!!! I have viewed this embryo development article before and it is very interesting. I am just having a hard time using my small led flashlight without blinding myself!!! When I see movement, I just stop because I'm afraid I will blind or disturb the embryo, too. Do you use an ovascope or something like that?

Also, one of the eggs seems to be so much lighter in weight than the other three. Could this one be developing faster and should I stop turning sooner? I thought I would stop tomorrow? Should I start upping humidity tomorrow?

 

[Lyrika]

Made a pip into the air cell to see what was happening with the mail positioned chick and he cheeped. The little rascal internally pipped (hence being able to breathe/cheep) then angled his head to externally pip outside the air cell. Figured since he can breathe there is no rush so I sat the egg on a damp paper towel and put him back in the bator to finish absorbing. I will keep an eye on the egg today.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Now day 20, it pipped evening of day 19, much earlier than expected. It's made no progress so far... I am going to try to make a breathing hole.

No other pips, but I heard a cheep this morning so someone has internally pipped.

Ok... opening the incubator when you have a pip will expose it to fresh air and cause a humidity drop. you don't want to open the incubator when you have a pip.

On your malpositioned chick, I think that I would probably help it. I would candle the end opposite the pip, and look for the yolk. if it looks absorbed ("hollow"), then I might assist that chick. I would slowly chip away the shell, leaving the membrane in tact, in a HOT HUMID room, wetting it with water and a q-tip as I worked. you can always STOP and put it back in the incubator. there is no RUSH here at all.

But I do believe that the chick who pipped on the wrong end is incapable of escaping without help. It is just a matter of *when* to intervene

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/9316/intervention-helping-your-chicks-hatch

 

[Farmer Viola]

Made a pip into the air cell to see what was happening with the mail positioned chick and he cheeped. The little rascal internally pipped (hence being able to breathe/cheep) then angled his head to externally pip outside the air cell. Figured since he can breathe there is no rush so I sat the egg on a damp paper towel and put him back in the bator to finish absorbing. I will keep an eye on the egg today.

perfect!! nice job!!!

 

[Farmer Viola]

Day 18!!! I have viewed this embryo development article before and it is very interesting. I am just having a hard time using my small led flashlight without blinding myself!!! When I see movement, I just stop because I'm afraid I will blind or disturb the embryo, too. Do you use an ovascope or something like that?

Also, one of the eggs seems to be so much lighter in weight than the other three. Could this one be developing faster and should I stop turning sooner? I thought I would stop tomorrow? Should I start upping humidity tomorrow?

I use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-Model-3300-Candler/dp/B007E5H50M it came with my incubator for free
I like it because the lip of the flashlight is small enough to fit on the egg perfectly and no light escapes.
the lightbulb is recessed into the flashlight so it doesn't touch the egg (it's hot!)

I do not increase the humidity until my first internal pip happens. until then, they are still losing water weight so I let them do their thing. some folks increase it arbitrarily on day 19 no matter what, but I don't do that anymore.

did you weigh the eggs? I weigh on day 1, 7, 14, 18. I take their weight from day 1 and calculate a 13% loss, that is my goal for day 18, so I am able to monitor their weight throughout incubation and make judgements on weight loss in that way.

I don't know what day you are on, but I stop turning on day 19.
If the air cells were detached, I follow a different hatching plan, and I stop turning early at day 16.
so, there is no harm in stopping early, but really no reason to unless detached.