How do you check for internal pip?

[Talithahorse]

Ok, so this may be a dumb question but I did a search and couldn't find the answer. If you "lockdown" your incubator, then how do you check for an internal pip? I have eggs that are at day 22. I have been a very good momma and have not touched the incubator since lockdown except to peer longingly inside hoping for chicks. No sign of anything. I read about others commenting on having seen internal pips but even with my flashlight in the dark I cannot see anything from outside the incubator.

This is my first hatch in 20 some odd years that hasn't been under a broody. I so want it to work but this is also the first hatch in this incubator and I think the temp might be a smidgen on the low side.

Thanks,

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

To check for an internal pip you need to candle the egg and see if you can see the beak in the airsac. Here is a pic

Usually when they have done the internal pip you can hear them peeping from the egg. Once the oxygen has become low and c02 high they will do the external pip in the shell that you can see. It can be upto 24 hours in between all these processes. And from external to hatch can be 24 hours.
21 days is just a guide not set in stone. Temps a little on the low side and they could be a little late hatching.

Wishing you the best of luck, hope you have some action soon

 

[Ridgerunner]

As long as you do not have an external pip, opening the incubator is just not that risky. It is possible to shrink-wrap a chick by opening the incubator, but even when they have external piped it doesn’t happen that often. I consider it good practice to not open the incubator during lockdown because it can possibly do harm, but if I have a real reason I open it.

Consider this. If you candle an egg and see an internal pip, what is your next action? If you don’t see an internal pip, what is your next action? What do you gain by candling? If you feel the knowledge gained is worth it to you, go ahead. They are yours, you can do what you want, and to some people gaining that knowledge might be a good enough reason. It’s not for me.

To emphasize what Yorkshire said, especially since you said the temperature may be a bit low. The 21 day thing is just an ideal. Reality often does not follow the ideal. If the incubation temperatures are a little low they can easily be two or three day late. Incubating temperature is not the only thing that can make them quite a bit early or late, but it is a huge influence.

Another possibility is how are you counting the days? An egg does not have 24 hours worth of development 2 seconds or 2 hours after it goes in the incubator. You say “1” 24 hours after it goes in. A quick check, the day of the week they go in is the day of the week you say “21”. If they go in on a Tuesday, then Tuesday is when the 21 days have passed.

 

[kimberly35042]

EGGcellent advice from both Ridgerunner and Yorkshire.
Are these the Dorking eggs Talitha?? Has it been 3 weeks already??
Didn't we end up meeting the weekend after MLK holiday?? that puts 21 days THIS COMING Saturday, I think?

 

[Talithahorse]

I was thinking that but then didn't we meet on MLK? If so than 21 was yesterday. Had one of the Nankin eggs pipped when I left this morning. Hopefully the Dorkings will follow soon

 

[Talithahorse]

Thanks for all the good information. I knew that the 21 days was a guideline and that it could be several days on either side but wasn't sure on the internal pip. I have generally used a broody as they really know what they are doing. It made it much easier for me to let them be. I generally just circled the calendar day generally where the week of hatching was listed and mostly just handed over the stress to the hen. Maybe with my poor record keeping (I misdated this hatch up by a whole week, due to second guessing my first calculation) I should stick with the broody hen. Unfortunately my broody hen went broody 4 days after I put them into the incubator.

So since I was a week off and yet one little Nankin saw fit to say "its okay we really are coming" is there a possibility that this one might take a long time to hatch? I am not worried because the egg was moving and I could see it was breathing but the little guy has only pipped. I am assuming that he/ she could take another 36 hours or so to hatch, am I right?

I will keep everyone posted.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Usually from the external pip in the shell it could take up to 24 hours for the chick to hatch. The chick will decide when it wants to hatch. Some only take a few hours others the full 24 hours. It really does depend on the individual chick. They have a lot to do before they hatch, they need to absorb the yolk and blood vessels and also rest quite a lot to be able to do the hard work of actual hatch.
Good luck.

 

[Talithahorse]

She hatched..... the little nankin that pipped finally hatched all on her own. I guess since it took her 3 days she decided that she needed to start early. Hopefully others will follow. Thanks again for all the great information.

 

[Talithahorse]

I am not sure what happened but this is the only chick I got out of the hatch. Anyway she is a little prima donna Nankin. My daughter set up her "nest" and she sits on it like she is sitting on a thrown. Now I just have to find her a little friend. Maybe the silkie hen will hatch out something soon.