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Author Topic: Eggs potentially hatching different times?  (Read 2330 times)

KahlanA

  • Joined Mar 2015
Eggs potentially hatching different times?
« on: March 30, 2015, 09:19:26 pm »
Hi! So I've read that essentially you up the humidity in an incubator and stop turning eggs three days before likely to hatch... What do you do if like a bumpy you set a mixed batch of eggs?!

We have four pekins and two Orpingtons, and after reading about them hatching early I asked the breeder who said they sometimes hatch as early as day 18. Will upping the humidity on day 15 hurt the orps? And will turning the orps hurt the pekins? Argh!

Stereo

  • Joined Aug 2012
Re: Eggs potentially hatching different times?
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2015, 09:36:11 pm »
I wouldn't worry too much. Get your brooder set up and running. Once your first chick has hatched, you are safe to leave it in the incubator for at least 24 hours. Some say 48 and some say 72. Remember in the US, they post day old chicks with no food. They have plenty of nutrients in them to survive without food or water for probably 3 days (pushing it in my view). The key is not to panic. If you have hatched chicks and eggs still pipping, it's often better to leave it alone and wait (keeping in mind that you maybe need to get the first chick into the brooder within 48 hours). Opening it up to get fluffed up chicks out can often lead to a sudden drop in humidity and 'shrink wrap' chicks who have pipped or unzipped. That is, their membranes dry out and they can no longer move enough to unzip the egg. If there are no eggs pipped, then go ahead and get any fluffed chicks out then seal it up again, adding a damp cloth if you like to up the humidity.

If you do get a chick who has pipped, or partially unzipped but is stuck, again, don't panic. Remember it's got up to 72 hours from the time it broke the membrane before it will be in trouble. Best thing if you see an egg that is partially open with a leg or beak out and nothing further is happening is to sit on your hands. Wait 24 hours and then consider helping it out. Going in too early will likely do far more damage. Once it's been pipped for 24 hours, remove it and get a warm tap running slowly and some kitchen towel. Gently remove the shell bit by bit, wetting the membrane with warm water. Go slowly and once you have all the shell off, try to wet the membrane and 'roll' it off the chick. Use plenty of warm water, get it cleaned up, especially it's bum if it's been in there a while as it may have done something. Then once it's all clean, pop it back in the incubator until fluffed.

Some people think that if a chick can't get out of the shell, you should leave it. But I'm of the mind that by using an incubator we are creating an unnatural environment anyway so you sometimes have to intervene. The fact is that a broody hen in a manky old straw nest under a bush will beat us every time for hatch rate.

Hope this helps.

HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: Eggs potentially hatching different times?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2015, 09:41:22 pm »
You can keep an eye on their progress if you can candle them. You'll know when they're getting close to pipping externally once they've pipped internally and so you can time your stopping turning and upping humidity by that. I'd have thought 15 days was early but I know bantams can be much earlier than LF. Personally I'd go for 17 days unless you have reason to believe the Pekins are ahead of that schedule.

H

Q

  • Joined Apr 2013
Re: Eggs potentially hatching different times?
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2015, 11:05:41 pm »
The only problem I have had with this is the chicks that have already hatched dont dry out in 24 hours because of the humidity but I just moved them out anyway. I wouldnt expect too much of a problem.
If you cant beat 'em then at least bugger 'em about a bit.

KahlanA

  • Joined Mar 2015
Re: Eggs potentially hatching different times?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2015, 06:57:45 am »
Ok so today is day 17.

Do I up the humidity and stop turning them all. Orps included?

 

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