Day 21

[NSB]

12.30 just looked in the incubator and I have one egg that has just pipped and I can hear cheeping. Only another 17 to go

I'll keep you posted

[MaureenHall]

Wonderful I think it's so magical hearing those little cheeps coming from the unhatched eggs, and seeing the little chick coming out of the shell is just amazing

[NSB]

No further developments yet but I can see movement in the hole

[bluemoon]

Fingers crossed that all goes well.

[NSB]

Still no further

[MaureenHall]

It could actually be quite a long time from pipping to hatching NSB. It's frustrating I know, but once it's out and climbing over the other eggs and cheeping, that seems to stimulate and encourage the others

[RichmondHens]

As Maureen says, they can take up to 12 hours to get out, so don't worry too much yet. If it's not out by morning though, but still trying, damp the shell round the hole with a little wet kitchen paper as the membranes may have dried out and be sticking to the chick. If you want to try hand hatching, then do so, but remember, chicks that don't manage to hatch themselves are often weak and maybe not meant to survive.

That said, you may wake up to a fluffy bundle - hope so!

[MaureenHall]

My first one was 24 hours from pipping to hatching. Like Richmond said keep the membrane damp but don't overdo it or you'll drown the chick. I wouldn't really recommend helping the chick out unless you're 100% sure of what you're doing (I'm the doom and gloom monster on this point!!) If the chick's going to make it, it'll manage just fine. Bet you've already got 2 or 3

[walldanzig]

I would also say there are to membraines one on the outside which is white and also one underneath this which is like tissue paper. The second one is used for suppling blood to the egg I would be very wary of removing this as the chick can bleed to death if you jusy pull this apart. When the chick pecks at the eggs it does so in several different places and this continuous breaking of the memberane sends a signal to it to tell it to stop supplying blood thus when the chick emerges the blood flow has stopped. Hope that makes sense

[NSB]

Thanks. one question 2 chicks arrived over night and look good, shalli take them out of the incubaotr as they are looking for food and they ar huddling in the corners I didnt know if the incubator was too hot for them.

[RichmondHens]

They won't be too hot in the incubator, and they shouldn't need food for 24 hrs as they still have the remains of the yolk sac in their tummies. But if you have the brooder all set up and ready to go, at the correct temperature, then put them in it, with crumb and a shallow dish of water. They won't come to any harm and they'll have more space to move around if they wish.

[MaureenHall]

You've probably already done this, but for the other newbies to chick hatching, I always put some pebbles or marbles in the water dish, just so the chicks can't drown in it if they happen to fall in Also, I always dip their beaks (not the nostrils!) in the water when I move them to the brooder to make sure they know where the water is and watch that they're able to drink ok (don't know what I'd do if they couldn't though )