Pipped!

[kirsty b]

One egg has pipped at day 19. All I can see is beak, which cheeps for a bit, then seems to have a little rest.
Got in after 14 hour shift at work and now can't flamin sleep cos its all so exciting. 2 of the other 3 eggs are making slight tapping noises so things could start happening from tomorrow, Mon is day 21. This is the first time I've hatched using an incubator, last time I had a momma hen and just left her to it (babies started coming at day 20 then). The urge to 'help' is unbearable, but it could be ages till baby is out couldn't it? *sits on hands* Terrified the poor little thing won't come out cos they seem so helpless/get too tired

[Glutton4...]

Aaaawwww Kirsty, I feel for you! fingers crossed that everything's OK.

Changing the subject; is a 14 hour work shift legal!!!!?

I'll be back in tomorrow to check up on you, I hope everything is OK!

[kirsty b]

Aaaawwww Kirsty, I feel for you! fingers crossed that everything's OK.

Changing the subject; is a 14 hour work shift legal!!!!?

I'll be back in tomorrow to check up on you, I hope everything is OK!

Yup, I chose to do the extra hours as I need the dosh, but I'm now on annual leave for a week. I get an hour's lunch break, and half hour supper, as well as morning tea break, and a cuppa in office about 4ish.
Time spent on ward is actually only 12.5 hours, but its still a long day

[dexterdoglancashire]

Any more news Kirsty? It all sounds eggxtremely eggciting!

[kirsty b]

nothing is out of egg yet ecept more beak, but cheeping is getting noisier, instead of a wee beak looking like it is taking its last gasp (thats what made me nervous last night)
Second egg has pipped, a tiny hole in it now and tapping coming from third egg.

Nothing much to take pics of yet, but will get them on here soon as

[Bramble-Poultry]

pipping is sooo exciting - and you are right the urge to help is nail biting but you must let the chick do it in its own time. if you extract it too early, there is a chance that the chord to the membrane and yolk hasnt sealed properly and you could lose the chick.

look on the bright side, chicken chicks are cute, the sequence of pics below is of a turkey hatching - they look prehistoric when they pip - like some dinosaur looking at you!

[kirsty b]

Can't see baby's face yet, but nearly whole beak as opposed to just the tip last night.

Those pics are lovely

[dexterdoglancashire]

Lovely photos BP.

[mr darcy]

sooo exciting!! any more news??? you're not a midwife are you?

[kirsty b]

A larger crack has appeared in the egg that is furthest along, looks as though baby is starting to have a few little stretches. Cheeps are getting a bit louder.
2nd egg, nothing more has happened but I'm not too worried and taps are coming from 3rd egg still, but not pipped yet. Day 21 is tomorrow, so they still have plenty of time.

[RedThorn]

ohh how exciting!!!! come on little ones!!!

[walldanzig]

well done Kirsty B what are they

[kirsty b]

No idea, just got a mixture of fertile eggs from farm up the road. They will all be crosses of various breeds. They keep Marans, game birds and a Light Sussex up there and a few blue/green egg layers.

Will have to have guesses when adult feathers come out.

[NSB]

I had to help mine as one of the chicks had been pipping for so long and the membrane had all dried up, I just put a few drops of warm water in the egg every now and then to make the membrane still moist.

So exciting. Ive got some eggs arriving tomorrow

[Bramble-Poultry]

Kirsty - you think you're excited - we have 96 in the incubators at the moment. Our self control is almost Zen like!

More coming soon too! God i need the electric bill like a hole in the head but hey, its almost as much as you can have whilst still being legal!!!!