that you are using a less than perfect incubator with an overhead heating element (AKA a hovabator or similar). My bet is that there was a slight but significant difference in temperature between the top of the egg chamber and the bottom (like maybe .25 to .5 of a degree). After observing a bunch of clutches over the past few years, I haven't observed any corelation (yes, mispelled for sure...lol) between location in an egg mass and incubation time. You'll find that two eggs that were exactly side by side can hatch as much as 48 hours apart. Sometimes an entire clutch pips within hours of each other, sometimes it happens over a couple of days.



And quit poking your eggs! I know its hard, but the less you mess with them the better. Babies won't drown EVER after the egg has pipped or been cut. Their instincts to not breathe under fluid are strong once they begin breathing air.



Hang in there!

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