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What percentage of your eggs hatch AFTER 21 days?

post #1 of 18
9/10/11 at 7:26am
Thread Starter 

Trying to get a rough idea of how many eggs hatch AFTER the 21 day period for most people, or to word it differently do ALL your eggs hatch on the 21st day ?

Thanks

Stokiechicks

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post #2 of 18
9/10/11 at 8:31am

It depends a lot on the breed you are hatching.

Silkies - Early

Araucanas - On time

Marans - Almost always late.


Most hatches start with one or two early hatching chicks like on day 20, with the bulk on day 21, and one or two stragglers on day 22. Generally the late hatchers are not the best / strongest chicks.

By percentage I would guess that less than 10% are late hatchers.



Good luck

I am currently planning to prepare to get ready to focus.
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I am currently planning to prepare to get ready to focus.
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post #3 of 18
9/10/11 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks

In that case I should abandon all hope of my remaining eggs hatching. I've got 12 left from 20 eggs which haven't hatched. It's now day 24. They're Pekin and Serama eggs. I guess for my first hatch it's not too bad.  Still quite disappointing, particularly not knowing why they haven't hatched. 

The eight chicks are very cute though. Seen nothing like it before smile

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post #4 of 18
9/10/11 at 9:14pm

Candle them before you fling them.

if your incubator has been running a bit cold you may still have some live ones.

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post #5 of 18
9/10/11 at 9:18pm

I went to toss some eggs that were 4 days over, and one of them cheeped!  Needless to say, it didn't survive long after being bounced hard enough on the ground to burst it apart.  After that, I started leaving them in for 7 days unless they leaked or stank or both.  This summer I had one hatch on Day 27, just one day before being pitched.  He's in my Adolescent Hutch right now.

The Cat is in the henhouse!!

Mom to: 4 dogs, 15 cats, and... Chickens! 11 purchased Silkie chicks; 3 assorted bantam chicks;  2 Silkie Roos (buff & partridge); 17 Silkie O (formerly known as Silkie-X); 4 Black Rosecombs; 3 EEs; and one gorgeous Ameraucana rooster named Flame!  More chicks every day!  Go, chickies, go!  

 

Project Silkie O

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The Cat is in the henhouse!!

Mom to: 4 dogs, 15 cats, and... Chickens! 11 purchased Silkie chicks; 3 assorted bantam chicks;  2 Silkie Roos (buff & partridge); 17 Silkie O (formerly known as Silkie-X); 4 Black Rosecombs; 3 EEs; and one gorgeous Ameraucana rooster named Flame!  More chicks every day!  Go, chickies, go!  

 

Project Silkie O

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post #6 of 18
9/10/11 at 9:55pm

Wait, so if you candle after 21 days what are you supposed to see? I took a peek at mine and it still just looks dark with an aircell on the fat end. 8/ I mean, I can't really make out anything else. What are we looking for?

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post #7 of 18
9/10/11 at 10:21pm

I'm getting worried...tomorrow will be day 23...no peeps, hen has been sitting on about ten eggs. I check them twice a day ...if only 10percent hatch after day 21...I may need to toss them all. Sooo sad. She's a first time broody Americana and most of the eggs are green...this waiting is so difficult!

8 Americana, 6 SS, 6 SLW, 2 BR, 3 RR, 1 EF Rooster and lots of compost.
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8 Americana, 6 SS, 6 SLW, 2 BR, 3 RR, 1 EF Rooster and lots of compost.
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post #8 of 18
9/10/11 at 11:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeePants 

Wait, so if you candle after 21 days what are you supposed to see? I took a peek at mine and it still just looks dark with an aircell on the fat end. 8/ I mean, I can't really make out anything else. What are we looking for?


From what I've read (and seen from hatching a batch!) what your seeing is a good sign! If it's dark with only an aircell present, it should mean that the chick is close to hatching-can you see movement in the shell? (A good guide I found for eggs being candled late is http://nzfarmstays.com/candle.html, but it does have some possibly disturbing pictures of chick embryos!)

And I agree with everyone else-it's always best to just leave the eggs if they're taking a while. We cracked open what we thought was a dead egg and had a nasty surprise when a chick fell out ): Needless to say, we shoved the remaining eggs under another broody hen and they all hatched! (Though one fell out of the nest and hatched on the floor in the middle of the night and didn't make it, the poor thing!)

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post #9 of 18
9/10/11 at 11:20pm

Duck eggs take 28 days to hatch.

Breeding Welsummers and Barnevelders.

 

Having an Icelandic in the coop is like having a 2 year old in the house - they are into everything and don't follow the rules.

I have zero chicken willpower.

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Breeding Welsummers and Barnevelders.

 

Having an Icelandic in the coop is like having a 2 year old in the house - they are into everything and don't follow the rules.

I have zero chicken willpower.

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post #10 of 18
9/11/11 at 1:43am
Thread Starter 

Thanks for the replies. Can I candle them without any specialist equipment? I will leave the eggs for a few more days smile It would be great if more popped out!

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