Black Australorp Eggs - Late Hatch?

[kalyssia]

Help!
This is my first time incubating chicks and I don't know if my eggs are still going to hatch?
I bought 10x black australorp eggs on 25/02/24 from a breeder. She mentioned that some had been chilled so I left them at room temp for 24 hours before setting them in the incubator (which is a homemade one out of a 60L storage bin, hrygometer, heat lamp and moist sponge. I should add that I drilled ventilation holes in the plastic storage bin as it was building a lot of condensation. Not too many though.)
I had this set up and turned on for about 3 hours before setting the eggs so do I count from 26/02 or is it really 27/02 as it takes a while for things to settle in the incubator?
Things seemed to go okay throughout the incubation period but I am a first timer. The eggs are white but I had difficulty candling them and recognising the development. They were turned 3-5 daily, at 37degrees and 60% humidity up until lock down which I did on 17/03/2024 (36degrees and 70% humidity).
This is where I have gotten myself into a pickle and need help!!!
I thought they were supposed to hatch/ starting pipping 18/03/24? Or is it 19/03/24?
Either way nothing has happened and I have found myself constantly checking and fussing/ playing them youtube clips of baby chicks chirping in the hopes I could encourage some activity
Yesterday 20/03/24 I did some google research on the float test and tried it with 4 of the 10 eggs. All 4 seemed viable i.e. 80% under water (which was tested with a thermometer at 37degrees) and about 20% above.
Because a couple of them worked I put them back and didn't disturb the rest. Thought I felt one moving inside the shell when drying it off to put back.
21/03 still nothing. I could see air sacs in the 4 that were float tested but didn't handle them long enough to look for movement or internal pipping.

Need some advice please....

 

[nuthatched]

The first day you set doesn't count, the next day is day 1.

 

[Ridgerunner]

do I count from 26/02 or is it really 27/02 as it takes a while for things to settle in the incubator?

Yes, the next day is "1". You start counting after they have been in there 24 hours. It takes 24 hours for the eggs to have a day's worth of development. An easy way to check your counting is the day of the week you put them in is the day of the week the 21 days are up for chicken eggs.

That does not mean all eggs hatch after 21 days of development. They can easily be 2 full days early or late depending in different things. Consider the 21 days a target.

Yesterday 20/03/24 I did some google research on the float test and tried it with 4 of the 10 eggs. All 4 seemed viable i.e. 80% under water (which was tested with a thermometer at 37degrees) and about 20% above.

Could you please post a link to that article? I'd like to see what it said.

That is not a float test to see if a chick is alive inside the egg. If a chick is alive and in the process of hatching the egg will wiggle when it floats. Since you are immersing that egg in water I would only do that test as a last minute desperation measure just before I tossed the eggs. If the egg has not pipped the chick should not drown when doing that but it can wash bloom off and get bacteria inside the egg. It is not a test I'd do casually.

 

[kalyssia]

Yes, the next day is "1". You start counting after they have been in there 24 hours. It takes 24 hours for the eggs to have a day's worth of development. An easy way to check your counting is the day of the week you put them in is the day of the week the 21 days are up for chicken eggs.

That does not mean all eggs hatch after 21 days of development. They can easily be 2 full days early or late depending in different things. Consider the 21 days a target.


Could you please post a link to that article? I'd like to see what it said.

That is not a float test to see if a chick is alive inside the egg. If a chick is alive and in the process of hatching the egg will wiggle when it floats. Since you are immersing that egg in water I would only do that test as a last minute desperation measure just before I tossed the eggs. If the egg has not pipped the chick should not drown when doing that but it can wash bloom off and get bacteria inside the egg. It is not a test I'd do casually.

Thank you, perhaps I am over eager being a first timer.

This was the youtube link to the clip that I watched for the float test:

There were definitely no cracks in the eggs that I did the float test with and put them straight back in the incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Interesting video, thank you. I'm not surprised some eggs hatched after they were floated but I'm still wary of trying that on eggs very early. Some people seem to freak out about that and think it is certain doom. I think it does increase the risk that something could go wrong, that's why I only recommend my float test as a desperation move just before you toss them, but it is not certain doom.

That's not the float test I am familiar with. If a living chick is close to hatch the egg should wiggle when it is floating in calm water. I did not see that in the video but the eggs weren't left in the water very long.

I'm glad it worked out for that lady and I wish you the best of luck in your hatch.

I did find other videos similar to yours. This video shows the movement I'm talking about.

https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervi...16276BB77B352CDE508416276BB77B352CD&FORM=VIRE