Day 25, live fetus, no pip

[crazybirdlady27]

I'm using a new incubator this time around and issues with uneven temperature killed 1/2 of eggs by day 10. Fixed the issue and all of the remaining eggs hatched on day 22 with no issues except for one. Candled and float tested today and the chick is clearly alive, but shows no signs of hatching whatsoever. No movement of the egg itself in the incubator, no internal/external pip.
Ran 45-50% humidity and 65% for hatch.

 

[crazybirdlady27]

Edit - my question is, how long should I wait? Is the chick likely disabled or is this a normal occurence? At what point should I attempt to assist, if any?

 

[Zgm12]

If it's day 25, you may want to assist. I'm going to refer you to the hands on hatching thread. There are a lot of people on there that know more and can help you. Good luck! I hope he makes it!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I'm using a new incubator this time around and issues with uneven temperature killed 1/2 of eggs by day 10. Fixed the issue and all of the remaining eggs hatched on day 22 with no issues except for one. Candled and float tested today and the chick is clearly alive, but shows no signs of hatching whatsoever. No movement of the egg itself in the incubator, no internal/external pip.
Ran 45-50% humidity and 65% for hatch.

Edit - my question is, how long should I wait? Is the chick likely disabled or is this a normal occurence? At what point should I attempt to assist, if any?

There is really nothing you can do unless the chick pips and has time for the vascular system to shut down. Any attempt at assisting before this happens is most likely to result in the chick bleeding out because of the veining being torn apart during an assist. The farther away from "hatch day" you go the higher the chance of developmental issues. If there is not even an internal pip by day 25, I wouldn't hold out much hope. A chick can take up to 24 hours between internal and external and another 24 to pip from zip. There have been healthy chicks hatched out abnormally late, but the chances are a lot lower.

As to how long you should wait. That's a personal decision. I can't pull the plug on a chick I know is still alive, but I know people that pull the plug at the end of day 22 regardless of life.

 

[azjustin]

We've had eggs hatch at day 25 but that's definitely outside the norm.

I always add a day or so to the equation just in case I didn't incubate until late in the day, temp was a little low, bad luck, full moon, federal holiday, whatever.... A few weeks ago I incubated a bunch of Australorps for a friend and RIRs for us. The RIRs were pipped and zipped ON day 21. I was about to pitch all of the Australorps on day 23 when every single one of them hatched within 12 hours with no problems.

Unless you've got a reason to pull them out, I'd just wait.

In contrast: most of our chicks that hatch really late (day 24-25) seem to always have developmental issues throughout life. Any assists always end in culling at some point. I've never assisted a non-pipped chick, nor will I ever.

This is just our experience, other people's will be different.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We've had eggs hatch at day 25 but that's definitely outside the norm.

I always add a day or so to the equation just in case I didn't incubate until late in the day, temp was a little low, bad luck, full moon, federal holiday, whatever.... A few weeks ago I incubated a bunch of Australorps for a friend and RIRs for us. The RIRs were pipped and zipped ON day 21. I was about to pitch all of the Australorps on day 23 when every single one of them hatched within 12 hours with no problems.

Unless you've got a reason to pull them out, I'd just wait.

In contrast: most of our chicks that hatch really late (day 24-25) seem to always have developmental issues throughout life. Any assists always end in culling at some point. I've never assisted a non-pipped chick, nor will I ever.

This is just our experience, other people's will be different.

I've only had one hatch late @ day 24 and survive and as he grew a leg problem become more and more obvious. I agree the chances are so much higher of having issues with chicks born past -day 23 I would say. I have done quite a few assists and have never had to cull one yet- however, they have all been on time hatchers. I strongly believe that assists done on late hatchers have a much higher occurance of needing to be culled.