Would cooling eggs cause such a delay in hatching?

[Egghead_Jr]

Retarding temp will retard the hatch time. Your delay in hatching has more to do with the overall lower temp than that one occurrence. Odd she when broody this time of year but then there was an unusual warming trend December this year which likely tricked her body into thinking spring.

In the reverse of this scenario hot spells in late spring will hatch chicks under broody days early. Once had large fowl hen (not pullet) eggs hatch late day 18 into day 19. I count hatch days correctly so yes, that's 3 days early.

 

[Lobzi]

See that is the thing...I wrote the date I found her sitting on the eggs on them but I may have been off by a day or two. Now it is Sunday, four days out. That seems like very long time. I did expect some delay due to the cold spell but this is awfully long. I just hope that if they hatch the babies are normal.

 

[Lobzi]

Boy is that a learning moment (hatched chicks in the trash). I always leave eggs way longer than probably should, just to make certain they are not going to hatch.

I was given the strongest little light for predator peering but I found I can use it with the late eggs. It is so light that I can see the fluttering up near the air cell. I love that I can tell that the egg is alive without doing the water test. That test scares me but I did it this time just to be sure I was not seeing things. I wont do it again now that one is pipped.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

http://www.brinsea.com/Articles/Advice/PowerOff.aspx

Up to 7 days of incubation, eggs can be cooled all the way down to near freezing for 24 hours or more without harm.
Cooling delays hatch but not as much as the cooling period so there is some compensation.
The older the embryo, the more likely it is to die below 80F.

I never candle broody eggs. Usually I have to have complete darkness to see anything in my eggs, much less movement.

I've had broody hens in some pretty cold weather, say those that went broody in a warm November period. They didn't have any problem keeping chicks warm down to the teens and below.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Glad some are hatching.

With a broody, you need to mark all the eggs under her the first day or two and remove any that get added later so the embryos don't die when she leaves the nest to care for the first hatchlings.
In nature, a hen will stop laying when she starts to sit, preventing protracted hatches. In a coop, other hens keep contributing to the nest.

 

[Lobzi]

Mama and her two early-late hatchlings. Four more to hatch yet.

 

[sumi]

I love this!

 

[dowgirl71]

I'm interested in how this late hatch turns out. I had a broody Silkie last month & was unable to break her of it. So I purchased 5 fertile eggs & gave her something to do. Crazy-being December in Maine, but I did. The eggs were set to hatch on January 2nd & 2 of them did. I gave her 2 more days & candled the remaining 3. Two of them had a dark mass in them but one looked more transparent. I couldn't see movement in the two & tried tapping on them but this was my first time hatching. So I wasn't really sure. How obvious is the movement? After 3 days, I took the eggs out but now, after reading this thread, I'm wonderIng if I did the right thing. I thought about calling you, Lazy Gardiner. You've always given me good advice.

 

[Lobzi]

If you can somehow get a very bright light, I recommend it. The light must wake up or surprise the chick so that it flutters. You will be able to see it up near the air cell. It is unmistakable. You will need to hold the light at the fat end of the egg and cover most of the egg with something, I use my hand, so the light doesnt blind you. Anyway, I am so glad I was given this light. It sure saved the lives of it looks like possibly six babies that I might have given up on otherwise.

 

[lazy gardener]

You've got my number. You could have called me. You know what I'd have told you? I'd have told you to bring me those eggs, and I'd stick them in my bator for you!!!! What are friends for???