1st time incubating!

[lotz2612]

Hi

This year it has been my 1st time incubating eggs (bantam eggs). We have had several semi successfull years with leaving the eggs under hens but this year we thought we'd try something different.

I am however slightly worried...the eggs have been in the incubator for 4 and a half weeks now. Usually it takes them 4weeks to hatch "the natural way" so wasnt too surprised when it surpassed the 3week mark as indicated on some websites. My other half saw one move on Sunday last week...so naturally I got all excited, but nothing has hatched out yet :-( I have noticed a crack in one (yesturday night) so then got super excited...but woke up this morign to still a cracked egg but no fluffy chick.

Should i be worried that they havnt hatched yet?

 

[rthensley]

I am the farthest thing from a hatching expert, but it sounds like something went terribly wrong with your hatch.

I would GUESS that you can unplug the incubator.

You might want to open up a few of the eggs and see what you find. You may, depending on the development of the chicks in the eggs, be able to figure out what went wrong with your hatch.

I'm sure some real experts will be along shortly to offer advice. You may want to go ahead and post more information so they can give you better answers.

Did you candle? What did you see on what days?

What temperature did you use? Still air, or forced air incubator?

Humidity for the first 18 days? Humidity from days 19 - 21?

It sounds like you used local eggs, and not shipped eggs. Right?


Hate you had the bad experience. Just try to learn from it and you will have a better hatch next time.

 

[spikennipper]

Bantam eggs hatch in about 3 weeks sometimes a couple of days earlier sometimes a couple of days late but I'm afraid a week and a half is too late something has went wrong

even hatching under a broody should not take 4 weeks, how old are the adults you are getting the eggs from and what is your cock to hen ratio? hopefully we can help find out where the issue is, we all make mistakes when first starting out so don't let it worry you too much.

 

[lotz2612]

The eggs i used were from our own hens...we seperated them off so we could have 'pure' eggs...2 hens to 1 cockral. I know there is something inside them as i did infact crack on open after 3 and a half weeks...and there was a half developed chick inside it (scarred me for life!)

I am shocked you think it shouldnt take 4weeks under a broody hen..we have had chickens for over 6years and every year it takes about 4weeks! maybe I'v just got stubborn chicks!