Advice on chickens not hatching, guessing they are at about 19-20 days.....

[Duckdown]

Hi all,

Hoping to get some advice.... I recently ordered a dozen fertile frizzle eggs. Some I put straight under one of my broody females, the others I kicked off in the incubator until a week or so later when another hen went broody. So I then put the remainder of the eggs under her (that had been in the incubator).

In short we've only had three hatch.

We cracked open the remainder of the eggs several days after the three had hatched and we're placing them at about 19-20 days given they were fully formed and feathered....

Can anyone help as to what has gone wrong for these little guys that didn't quite make it? They hadn't started to pip either.

Thanks in advance.

Ducksdownunder.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might find something in this that will help you determine what happened.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting
http://www.poultry.msstate.edu/extension/pdf/troubleshooting_incubation.pdf

If a frizzle is mated to a frizzle, some of the chicks probably won't hatch. The frizzle gene is deadly when it is matched with another frizzle gene. That's why you should not mate a frizzle to a frizzle. But even if it was a frizzle mated to a frizzle, this should only account for maybe 25% of the chicks. Those 25% odds are for each egg, so who knows how that would actually play out. My last hatch was 11 roosters and 5 pullets though the odds were 50-50. Odds are just odds.

Other than that fatal frizzle gene thing, you were looking at them and I'm not. As you can see by that article, it could be a lot of different things, even under a broody.

 

[Duckdown]

Thanks Ridgerunner.....I hadn't known about the frizzle gene. Makes me realise what a true novice at this I am.

There's good information in that article too. A lot of food for thought to take into consideration.

Thanks for getting back to me, most helpful.

Cheers.

 

[kizanne]

Also isn't chicken hatching 21 days? Sounds like you went in too early. a couple can hatch early doesn't mean the rest are bad. Of course I know I am a novice so anyone else want to jump in?

 

[Pyxis]

Yeah, chicks hatch at 21 days, and some hatch late. I have some in the incubator on day 21 right now that are just finally starting to pip. They probably won't be out til tomorrow. Perhaps the other chicks hatched early, and the hens abandoned the eggs to care for the chicks? Maybe they would have hatched if the hens stayed on them.

 

[Duckdown]

Thanks guys, I possibly wasn't clear in my first posting.

The chicks hatched day 21 as you'd expect and the hens sat for another 3 days so as soon as the hens left the nest, we cracked open the eggs knowing there was no chance.

3 healthy frizzle chickens in toe!

Cheers.

 

[Bwez]

Hi Guys,
So are we saying the eggs should hatch 21 days after being laid or 21 days from the time the hen starts sitting on them?

 

[kizanne]

from the time heat is applied assuming stable temps of 99.5 it can vary with a few early and a few late.

 

[Bwez]

Thanks for that advice Kizanne.
I guess my chicks should start coming out tomorrow or Saturday. My hen has been sitting for 19 days today. I will upload pictures.

Funny thing happened though! Another hen laid her first egg today but chose a spot nee the brooding one. When she went off after laying, the brooding one stole the fresh egg and tucked it under herself. I wonder what will happen now?