Broody Hen on Eggs

[Star2014]

None of the Americana eggs have pipped yet. It has been 4 days since I last candled them and saw the eggs be completely dark except for the air sac. Have the eggs died or are they just taking awhile to hatch?
We are getting a new incubator tomorrow as no stores were open today. As soon as the incubator is ready we are putting the favorelle eggs in it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

4 days with no pips after the egg is completely dark isn't a good sign.
You may want to do a float test on one or two. Put the egg in warm water to see if it jiggles and dances.

 

[Star2014]

If it jiggles and dances is it alive or is that when the embryo is dead?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Jiggling and dancing from an egg floating in water is from the embryo moving around in the shell. That would be a live embryo.
A dead one won't move.

 

[Star2014]

Ok thank you! After I asked I read up on the water test. After looking at the (Cobb’s?) chart I think that the egg was crushed as I compared the embryo to the pictures and the embryo looked like Day 18. I’m thinking maybe the light I used wasn’t powerful enough or I didn’t candle right.

 

[Star2014]

During last night one of the eggs hatched! It’s doing great. I took it out to make sure it was good and then I let it dove back under its momma. I think one of the other eggs has pipped as I think I hear it chirping but am not quite sure as I didn’t want to pull it out and disturb it. It’s not a great picture haha but there it is.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMO when hatching is imminent, hands off. Messing with the eggs/chicks is about the same as opening the incubator which causes shrink wrapping. She needs to sit tight to retain humidity in the nesting environment.