Call hatch -5 days past due. How long....

[chickensioux]

How many days past the hatch date do you wait to see if the eggs are viable? These are under a broody chicken. She has been wonderfully diligent. They were supposed to hatch last Tues. How long do I wait? What do I do when I decide to check? Break on open? What if it is alive? Thanks!

 

[cracking up]

If you can, I would smell them, candle and let her have a little more time. Are you sure she is still sitting on the same eggs she started with?

 

[chickensioux]

I have candled them, they all appear to have formed. She has been a very good broody. She has not changed nests at all and has only gotten off the nest a couple of times to drink and dust bathe. In the last few days, she has not gotten off at all. If they were not alive, what would they smell like? Like a typical rotten egg?

 

[Pet Duck Boy]

Quote:
You'll know it's rotten when you smell it, but when eggs are under a birds butt---They tend to smell a little off anyways.

 

[cracking up]

I remember hearing calls are especially hard to hatch. Maybe you should tap the egg and see if it peeps. I think if it were me I would probably help.

 

[janastasio]

At this point I would candle them and look for any indication of a bill in the air cell. Also check for movement in the egg, although they are so big at this age its hard to tell. My two call hatches I did recently I had to help them out. I waited until beaks were in the air cell and for some progression. Once I determined no progression had been made, I opened a portion of the air cell and removed some of the shell over this. I then put them back to do the rest on their own. I was also using an incubator, so I was able to increase humidity and so forth. Good luck and I hope all is ok with them.