Chicks Overdue :(

[PittyLova]

Hey guys!

I'm really stressing over here! This is my second attempt at egg hatching.

First go around I made a home made incubator for some quail eggs. Needless to say the were way too hot and we had boiled quail eggs by the end of day 2. D'OH!

I decided to wait on the quail because during the wait for them being ordered I ended up with some ducks so had to put together what is going to be a poultry pen anyway. So...chickens now and the quail I'll do in the spring. That and I wanted to wait for a real incubator this time.

I got an incubator from my parents for an early Christmas gift. I was so excited I ordered a half dozen of barnyard mix eggs right away. They arrived perfectly wrapped and cushioned. I waited 24 hours and then placed them in the incubator that I had set at the exact temp and humidity for 4 days before they even arrived.

A few days in 2 of the eggs have that globby sap looking stuff on them. I look it up and realize they need to go asap (the pigs enjoyed them). After a week I used a flashlight and candled them. 2 weren't fertile at all...completely clear. I could see two others clear as day. Pigs enjoyed the non fertile eggs.

They went into lock down on Saturday, supposed to hatch Tuesday. Nothing. No sounds, no movement, no pips. I candled...could see birds but couldn't really see what was going on in there....no ring around the airsac I've seen people mention though.

So I floated them. Both are low floaters, no real movement though. They're dry and back in the incubator, but how long do I wait for them to hatch? I'm super bummed right now! Zero chicks out of 6 kind of stinks. I was so excited when I saw the chicks moving around before. I don't want to open them early if they may survive, but I also don't want any type of explosion happening either.

Is this normal with shipped eggs???

 

[PittyLova]

They arrived on December 4th and were set on the 5th. I kept the temp between 99 and 100 F, and the humidity was at around 60%. We live in New Hampshire.

When I floated the remaining 2 they floated, but were mostly under the water. Maybe 10-15% was out of the water.

If these 2 don't make it I'm thinking that I'll just give up and buy chicks and wait until they lay to hatch any more. I was hoping to hatch so I could get them laying sooner than waitin for spring to buy chicks. I'm thinking it may be a waste to buy shipped eggs

 

[junebuggena]

Next time around, try to find some fertile eggs locally. Shipped eggs make getting a decent hatch rate very, very difficult even for those with a lot of experience.

 

[PittyLova]

This may sound like a dumb question but does the friend also have a rooster?

No, she didn't. I'm on the lookout for a nice rooster. I see them listed fir free all of the time

 

[WVduckchick]

So what day did you actually set them? If they are 3 days past due, chances aren't great.
I don't like the float test, too many false negatives, but sinking would indicate that the air cells didn't get large enough, meaning you may have ran humidity too high.
What temp and humidity did you use? Whereabouts are you located? (state?)

 

[Laodicia]

Hey guys!

I'm really stressing over here! This is my second attempt at egg hatching.

First go around I made a home made incubator for some quail eggs. Needless to say the were way too hot and we had boiled quail eggs by the end of day 2. D'OH!

I decided to wait on the quail because during the wait for them being ordered I ended up with some ducks so had to put together what is going to be a poultry pen anyway. So...chickens now and the quail I'll do in the spring. That and I wanted to wait for a real incubator this time.

I got an incubator from my parents for an early Christmas gift. I was so excited I ordered a half dozen of barnyard mix eggs right away. They arrived perfectly wrapped and cushioned. I waited 24 hours and then placed them in the incubator that I had set at the exact temp and humidity for 4 days before they even arrived.

A few days in 2 of the eggs have that globby sap looking stuff on them. I look it up and realize they need to go asap (the pigs enjoyed them). After a week I used a flashlight and candled them. 2 weren't fertile at all...completely clear. I could see two others clear as day. Pigs enjoyed the non fertile eggs.

They went into lock down on Saturday, supposed to hatch Tuesday. Nothing. No sounds, no movement, no pips. I candled...could see birds but couldn't really see what was going on in there....no ring around the airsac I've seen people mention though.

So I floated them. Both are low floaters, no real movement though. They're dry and back in the incubator, but how long do I wait for them to hatch? I'm super bummed right now! Zero chicks out of 6 kind of stinks. I was so excited when I saw the chicks moving around before. I don't want to open them early if they may survive, but I also don't want any type of explosion happening either.

Is this normal with shipped eggs???

have you been drawing the shape of the aircell onto your eggs? if yes a pic of an egg would help in determining if the humidity was too high, which is kind of what it sounds like to me. Shipped eggs are harder to hatch... the "recommended" humidity is for dry climates. I don't up my humidity at all for the first 18 days running at about 20% inside the incubator otherwise I don't loose enough moisture from my eggs and they all drown. hope that's not the case for you, but it's a possibility.

 

[WVduckchick]

60% is probably a little high, unless its very dry where you live.
I would candle them again. look for any signs of movement. See if the air cell has drawn down. If it hasn't, by this point, I would assume the worst. I'm sorry.

And yes, shipped eggs are a huge gamble. 50% hatch is considered good. But sometimes shipped is our only option. Keep trying!

 

[junebuggena]

They arrived on December 4th and were set on the 5th. I kept the temp between 99 and 100 F, and the humidity was at around 60%. We live in New Hampshire.

When I floated the remaining 2 they floated, but were mostly under the water. Maybe 10-15% was out of the water.

If these 2 don't make it I'm thinking that I'll just give up and buy chicks and wait until they lay to hatch any more. I was hoping to hatch so I could get them laying sooner than waitin for spring to buy chicks. I'm thinking it may be a waste to buy shipped eggs

If you've got a still air incubator, your temp was a bit too low, and that could be the reason for the delay. Still air incubators should be kept between 101 and 102. The few degrees off could slow their development, and take them 25 to 28 days to full incubate to the point they are ready to hatch. 60% humidity is also a bit high, and reduce the chances for a good hatch.

 

[PittyLova]

Thanks everybody, it's a fan forced incubator and I set it up according to the booklet instructions as far as temp and humidity. I didn't even think about how location may change those numbers.

I didn't draw the air cells, but when I looked today they definitely seemed like they are larger than they were on Saturday. I didn't notice any movement, so I'm guessing they're gone. I guess I'll give it another day or 2 and then open them up.

 

[WVduckchick]

have you been drawing the shape of the aircell onto your eggs? if yes a pic of an egg would help in determining if the humidity was too high, which is kind of what it sounds like to me. Shipped eggs are harder to hatch... the "recommended" humidity is for dry climates. I don't up my humidity at all for the first 18 days running at about 20% inside the incubator otherwise I don't loose enough moisture from my eggs and they all drown. hope that's not the case for you, but it's a possibility.

Yea, incubator instructions are too general and can't cover everyones situation. Here's an article that may help you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

I also agree with trying some local eggs, if you can find them. Or if you try shipped eggs again, buy extras, and research the best packing practices. Good packing makes a big difference, although the postal service can still ruin them.