Could we try to "crack" eggs that are late? or wait?????

[innof8happinesses]

Hello, I have been reading all the topics and have learned so much as we are new to incubating our own eggs. We have a small incubator that holds on 3 eggs. I have been monitoring them closely and have tried to adjusts the temps as needed etc. I know we had viable chicks inside during several times we candled. Now the first one to hatch is at day 22. My children wanted to crack it to help it out... Won't that kill the chick if it is still viable? Help please??!?!??!!

~Shauna

 

[willowcol]

Yes it will kill it, after it makes the first whole it then absorbs the yolk and rest for almost 24 hours. Don't open the incubator or the humidity will drop and the chick won't get out of the shell when its ready.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Yes, that will kill the chick if its still alive!...If your temps and humidity were off any they will hatch out late. Chicks pip the shells first and then rest, learn to breathe and finish absorbing their yolk sac. It can take 24 hours or longer for them to pip the egg and then zip out of the shell. Patience.

 

[Poultrydude]

Hi,

(This is a good question), Ive incubated a lot of quail and bantam eggs in my time keeping birds and yes it usally kills the chick inside if you start breaking the egg shell, But Ive got a way a few time by doing it, so the chick still lives, but it 50/50, usally they die.

Regards
Craig

 

[innof8happinesses]

Thank you all! That is quite helpful to know. Phew. Glad we didn't try... Trying to have patience.... and to teach it to 4 anxious homeschooling children!

~Shauna

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

And let me just point out (not that I speak from experience or anything) that if the egg isn't viable and has just spent 21 days rotting away in there, there is a strong chance that sucker will explode. And when it explodes it is the foulest, nastiest, smelliest stuff you can ever imagine and it will get everywhere. Not that I'd know or anything...

(... I swear I was only cracking them at 25 days in the name of science...)

 

[innof8happinesses]

Ha, ha, ha... That is good to know. Yes, we do a lot of science around here too...

I read that such a thing could happen... but was thinking it couldn't reallllly happen to us.... I'll give another day or two...

~Shauna

 

[twigg]

If they are at Day 22 and haven't started to hatch then there is already a problem.

They may still hatch, but you might want to start lowering the kid's expectations gently.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Yeah... I was feeling pretty smug after the first one cracked with no problem. There was a half developed chickie in it (sad, but interesting). Egg number two was payback for my smugness.