Day 20 No Action, Going Crazy

[Loralye]

This website has already been so helpful for this newbie BUT I'm going crazy and just want someone to tell me to chill haha

I'm incubating for my first time, 4 cochin bantam eggs, 3 made it to lock down in my older Brinsea Mini Advance. I set them on April 8th at 4:30pm. I also got the app Hatchabatch. Because of reading that bantams could hatch early and should be locked down early, others say the opposite, I decided to compromise and locked down at the start of day 18 on April 25th at 4:30 instead of day 19 which is when Hatchabatch told me to.

It is now halfway through day 20 and there's nothing happening. I think I saw one wiggle a bit yesterday, and I used a really bright light to try to candle through the plastic wall of the incubator, I could see that the aircells have grown substantially. But couldn't see an internal pip, same this morning. Mind you it is hard to see all angles candling through the incubator.... I also had to top off the water quickly today since I filled the reservoirs over 2 days ago now.

I'm losing my mind! I really thought that something would happen by now. Did I miscount the days? Did lockdown early effect them? They were moving and pretty well developed on day 18. This is truly the biggest exercise in patience.

 

[Eggscaping]

Breathe in. Breathe out. Repeat. Our chick eggs that just finished hatching never stirred until midway through day 21. Even then, the last one out made it a full day and a half late. It's all good. ....there is some good stuff on YouTube to watch to keep you entertained and distracted. Look up "Mouse Trap Monday" and watch the guy who tests antique and newly invented mouse traps. He's a hoot! Good luck!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

It took eggs under my broodie until the wee hours of day 22 to hatch. You're fine! I was beside myself with anticipation and excitement though so I totally get what you're going through! Probably most of us in this community relate heavily to what you're going through. You're sooo right about the exercise in patience! What helped me was staying busy! Thankfully hatch day occurred on my weekend so there were lots of household chores I could distract myself with. I told my boyfriend if my eggs were in an incubator my eyeballs would have been glued to them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm losing my mind! I really thought that something would happen by now. Did I miscount the days? Did lockdown early effect them? They were moving and pretty well developed on day 18. This is truly the biggest exercise in patience.

I feel that way every day 20.

No, you can lock down as early as day 16 with no ill side effects.

If you're seriously impatient... Sometimes I will do a quick candle if there are NO external pips.. and can often see the chick beak IN the air cell!

My water reservoirs always needed filling again before hatch after lock down.

Start listening for peeping... you can often hear them even before they pip externally. They make sounds to communicate with each other and the hen to collaborate hatch.

Waiting is so hard!

Once hatch starts... I'm looking inside the bator every 5 minutes to see what happened next!

 

[Loralye]

Thanks haha I've been reading a lot of other people's experiences on threads and I do have some adopted silkie chicks that keep me a bit distracted.

My brinsea will turn itself off tomorrow or the next day I think so I guess I'll have to add more days just in case....maybe I should reset it now ?

 

[Punkybrewster]

When i use my Brinsea, no rocking or peeps so i get worried. Then they hatch all at once with no warning!....Every time!
Its crazy.

 

[Loralye]

When i use my Brinsea, no rocking or peeps so i get worried. Then they hatch all at once with no warning!....Every time!
Its crazy.

Holy crap! I have pips!! I was just staring like a crazy person and saw them on two...took me a minute to process. What if I didn't notice the tiny pips this morning when I opened the incubator to top off the water? It took like 20 minutes for the humidity to climb backup to 65 :/

Also it looks like one missed the aircell completely!?!?!?! Ah my nerves!

 

[Punkybrewster]

As long as its an external pip, it can breathe. Should be fine. Also, if youre going by the marks you made on the egg, the air cell draws down even further right before hatch.

 

[Loralye]

As long as its an external pip, it can breathe. Should be fine. Also, if youre going by the marks you made on the egg, the air cell draws down even further right before hatch.

Yeah I noticed that the aircells grew quite a bit, I was surprised! I shined a light through the outside of the incubator and could see them pretty good. One hit the aircell perfect, but the other seems to be middle of the egg on the side. Photo is tricky to see. Hopefully all goes well

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Yeah I noticed that the aircells grew quite a bit, I was surprised! I shined a light through the outside of the incubator and could see them pretty good. One hit the aircell perfect, but the other seems to be middle of the egg on the side. Photo is tricky to see. Hopefully all goes well
View attachment 2112951

If that's the fat end of the egg than it looks like it is in a good position.