Day 20, no wiggling anymore - help!!

[GoosesGeeses]

did they hatch?

 

[Yardmom]

You may have been lucky enough to see the wiggling as the chicks got into place for hatching. At this point you wouldn't see much wiggling, but you should be watching for external pips. If you don't see them today it might just be a slight delay.

The amount of surface water required to achieve the ideal humidity varies by the relative humidity outside of the incubator. If you try a future hatch make sure to be able to check the temperature and humidity with something other than the incubator itself.

 

[Shrubbie]

did they hatch?

Hi! Not yet, but family members have seen slight movements in two of them. I'm crossing fingers. It's day 21 now.

 

[Shrubbie]

You may have been lucky enough to see the wiggling as the chicks got into place for hatching. At this point you wouldn't see much wiggling, but you should be watching for external pips. If you don't see them today it might just be a slight delay.

The amount of surface water required to achieve the ideal humidity varies by the relative humidity outside of the incubator. If you try a future hatch make sure to be able to check the temperature and humidity with something other than the incubator itself.

Thank you for that - and yes I'll get a hygrometer and separate thermometer I think, for future hatches.
I am practising patience and trust on this one ...;-)

 

[Shrubbie]

Thank you so much everyone for your kindness in replying and offering advice, I really appreciate it!
You've enabled me to feel more positive and trusting of the process, and if it doesn't work I have some pragmatic options to try for next time. But hopefully this time will still work - it's now day 21 - and next time we'll be able to have a broody hen instead, let nature do the work without the machines!! ;-)
Thank you all once again
I'll post the outcome when there's news.

 

[Shrubbie]

Aaaah!
Nothing on day 21, and all day 22, except for two little cheeps heard by me at 9am (but I wasn’t sure I didn’t imagine them)…
Then at 4,30pm! Two (of 4) eggs pipped!!!!!!
Very excited we all were. I woke at 4.15am and one had come out, gosh the relief!! I got the kids up .
We all witnessed chick 2 zipping and emerging at 7am.
Egg the third had pipped then, we’re still waiting for that one, hopeful……however the other two have been bumping it around and covering its pip with the other shell at times, so I’m worried it’s having to try twice as hard…(so maybe having an extra long rest).

Egg the 4th no pip, nothing.
But we have currently two active curious chicks so we’re very happy!!
Thanks again everyone for your support!
I will still get myself a hygrometer. And we’ll try another hatch maybe this season, but from locally fertile eggs hopefully instead of shipping them. Bit by bit, learning more as we go.

 

[Shrubbie]

Aaaah!
Nothing on day 21, and all day 22, except for two little cheeps heard by me at 9am (but I wasn’t sure I didn’t imagine them)…
Then at 4,30pm! Two (of 4) eggs pipped!!!!!!
Very excited we all were. I woke at 4.15am and one had come out, gosh the relief!! I got the kids up .
We all witnessed chick 2 zipping and emerging at 7am.
Egg the third had pipped then, we’re still waiting for that one, hopeful……however the other two have been bumping it around and covering its pip with the other shell at times, so I’m worried it’s having to try twice as hard…(so maybe having an extra long rest).

Egg the 4th no pip, nothing.
But we have currently two active curious chicks so we’re very happy!!
Thanks again everyone for your support!
I will still get myself a hygrometer. And we’ll try another hatch maybe this season, but from locally fertile eggs hopefully instead of shipping them. Bit by bit, learning more as we go.

Number 3 egg was ok! Came out at the end of day 23
I’ve just got a thermometer/hygrometer and it looks like the in built thermometer (spirit) May have been 0.3-0.5 lower…I haven’t had a chance to calibrate/check the new digital one, but it might help explain a slight delay.
Chicks three all now in brooder. Egg 4 still in incubator just in case…

 

[Chixnbacn]

Please dont assume they are dead, we made several mistakes like that, and watched in horror as our chickens ate live babies from the eggs we threw out because we didnt see movement

 

[SunshineOACD74]

Hi,
We’re on day 20, 4 eggs in incubator - my 10yo daughter’s passion project.
On eve of day 18 the eggs were all wiggling so exciting…but then nothing on day 19 (we assumed resting), but now also nothing today day 20.
I’m wracking my brains- what’s wrong! We tried one last year in a borrowed Chinese machine, and failed - so sad - prob humidity/opening so I’m really worried and definitely not keen to try candling.

I did notice a temp drop earlier today - to below 37.5 - so I adjusted a tiny bit to get it back to normal. Now I’m wondering/overthinking…was that the point they died?

Please- advice anyone?
Thanks so much…

Try candling - I find my cell phone "light" works amazingly - you can see if there's any movement. Just place the egg right on the phone for a quick look, in a dark room. Sadly, incubated eggs often result in not viable chicks - I think it's just by numbers statistically. Nature is tricky.

 

[Mark Park]

Hi,
We’re on day 20, 4 eggs in incubator - my 10yo daughter’s passion project.
On eve of day 18 the eggs were all wiggling so exciting…but then nothing on day 19 (we assumed resting), but now also nothing today day 20.
I’m wracking my brains- what’s wrong! We tried one last year in a borrowed Chinese machine, and failed - so sad - prob humidity/opening so I’m really worried and definitely not keen to try candling.

I did notice a temp drop earlier today - to below 37.5 - so I adjusted a tiny bit to get it back to normal. Now I’m wondering/overthinking…was that the point they died?

Please- advice anyone?
Thanks so

You are probably using a cheap uninsulated hobbyist incubator that cannot control the temperature and humidity accurately. Upgrade to a small breeder grade incubator. I think it is not really fair to the chicks to hatch them without perfect control over the temperature and humidity. They can hatch with deformed legs, their organs outside their body and other problems which will make it necessary to kill them.

Get a good used incubator instead of crappy new one. It can be chinese and look cheaply made, but it has to have the following features:

A well insulated box.
Egg racks that tilt back and forth on a timer.
A circulating fan.
A water pan with a heater so the humidity can be automatically adjusted.
Controls for precisely setting temperature and humidity.

If it doesn't have all of these features, it's asking for trouble.