Day 21 and nothin! Please send some hatching hope my way

[Staciaw755]

its day 21 on my batch of Silkie and BLRW eggs. Started with 27 and after a spike to 105.5 I am down to 9 eggs. My temp has been so stinkin unsteady bouncing from 98 to 103. My humidity says only 21% but I have all h2o wells filled, a sponge and wet rags n there and it doesn't move so I hope my reader is just wrong. Does anyone think I have any hope with this hatch? The waait is killing me!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

have you candle them?

 

[Staciaw755]

have you candle them?

I did 3 days ago. Dark masses and saw some movement in a couple .

 

[Granny Hatchet]

well i dont belive your humidity is low, throw that thing in the garbage.lol with your temps fluctuating like that the hatch will probably be delayed is all.maybe your thermometer is not correct too? they dont always come when you want them to.

 

[Staciaw755]

well i dont belive your humidity is low, throw that thing in the garbage.lol with your temps fluctuating like that the hatch will probably be delayed is all.maybe your thermometer is not correct too?  they dont always come when you want them to.

I don't believe it either. Will keep fingers crosses they are just gonna take their time.

 

[ozexpat]

If its day 21 You set them before this time last sat you should have internal pipping by now. Candle them and look for beaks or huge dips in the air cell

 

[aart]

Better probably to just wait a day...temps may have dipped so development slows a bit.
Good Luck!


Tips on checking accuracy of thermometers and hygrometers:

The thing you want to do is check that any of thermometers and hygrometers are correct by testing them against a known criteria.
Comparing devices is useless unless you know how accurate any of them are.

I used a candy thermometer tested in boiling water and noted how far off 212 degrees it was...or whatever temp water boils at your altitude.
You can check your boiling temp at altitude here.
Then put the candy thermometer and 3 others in the incubator during the test run and compared them all, noting any differences.
I made a chart noting all temps and made notes about if this one reads this temp it is actually that temp.

Hygrometers can be tested by putting 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup water in a dish or jar and mixing it to a slurry.
Put the salt slurry jar and the hygrometer next to each other in a sealed plastic bag.
After 8-12 hours the hygrometer should read 75%...again note and differences and you're set.

 

[Arabian]

i believe it's hatching delay, i experienced the same and eggs took 25 days to hatch, i was about to break some but i waited until i heard chicks voices.

 

[ozexpat]

1. Sign: Chicks hatch late. Causes:
   

   1. Large eggs.
   2. Old breeders.
   3. Eggs stored too long (40 min. increase in incubation time/day of storage, .5% to 1.2% decrease in number hatched/day of storage).
   4. Incubator temperature too low.​
   5. Weak embryos.​
   6. Inbreeding.​
   7. Incubator humidity too high. ​

​

 

[Staciaw755]

day 23 and still nothing. Should I really open incubator and candle? I don't know if I really know what I would be looking for