Day 21-STILL No Pips! Maybe some movement?***PICTURES INCLUDED!!!***

[77horses]

Day 21. No pips yet from my single egg.

I'm wondering if I should quickly candle it today to see if it is moving, but I am afraid that I shouldn't. What should I do?
Temp. has been pretty steady. sometimes I have had to watch it carefully, making sure it doesn't get too hot/cool. Temp. is now about 99-100 degrees F. and Humidity is great(60-70%)
The egg is expected to be delayed, but how long should it be if it's planned to be delayed? How long should I wait before throwing it out(or should I say, how long should I wait before I SADLY throw out my poor little baby?)

I have put sooo much effort and love into caring for the egg. It was the only one out of 4 that made it. The other 3 didn't develop. I have woke up in the night to check the bator temp./hum. and the egg, and I have slept on the couch near the bator to keep guard.

Yet has all that hard work come down to this? Doubt and nervousness?

This is most likely my only chance until spring to hatch out my very own, first egg, and it was looking great once I knew the egg was fertile around day 14 when i could see the little eye moving and dancing.

Now, I am not so sure....someone please give me some advise. Thank you!

and please pray for the little egg.

We(the egg AND me) need all the help we can get.

 

[77horses]

I have already set up the brooder with a little bed for my fuzzie-to-be and a little stuffed baby chicken that peeps is in the brooder box to keep him/her company...

 

[77horses]

Here's the egg today(day 21) in the bator. The temp./hum. gauges are visible to the left:

 

[77horses]

Another picture of the egg from the outside with the hum./temp. gauges:

 

[lockedhearts]

Did you open the bator to take the first pic? After they are Day 18 you shouldn't open it at all.

 

[Riocotesei]

Don't open the incubator! Sit on your hands and wait. With my eggs I'm going to wait until monday/tuesday before I give up on the slow ones. It's day 21 for me too. Good luck with your baby!

 

[77horses]

Oh great now I am REALLY nervous!!!

I DID open the bator a tiny bit only like a crack to take the photo and I took the egg out for literally a minute to candle it!!! BAD BAD BAD ME!!!!

ARRGGHHH I'M SOO STUPID!!!

I'm gonna never forgive myself if this egg doesn't hatch because I opened the bator too many times!!!

 

[halo]

It may well still pip and hatch for you, but if it doesnt, please don't beat yourself up about it. Hatching isnt an exact science, all of us throw out eggs that unfortunately didnt hatch. Even Momma Hens don't always hatch all of their own. If it doesnt hatch, it doesnt mean it was anything that you did. Sometimes eggs just don't hatch. Mother Nature seems pretty mean sometimes, but she usually knows best. If it doesnt hatch, try again. We all just keep trying and keep trying. Sooner or later, you will hatch a baby, I promise. It just might not be this one.

 

[77horses]

Ya, but the problem is, I want to build a better bator if this one doesn't make it, and then try again. But mom says the light bill's going up and she doesn't want me to try hatching again!

This could be my only chance....

 

[Solsken Farm]

Sweetie, if this incubator doesn't work, why not let one of your hens hatch them? They do a great job. Good luck.