Day 21 with questions!!!!

[Cavendish Chickens]

Okay, today is the day our eggs are supposed to hatch. We are as anxious as new parents. lol So here's what's going on...

On one egg you can see a spot that wasn't there before. It seems to be from the inside out... but not all the way out. It was noticed yesterday, day 20. And when candled, it is dark all the way through except towards smaller tip end. There is a small area that is clear. Is this a bad egg, or a good egg? The other two eggs are dark all the way through. You can't see anything at all. All three eggs are swollen in size since we first started incubating them.

Our incubator is really made from a cardboard box and utility light. They are sitting in a Tupperware oval microwave cooker. The bottom is filled with water, while the eggs sit on an upper section to keep them out of the water. I have been dripping warm water on them two or three times a day to make sure they stay moist. And under the cooker is a heating pad set on low to help keep the water under the eggs warm. The box is lined with newspaper for when the chicks come and are running around.

So, if you have answers for me, please go ahead! Good egg, bad egg? What should I think of that little spot?

 

[clarkestep]

If you are on day 21 and there is a small crack (like someone stuck a nail in the egg from the inside out).... you most likely have a pip. I'm on my 2nd hatch (due 5/11) but this is what mine looked like towards the end. It was dark with a light spot at the large end. That was the air sac. Leave them alone, with the lid closed until at least day 25. You will probably have chickie babies soon.

 

[heritagebirds]

Just keep an eye on it and don't open the incubator, sounds like your gonna have some chicks soon!

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

Thank you so much for responding!

I was beginning to think no one would. I was concerned about that egg, and now not so much. I am so anxious for them to hatch! I never knew it could take so long for them to hatch. 25 days? That would be... 4 days late. Is that okay? I guess it must be. If they for some reason haven't hatched by 25th day, should I do something? I've seen them move just a tiny bit and stop (the eggs) like it never happened. It was really hard to tell. And when I called my husband over to see they weren't moving anymore. This waiting game is SO HARD!!!

I can't wait until they get here!!! How long does it usually take for their feathers to dry after they hatch? I've not hatched chickens before. I've only hatched bird eggs abandoned by parents. Robins, sparrows, etc. I hope we are all home when they do hatch! I am so excited! Thanks again for responding and putting my concern at ease!

 

[cluckcluck42]

That is probably a pip. Just be careful to not open the bator unless absolutely necessary. Good luck on the hatch, and yes it can take as long as 25 days. My first hatch started at Day 23. That was nerve wracking LOL!

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

Okay, it's Day 22. Nothing has really changed. Should we make that little spot into a small hole with a sewing needle, or leave it be? I'm not sure what to do. We're so anxious, and a little worried. If that was a beginning pip, and that's all the farther it got and no more, should we do anything? Advice please!

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

Leave it.. You don't want to make the whole bigger because it may not be ready and will cause it to dry out and get stuck. Not Good! I know it is hard not to worry, but you have to sit on your hands or leave the house to resist the temptation.