Day 22 and nothing…

[Chantelletaylor]

Hi, I am hatching chicks for the first time. They are a mix of silkie, satin and ameraucana. Today is the morning of day 22. I put 12 eggs in to start. Of the 12, 9 fully developed and moved into lockdown. 4 hatched on day 20. Nothing from the other 5. No movement, no chirping, nothing. No external pipping, and I did a quick candling this morning and I can’t tell if I see any internal piping either. I had to remove the first 3 hatched, because once the 4th hatched they were pecking it and trampling all over it. Could that have messed up the other eggs? I took them out quickly and the humidity did not drop lower than 70% while taking them out. I know some chicks can hatch a day or two late, but why would half hatch early and the other half potentially hatch late?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined!

why would half hatch early and the other half potentially hatch late?

A few things come to mind. Potentially genetics. Genetically, some hatch early, some late.

I assume they were all started at the same time?

Were some eggs stored where they started a bit early, say they were kept warmer for a while?

Potentially different temperatures in different parts of your incubator.

It's nice when they all hatch together, I've had several hatches like that. But I've also had hatches where they hatched over 48 hours apart. I did not do anything differently either time.

 

[Chantelletaylor]

Welcome to the forum, glad you joined!


A few things come to mind. Potentially genetics. Genetically, some hatch early, some late.

I assume they were all started at the same time?

Were some eggs stored where they started a bit early, say they were kept warmer for a while?

Potentially different temperatures in different parts of your incubator.

It's nice when they all hatch together, I've had several hatches like that. But I've also had hatches where they hatched over 48 hours apart. I did not do anything differently either time.

They were all started at the same time!

I’m not sure exactly how they were stored before I got them, they were given to me by someone I was picking up a rooster from. She had a ton of fertilized eggs and just gave me some. Maybe the ones that haven’t hatched were older than the others and had a lower viability rate?

I tried to keep the temp and humidity as stable as possible, but there could have always been cooler spots and warmer spots.

I guess I’ll just wait it out a couple more days and see what happens!

 

[redinator]

They were all started at the same time!

I’m not sure exactly how they were stored before I got them, they were given to me by someone I was picking up a rooster from. She had a ton of fertilized eggs and just gave me some. Maybe the ones that haven’t hatched were older than the others and had a lower viability rate?

I tried to keep the temp and humidity as stable as possible, but there could have always been cooler spots and warmer spots.

I guess I’ll just wait it out a couple more days and see what happens!

Hold the egg to your ear, if you hear peeping they internally pipped. You might also hear tapping if the chick is working one piping the shell. I always wait for an external pip before I assist, and I give the chick a few hours (5-6) after pipping before I assist to see if it makes progress on it's own.

 

[Chantelletaylor]

Hold the egg to your ear, if you hear peeping they internally pipped. You might also hear tapping if the chick is working one piping the shell. I always wait for an external pip before I assist, and I give the chick a few hours (5-6) after pipping before I assist to see if it makes progress on it's own.

I have been listening the past couple days and candle, and held them close and I have not heard peeping from them. I also did not see any internal piping while candling. I did not touch them all of lock down until today, just to check on them since the others hatched so early.

 

[redinator]

I have been listening the past couple days and candle, and held them close and I have not heard peeping from them. I also did not see any internal piping while candling. I did not touch them all of lock down until today, just to check on them since the others hatched so early.

I've had several eggs fail to hatch right at the end of incubation, usually 1-2 per batch. Some times increasing the humidity does the trick. My guess is some shells are a bit thicker and the chick has a hard time breaking through.

 

[Chantelletaylor]

I've had several eggs fail to hatch right at the end of incubation, usually 1-2 per batch. Some times increasing the humidity does the trick. My guess is some shells are a bit thicker and the chick has a hard time breaking through.

How much longer should I wait after increasing the humidity? 1-2 days?

 

[redinator]

How much longer should I wait after increasing the humidity? 1-2 days?

I'd give 24 hours after increasing the humidity, if you don't see the eggs moving or hear peeping I'd call it.