Day 22: First time hatching & no sign

[kireton]

Well, my husband placed 9 eggs in our homemade incubator on November 30th. We were expecting them to hatch on Sunday, December 21st. We candled every couple days until day 18 and then left them alone. All was well on day 18. We've never done this before and aren't sure what to expect. Here we are on day 22, wondering if we should open the lid and hold one up to our ear to see if we can hear something? Are they usually loud enough that you can hear them from inside the incubator if they haven't broke through the shell? Will candling them now kill them? Please help!!

 

[hollyandty]

What has the temps been and the humidity levels? Were the eggs in a turner? I can here mine in the eggs....from across the room when they are in the Hovabator. Any movement? Pictures of your incubator?

 

[kireton]

Okay, so this was my husbands project from the get go...so I had to inquire about the temp and such! He says the temp has been between 99.5 and 100degrees. As for humidity...I believe the term is a "dry hatch"?? We waited until day 18 to put any water in, and then set a small canning jar in the incubator with some water in it. Apparently the person that he gathered information from, had excellent success with this method. ?? We were turning them by hand once daily until day 18 and they are sitting in an egg carton (pointy end down).

Movement?? Should I see movement? The whole egg moving?? They were moving inside the shell when candled on day 18...but couldn't tell if they were moving from the outside.

I unfortunately do not have photos. Our incubator was made from a large styrofoam cooler. It has ventilation holes and is set up with a thermostat that is set to 100 degrees.

 

[MuranoFarms]

The minimum you should turn them is 3 times daily. Did you have forced air or still? If it's still they may just be a day or so behind, the temps should be slightly higher for still air.

 

[kireton]

Murano Farms-Thanks for that information. Everything I have read on here says to turn them 3 times a day, and I questioned my husband originally on that! But, he felt that once a day was fine, as that was the information he was given. ?? We are using still air. Today is day 23 and still no peeping that I can hear! I asked a friend that hatches her own chicks and ducks, she thought that I should quickly pick one up and see if I feel movement. Would you advise for or against this? I'm afraid to even touch them...in the event that they are just a few days behind I would hate to kill one.

Do you know at what day you normally hear them peeping from inside the shell?

 

[farmin'chick]

Sometimes mine never make a sound or a wiggle until they break the shell. If it's possible that the thermometer is a little off and they were incubated at a slightly lower temperature (say around 97 or 98) they might take a few extra days. If he really can't stand it ANY longer, you can pick an egg, bore a SMALL hole in the large end where the air cell is (I use a pocket knife set gently against the shell and twisted back and forth to grind away a little of the shell) and take a look inside. If you have dark shells and a late hatch, sometimes I put the light up to the little hole, and then I can really see it "candling" style.

I always wait at least 3 days before giving up...

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm no expert, but I'd wait. If the temps are a bit on the cool side it will take longer for them. You can usually see the egg wobbling, but with them in cartons you may not be able to see them moving.

And yes, once they break through the air sac, you will hear them peeping even with the bator closed.

 

[kireton]

Thanks soo much farmin' chick! That's great advice! I'm thinking we'll wait until tomorrow and if nothing has happened we'll have to try that. I'm glad to hear that you can't ALWAYS hear them!

There may still be hope!!

 

[Intheswamp]

farmin'chick :

Sometimes mine never make a sound or a wiggle until they break the shell. If it's possible that the thermometer is a little off and they were incubated at a slightly lower temperature (say around 97 or 98) they might take a few extra days. If he really can't stand it ANY longer, you can pick an egg, bore a SMALL hole in the small end where the air cell is (I use a pocket knife set gently against the shell and twisted back and forth to grind away a little of the shell) and take a look inside. If you have dark shells and a late hatch, sometimes I put the light up to the little hole, and then I can really see it "candling" style.

I always wait at least 3 days before giving up...

I'm a rank newbie but isn't the air cell in the large end of the egg?

Ed​

 

[farmin'chick]

Good job, Ed! It IS truly the large end of the egg. Post stroke, no excuse -- focusing on SMALL hole. Thanks for catching that!