Day 22 (I candled) air cell?

[Ruby Rogue]

Didn't remove the eggs from the incubator and didn't take a picture but...

All along throughout incubation my air cells looked good. They are late hatching so I have candled in the incubator a few times since day 18.

This morning the air cells on most of my eggs looked good, drawn down, seeminlg hatch ready!

I just candled again and in a few eggs, it looks like the chick is pressing up against the air cell, not a beak poking through but maybe laying on the air cell or hopefully finally positioned to pip!

They have looked perfect throughout but it almost looks like a 'saddled air cell'.

I have been hand turning 5 times daily and candling a couple of eggs daily until lockdown.

All eggs are still alive as far as I can tell but I am puzzled.

Could the chick be pressing against the air cell causing it to look somewhat saddled?

I've decided to leave them be and *stop candeling*. I think the temp might've been a bit low throughout the incubation despite having 5 different thermometers, the humidity average among 3 hydrometers is currently around 70%.

I just want these babies to hatch. I see no beaks poking through.

Some reassurance, please?

 

[igorsMistress]

If your temp was a bit low then it could delay development and they'd hatch a bit late. Be patient. Try not to candle any more. I've had saddled air cells in plenty of eggs that did just fine so if that's what you're seeing they'll probably be ok. It could be the chick is preparing to internally pip and you couldn't see the beak 70% humidity is usually good, just keep an eye out for moisture beading on the inside of the incubator.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Thank you for your reply! They have been active throughout up until lockdown. The funny thing is, I had one large egg which was rough, hard shelled, and wrinkled which I kept in the 'cooler' area of the incubator because I didn't think she was a good hatching candidate and SHE was the one who I first saw wiggle and SHE is one of the ones pressing against the air cell!

 

[Ruby Rogue]

And since her shell is so hard, of all of them I think she would be the one to need assistance hatching....I hope that I'm wrong...!

 

[Ruby Rogue]

We have a pip! In an unrelated (to this thread) egg.