day 22 incubating chicken eggs. NEED HELP!!

[mcanada1779]

I am on day 22. went on lock down at 18 temp and humidity has been perfect the whole time. no one is hatching. 4 eggs in. I candled this morning. 2 eggs look like they did at day 18. the chick is not taking up the bottom of the egg (small end) are these quitters? 1 egg I could see something small and pointy in the air cell. is that a good sign? this is my first incubation.

 

[cubalaya]

you should have seen some pips. I would give it another day or so

 

[mcanada1779]

this far in should they take up the whole egg or should there be some open space at the bottom? I will give it a few more days, I just don't want to get my hopes up if they are not going to hatch

 

[lazy gardener]

The egg with the pointy shadow in the air space sounds promising. Can you post a pic of the other one? Are there only 2? You've nothing to loose by leaving them both. It's possible that the other is delayed, or it may be wet, but most likely it's a quitter.

 

[mcanada1779]

well I just looked at the review for my incubator apparently the qauges I have been using are USELESS!!!! well that's great news
now I don't know what to do but to let them run a few more days at what point should I put them in a bowl of water to see if they are still alive? or should I just pull them out and candle them and see if they are moving?

thanks for ur help guys. I really expected new babies by now. this is my first run. started with 6 loss 2 in the first week. kept 4 in pulled one of those out today. it was a quitter. so I have 3 possibles. also what are the red plugs for. I have had them in the whole time...is that bad?

 

[mcanada1779]

I started incubation on march 13 at 6:00pm. if I don't have some pips by now is it pretty much safe to say they are gonners? also I went and bought thermometer and hygrometer. my gauges matched sooo???? should I open the bator and candle for pics or NO??

 

[czoellner]

My first and second batches I started with 41 eggs each. This is the max my turner can handle. Of those 1/2 were fertilized, of those 20 I got 15 hatch. I lost 3 after pipping and one that hatched but was lame and later died. I had 2 that looked good til the end. Filled up the egg except for a small air pocket, they were peeping and rolling the egg, but never pipped and died. I felt I should have helped but read that you should just let nature take it's course. It's a hard road to take some times. My first batch in the little giant is a still air and came with a thermometer. I added a thermometer and hygrometer and they were always about 3 -4 degrees different. Of course one was at the top of the egg, one at the bottom. They hatched on day 21.

My second hatch all happened on day 20, with the same machine and no controls were changed from the first time around. I got 16 out of that one, but only 1 that was fertilized and never pipped.

So, each batch is different, it's a learning curve that you love and hate at the same time.

Good Luck, keep trying.

 

[czoellner]

The red plugs are for air circulation. As they get closer to hatching date, usually lock down from 18, I remove 1 plug. If the temps or humidity get too high you can pull the other one too. I would wait until day 24.... My neighbor just had 3 perfect chicks hatch late on day 23.

I left my 2 from both hatches in until 24 and nothing happened. But, I would hate to think that I tossed an egg with a perfectly good baby who was just slow in getting out. If you can candle quickly, I would. Also, I like to keep my hands moist while doing it and once they are all back in (if good still) I give them a light mist of warm water. I keep a spray bottle just for this purpose.

 

[mcanada1779]

thank you so much for the info. I did candle quicky. 1 I believe has pipped up into the air cell. it was like that at 6 am and the same 10 hours later...do u think it has died like that? should I make a whole above the air cell? also the other 2 are developed but not moving. should I see them moving?

 

[mcanada1779]

I believe 1 has internally pipped. but no external and it has been 11 hours. should I poke a whole into the top of the egg?