Day 22. Should I assist??

[LegbarMama]

It's day 22 and I had 6 chicks hatch perfectly yesterday. This morning I have 5 eggs that have not pipped so I quickly candled. One egg is completely dark, can't see an air cell at all. I don't know what that means. 3 have air cells and veins still but I don't see movement. 1 has pipped internally. What should I do now? Should I leave them in the incubator and wait it out, or should I put a hole in the air cells?? I don't want then to die but I also don't want to mess anything up!

 

[Corbdee]

It's day 22 and I had 6 chicks hatch perfectly yesterday. This morning I have 5 eggs that have not pipped so I quickly candled. One egg is completely dark, can't see an air cell at all. I don't know what that means. 3 have air cells and veins still but I don't see movement. 1 has pipped internally. What should I do now? Should I leave them in the incubator and wait it out, or should I put a hole in the air cells?? I don't want then to die but I also don't want to mess anything up!

If the one is dark, that means he has internally pipped. Pretty soon he should externally pip.
Some eggs can take longer than 21 days. I would just leave them for now and wait it out. If another day or two has gone by and nothing has happened you can try a safety hole.

 

[mcdze]

really not much you 'can do' other than make sure the temps right and give it a couple of more days .. ive had temps falling low at night unbeknownst to me at the time .. sometimes it delays them several days and a couple more will hatch, and sometimes they die .. but i wouldnt be butchering up the egg, that almost never helps unless you got one thats already got a hole and the rest are out and its peeping nonstop, then its prolly stuck snd you might can help that ...

 

[LegbarMama]

If the one is dark, that means he has internally pipped. Pretty soon he should externally pip.
Some eggs can take longer than 21 days. I would just leave them for now and wait it out. If another day or two has gone by and nothing has happened you can try a safety hole.

OK thank you! I stress too much about these eggs lol

 

[Corbdee]

OK thank you! I stress too much about these eggs lol

We've all been there, don't worry. Let us know how it goes!

 

[MilkFarmChickens]

I’m curious if these ended up hatching? I have 2 in the same boat - all the rest hatched and these couple sound like the ones you’ve got. Would love to know if yours hatched, if you tried to help, or did an “eggtopsy” if they didn’t hatch.