Day 23 and only 2 hatched... What's wrong???!!!

[Sparkypatriot15]

Hey this is my first time incubating eggs and I had 6 chicken eggs go into lockdown. It's day 23 and only 2 have hatched, none of the others are peeping. I think one is dead and I couldn't candle the others cause the shells are too dark. I have a homemade still-air Incubator and the temp is usually between 99-102 degrees, but sometimes at 97 and very very rarely (only 3 times during the whole incubation for short periods of time) it gets to 104. Will the others hatch? Is there anything I can do to help?

 

[sumi]

Hold the eggs against your ear and tap them with your finger nail. If there's a live chick in there it'll let you know. Day 23 is late, but I've had a chick hatch on day 25 once, so there's hope.

 

[Sparkypatriot15]

Thanks for the advise! I just did that with 3 of my eggs, and it sounds like we've got a French copper maran on the way! Possibly 2! I decided not to test the last one so that I could keep the incubator closed for chick#3s hatching. And, I had one chick that I had to help cause she had no egg tooth. Is that normal?:/

 

[Sparkypatriot15]

Oh and they both spend most of their time huddled together sleeping, and they don't chirp a lot. They like to peck but mostly they sleep. Is that normal or are they sick?

 

[sumi]

Sometimes the egg tooth breaks off when they try and hatch. Glad you got that one out though. Good luck with the other 2!