Day 23 and still no hatching or any signs of life

[RiverMan420]

We have carefully followed all the online tips and techniques for incubating these eggs. Halfway through this process we candled them and saw the little guys wiggling inside the shell. Today is the 23rd day and so far nothing. We have not candled them again or picked them up to listen for any sounds. How can we tell if they are still alive?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

What are you hatching? Chickens and ducks have different hatch time lines as well as other fowl. If they are chicken eggs, they should have stopped turning at day 18 and gone into lock down to hatch 3-4 days later. You can candle prior to lockdown to see how they are doing. If there has been no action yet you can candle now to see what happened or is going on. Temps too low can delay a hatch as well.

 

[RiverMan420]

Thanks for the response... these are chicken eggs and we did the following: Day 1 they went into the incubator. Temp was kept at around 99 (although it occasionally got down to 95) and the humidity was kept at around 50%. We turned them 1/4 turn 3 times a day.

On the 18th day we did the lockdown thing and raised the humidity to 65%. This is their 5th day in lockdown.

I just candled them and I can't see thru them at all...

 

[blkwdw]

Technically, the day they go into the incubator is day 0, day 1 is the next day, after they have been in the incubator a full day. With the temp drops, I would guess your hatch has slowed, so I would continue to monitor (as long as they don't smell) for a few more days, keep the humidity up and good luck

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Have you float tested them? I would guess by day 5 lockdown that they are not going to hatch, but again lower temps can extend the incubation time line.

Start With A Bowl Of Sufficient Depth To Allow The Eggs Your Testing To Float Freely Or Sink. Add 100 Degree Water To The Needed Level And Allow It To Settle( Quit Swirling And Calm Down)

Once Settled Take The Egg Or Eggs To Be Tested And Gently Lower Them Into The Water With As Little Disturbance As Possible. You May Need To Wait A Few Minutes For The Water To Settle Again After Adding Egg/ Eggs. Then Just Watch....

Eggs Are Judged By Observation With Results As Follows:

1. Sinker= Dud, Never Developed

2. High Floater (like A Fishing Bobber Without Weights) Say 45% Or More Of The Egg Above The Water Line= Dud, No Development Or Fetal Demise, Likely Rupture Of Internal Membranes Causing The Egg To Dehydrate.

3. Low Floater= Viable Egg, Development Full Term

4. Low Floater Rockin And Rollin! This Is The Live Embryo Moving Inside The Egg= Definate Viable Egg!

Once Test Results Complete Take Viable Eggs And Gently Pat Dry And Replace In Hatcher. Duds Are Best Discarded At This Time.


It Should Be Noted All Eggs Warrant Close Inspection Prior To Float Testing--- Any Pips In The Shell? Do Not Float Test! If The Shell Is Broken, Pipped Or Cracked In Any Way Water May Enter And Drown The Chick Inside​

 

[blkwdw]

According to my calculations, today is really only day 22 of incubation, don't get rid of any. What day did you put them in the incubator?

 

[RiverMan420]

Quote:

O.k. I did the float test and all the eggs floated about the same. Large end up showing about 15 to 20%... one of the eggs was moving around. http://i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu153/RiverMan420/IMG_6148.jpg Thanks for the tip!

And to answer the other question... We put the eggs in the incubator on June 15th

 

[naya69]

Did your chicks hatch?

 

[CakePrincess21]

Im having the same problem