Day 23 do I give up?

[sethsleader]

Its day 23, 5 eggs still in the 'bator. No rocking, pipping or cheeping to I give up?

 

[Cherlyn]

Nah, give 'em until Day 25, I say. Or try candling them real quick now to see if they are alive.

~Cherlyn

 

[oberhaslikid]

I would go in and hold them to my ear and I peck with my finger nail to see if I get a peep or a peck.If I do I put them back in and check the water add warm water if needed.
Other wise they are done.

 

[leoninathan]

Hi, I was just wondering how old the eggs are when u can hear or feel them, I have some duck eggs that just refuse to hatch, they are supposed to be 28 days but it has been about 35! i cracked one, to find a chick inside, I have also candled them & seen a good airsac in them & a solid mass, but should they be moving?, thanks, Sara

 

[fishman65]

some people drop them in a cup of warm water and wait to see if there is any movement. if there is take them out quick and dry off and put back in incubator. If chick is alive cup of water will get them moving quick.

 

[SallyF]

Quote:
Sort of a "stress test" for incubated eggs, I guess.

 

[hinkjc]

Quote:
What kind of duck eggs? Muscovies do take around 35 days.

 

[hinkjc]

sethsleader - did other chicks hatch already? If so and you consider the hatch over, you could candle them to see if they perished sometime along the way. It is usually pretty evident by this time.

 

[walkswithdog]

At that point I candle and then assist any still living. Usually they have a reason for not getting out, like dried out or stuck in there wrong, I cannot believe the position some of them have ended up in. Silly things.

Dude your head is not supposed to be trapped between both legs... Let's undo that for ya...

Sometimes you find they didn't get out due to foot problems or their necks around funny, or just wedged in like a balloon in too small a space, or the shell was more porous than others and they're dried out.

Since I open all that don't hatch, I get to see some of the oddness. You also then find those that couldn't pip, pipped through their own yolksac, have really bad legs etc. It's good information to have because if those things PERSIST or increase in your lines - you need to know it.

I had one hen that kept laying too porous eggs despite supplements and a good feed. Had to cull her, most of her chicks needed help out from being too dry.

Just tossing unhatched eggs, especially without actually checking for life, loses you a lot of information if your flock is just getting started, and loses you some viable chicks as well.

 

[leoninathan]

thanks for your reply, they are mallard crosses, none have hatched yet & the one I craked was still alive, it gasped & i could see its heart beating but died within a few mins of me opening it, there was still a fair bit of yolk in there, it was featered, but since I havent hatched befoire i didnt know how big it was supposed to be. The remaining ones smell fine & nothing moves when you shake genmtly whereas the unfertile ones you could feel the yolk move. I tried some goose eggs before that i think got too hot in the summer & dried out but I always check each egg to see whats going on in there, I just dont know wether to wait longer or not, this seems rediculously long since it was beginning of august i put them in there