Day 23 having doubts...

[Freya]

This is my first time hatching eggs and these last few days have been an emotional rollercoaster. Today is day 23. I started with 8 eggs and only 1 made it to lock down

Day 19 I saw some tiny cracks, but not all the way through (wondering if it's just a shell mark and I want it to be a crack, or if it's an actual crack) I was so excited that it was almost that time! Nothing. The next day I went in to see if there was any progress, the light burned out and the temp dropped to 77 degrees. I panicked rushing around trying to find a new bulb. I had to go in and change the whole lamp out with a new one, so yes, that meant opening the incubator (homemade). About 2 hours later, I checked on it again and the temp was at 106!!! I had to again open the incubator change the lamp back because I realized that the bulb was fine, someone just turned off the switch to the outlet it was plugged into. There is now tape on the switch so no one messes with it. The humidity is high 60's and the temps been between 99-100 since. But still no change for the egg.
Is there any safe way to check the egg to see if it's still alive? They are silkie eggs. I've been wanting a silkie and I figured what better way then to hatch my own. Since there's only one making it, I figured it be my special little chickie, but now I'm concerned.

Any thoughts to the situation?

Thanks!

 

[stoopid]

The quickest thing you can do without bobbing it in water or candleing it, is just put it to your ear. It will just "sound alive" if it is. Little clicking, or gurgle sounds. If you peep to it, it may peep back. Scratch on it, to make a noise to it.
I hope you get something! If the temp was down, it may have delayed the hatch, but at day 23, I wouldn't be so sure.
Good Luck!

 

[kvmommy]

When I have doubts, just tapping on the plexiglass and peeping at it myself usually got the chicks to peep, wiggle, or tap back. But I would wait on opening it. They may be asleep and not answering back. I learned my lesson...over and over by interfereing. I learned it so harshly that I stopped hatching for about 6 months and about to start again. This time...for no reason at all I will not interefere. On day 24, if you absolutely see nothing, then maybe. Good luck.

 

[Freya]

Well, I already went in there lol! I didn't hear or feel anything. I scratched, tapped and peeped, nothing so I decided to candle it and it's definitely gotta be dead

it's not moving what's so ever and also it looks way to small to be fully grown. So sad! Ugh! Now what to do? I so badly wanted my silkie chicks. Sigh....

 

[bobbieschicks]

Oh - I'm so sorry

- I know how you feel - my last clutch I only had one little girl hatch

I wait until around Day 25 to remove the unhatched eggs, unless I have other eggs coming to hatch and need to clean out the bator quicker. Sometimes lower temps will delay the hatch date. Did you open the egg to see what happened? You may want to do that so you can see where in the process things went awry. I'm hoping to hatch some Silkies within the next couple of days so I know what you mean about wanting Silkies

 

[AV Brahmas]

If I were to guess, and that's all it is in this situation, I would say inexperience combined with a poor incubator. At day 23 I would be dubious that you have succeeded. A drop to 77 degrees, even for a few hours, is not likely to kill a developed chick in the shell. I have had dead cold eggs hatch....just hatch late. The 106 degrees is what I would call dangerously hot.

At the risk of sounding like a nut, you need to ask yourself "what would the hen do"? She gathers her eggs a day at a time and keeps them in a cool place. Then she starts to sit. Every day she gets up and wanders away. She eats, drinks, and defecates. Then she comes back. I have seen broodies leave the nest for over an hour or multiple times in a day. Most broodies sit tighter when they start hearing chicks in the shell.

Artificial is not so different. I keep my eggs in the cellar until I am ready. I set them all at once. Time permitting I will shut off the incubator and take off the lid several times during the process to let the embryo cool down and also slow down. I let the turner do the turning but that wasn't always the case. As I get closer to hatch I pay more attention to humidity and keep the temperature as consistent as possible. I get good hatches.

You may want to start by watching auctions for a good old style galvanized Brower incubator. I used one for years with great results. Then I bought the GQF(?) and it is OK but I tend to rely on it too much. Then I bought the styrofoam one with the plexi top for the school hatching. This is the best of the lot and a lot of souls have entered this world thru it.

If at first you don't succeed......

 

[Freya]

Try try again lol. I'm even wondering if it was dead before lockdown because my light source wasn't bright enough for these brown eggs. It seemed to be growing quite a bit and ended up being decent size. But when I candled it today, my light was brighter and it was clearly smaller than it should be.

 

[stoopid]

Make a small hole in the big end of the shell, into the air sac. You can see what's going on without making too much of a mess.
I use pointy tweezers. Depending on your curiosity, and your stomach, keep going. I know it sounds gross, but it is a learning experience.

 

[boogiedog]

I just had a similar situation. For me, seramas always hatched at day 18. So, at day 20 I opened the bator to candle. I figured they were likely dead so what the heck. I candled and the air sac looked way too big and the dark part so small. No movement. I had a rare moment of doubt and put them back into lockdown. Yep. Day 21, ALL 3 HATCHED. So, if in doubt, a few more days won't hurt. Right now I have 3 tiny, healthy serama peeps hopping around in the brooder. Woohoo!

I did learn the hard way with another batch the importance of humidity. It is very dry where I am, and didn't pay enough mind to humidity. After 20 dead eggs and a defeated spirit, I regrouped and bought a second hygrometer and tried again. BIG difference.

Also BIG difference between incubators. My Brinsea was probably the best purchase I made; what I lost in eggs in my LG could've paid for a second Brinsea. Much easier to hold humidity (again, it is dry where I am) in the Brinsea than in the LG. The LG, however, does have much more room. I think I will lean towards smaller hatches using my Brinsea in the future.

 

[ChickenPeep]

Im so sorry. I know how it feels to wait that long for nothing.