Day 23

[BlsdMama]

I still do nothing, right?

24 eggs went into lockdown. I was pretty sure one wasn't a keeper but not certain enough to toss it.
23 eggs that I felt confident in.
Brinsea Octagon - new incubator for me.
Perfectly stable temps throughout the incubation and only struggled with humidity at the end - we have the furnace on and the house is dry. It's been a challenge to keep it at 60-65% but it's never dropped below 50-55% since lockdown.

Today is Day 23. It's been 12 hours since the last egg hatched, 17 healthy chicks so far. No movement and no pips in 7 eggs.

This doesn't bode well, yeah? I'm disappointed. 25% loss and I expected better to be honest. Five blue copper marans and two lavender ameracaunas sitting in those eggs.

WWYD? Just not touch, not candle, nothing at this point?

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

Imo...n it might not mean much seeing as ive incubated once, but i would at least candle...my marans hatched two days late, those shells are thick, and two i had to assist. It all depends on how u feel.

 

[Alina28]

I think you should wait till a maximum of 25 days and then open the incubator to see the condition of the other eggs. Maybe perform an eggtopsy too then you can see whether the chick is alive or not and on which stage it died. As I have seen most of the chicks are dead if they don't hatch after day 23 or are abnormal but still waiting might prove its worth.

All the best I hope all the chicks make it out Alive.

 

[ronott1]

Congratulations on the hatch!

If they are all eggs from the same breed, I wait until 24 hours after the last one hatches to check the eggs. If there are no pips, I candle and look for signs of life. Tap the egg and listen for cheeping. I will carefully open all eggs from the big end if I do not see signs of life.

Open all of the eggs to see if you can tell when and how they died of if they were clears. Use a zip lock bag.

 

[BlsdMama]

Congratulations on the hatch!

If they are all eggs from the same breed, I wait until 24 hours after the last one hatches to check the eggs. If there are no pips, I candle and look for signs of life. Tap the egg and listen for cheeping. I will carefully open all eggs from the big end if I do not see signs of life.

Open all of the eggs to see if you can tell when and how they died of if they were clears. Use a zip lock bag.

So if I open the large end of the egg is there a particular way I'd want to do it? I won't until tomorrow AM (Day 24) but if one is still alive, any chance it would make it?

All eggs left are Blue Copper Marans and (2) Lavender Ameracaunas. Both of those breeds were in my successful hatchers this go 'round.

 

[ronott1]

So if I open the large end of the egg is there a particular way I'd want to do it? I won't until tomorrow AM (Day 24) but if one is still alive, any chance it would make it?

All eggs left are Blue Copper Marans and (2) Lavender Ameracaunas. Both of those breeds were in my successful hatchers this go 'round.

Start at the top and be careful of the membrane. Look to see if there are any active blood vessels and look for any movement.

After the chick is out, try to figure out when it died

 

[BlsdMama]

All dead. Two of the marans were not as far along as I thought - challenging shell to see through.

Two had blood rings that could be seen as soon as I opened the air cell.
Five of the seven had abnormally large aircells. Humidity too low late in the hatch?

 

[Unexpected chicken lover]

I am sorry for your loss...i had 8 matan eggs shipped n only four hatched...its a sad thing

 

[ronott1]

All dead. Two of the marans were not as far along as I thought - challenging shell to see through.

Two had blood rings that could be seen as soon as I opened the air cell.
Five of the seven had abnormally large aircells. Humidity too low late in the hatch?

The air cells are more likely from the chick dying when it did. It could also be because the egg was stored longer than optimal before setting the eggs. The longer an egg is stored the bigger the air cell will be

It is hard to hatch Marans eggs! Especially if they were shipped

 

[BlsdMama]

The air cells are more likely from the chick dying when it did. It could also be because the egg was stored longer than optimal before setting the eggs. The longer an egg is stored the bigger the air cell will be

It is hard to hatch Marans eggs! Especially if they were shipped

Thanks - this is helpful. This is a local gal and very dependable so I don't think they were stored long. They were at similar stages (five of them) so I wonder what went wrong there. Hm. Loading up the incubator and doing it again - mostly lighter colored eggs this time and see how it goes.