Day 24 no signs of anything! What should I do?

[SElizabeth]

I've got 3 eggs in the incubator as the other 3 I disposed of on day 18 after candling, I heard cheeping coming from one yesterday morning but nothing has happened since?!....what should I do surely it can't last more than 24hrs in there when internally pipped? My temps have been a bit up and down could that be a factor?

Thanks

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! Yes up and down temps can cause them to be delayed. If you heard cheeping yesterday I would give them more time, they can be upto 24 hours internally pipped. They usually do their external pip when the oxygen has become low and co2 high. Have you candled them since lockdown to check for movement in the eggs? If you have kept your incubator closed could it have pipped on a part of the egg you can't see very well? Can you still hear cheeping now?

 

[SElizabeth]

I've tried to candle but I'm not an expert and can't really see anything, I've checked and there's no external pip at all and I can't hear any cheeping...

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

You have two options really. You can leave them in the incubator and see what happens. Or you could make a small pip hole in the air sac and see what is going on in their. Here is a link on assisted hatching with a section on how to score the shell with a cross and gently make the pip hole https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

For me personally if I could hear no cheeping and see no movement in the egg I would call time on the eggs and start again with some new eggs. I would suggest though if you have had fluctuations in your temps you try to sort this out before setting eggs again. Make sure your thermometer and hygrometer are calibrated and giving you correct readings.

Good luck

 

[SElizabeth]

Ok so the one that was cheeping I opened and had pipped internally but died after that point but it's a massive chick! Not much air cell. One must have stopped a few days ago and I chopped away at the other an there's movement!! But no internal pip by the looks of it so I've wrapped it in damp tissue paper and put it back in?! Hope I've not ruined it!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

You have done the right thing by putting it back in the bator. Give it some time and hopefully it should make progress. If your air sacs were small your humidity may have been too high over the incubation period and the eggs have not lost enough moisture and the air sac grown large enough.
Here is an article on incubation problems https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/egg-failure-to-hatch-diagnosing-incubation-problems

Good luck I hope it makes it. I have just had a thought when did you start counting your days? The day you set them or 24 hours after setting as day 1?

 

[SElizabeth]

It's got a countdown on it that starts on day 0 when you set them! What will happen after it pips the internal membrane if I've already put a hole in the shell! I had to make it about the size of a 5p to see!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

It should just pip into the air sac as normal it should rest then still further while it absorbs the yolk and blood vessels. Keep your humidity as high as you can get so the membrane does not dry.

 

[bzarz23]

My eggs are on day 24. I thought I heard chirping but I'm not sure. I don't know what to do I really want them to hatch!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

My eggs are on day 24. I thought I heard chirping but I'm not sure. I don't know what to do I really want them to hatch!

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! If you think you can hear cheeping then leave them in the incubator. They may need more time. While they are cheeping they have oxygen. Check out this link it's a super read and has lots of info https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching

Good luck with your eggs