Day 24 - Not One Hatched Egg!

[carniven]

I purchased six Big Buff Orpington hatching eggs and not one has hatched. It's now Day 24 and no sign of anything happening. They've been in the Hovabator at 99-100 degrees. Humidity was between 50 & 65 through Day 18, then 75+ since. Should I give up and try again? We're all so disappointed.

 

[TheBuff]

That's plenty of time. I would scarifice one egg and break it open.none of them may be fertile. I have always hatched a day early, on time, a day late. but hardlyever 3 days over. It sounds like the temp & moisture is good.

 

[chicklady63]

If they were shipped it can really reduce their viability. I've had really bad hatches from shipped eggs as well, but sometimes that's the only way to get the breed & quality you want. Have you candled to see if there's any movement at all? I would think they were not alive after this long. I have been known to take a very sharp eyebrow tweezer and chip away at the top of the big end of the egg and look down into it to see if I can see any movement below the membrane. If you touch it gently with the dull handle-end of the tweezers and nothing respones - then the chick is dead. If you candle and still see fluid after this long, I would say they died sometime during incubation. Often times when I see fluid at this many days I don't open the egg as the can be rotten and explode on you - not a pleasant experience at all.
Good luck with your attempts to discover what's happening and better luck next time with the hatch.

 

[Chicky Tocks]

another thing that I've read is you can tap the egg and listen for cheeping. They should cheep at you if they're alive.