EGG IS NOT HATCHING!!!!

[chelseachook]

Hi, it is day 26 of incubating my chicken egg. It was the only egg out of five that was fertile and there is no external pip. I candled on day 22 and day 23 and it was still quite small. Then I candled on day 26 and it looked a lot bigger. Maybe it was late developing, because I didn't start to see veins until day 7, and I didn't see them clearly until day 10. When I look into the incubator, it isn't moving, but there have been a few times when I come back to find the egg is in a different position. It has been slightly cooler in the incubator - around 37.4 C - 37.6 C. At this point, I have no idea if it will hatch. Please help!

 

[winglesschicken]

How long has it been since you've noticed the egg moving, yet no pipping, etc?

Do you hear absolutely no noise from the egg? I read that hearing another chick(en) peeping can encourage the unhatched chicks to peck their way out. Do you have any other chicks or chickens who you could bring in and try to make some noise in the incubator? If you're hearing some noise, maybe you shouldn't try to do anything yet. It can take some chicks up to 24 hours to hatch completely. So maybe the little guy just needs some time.

If the egg is still moving around I'd say continue monitoring it.

Here are a few links that could help you.

https://www.mypetchicken.com/backya...ay-to-help-a-chick-out-of-the-shell-H245.aspx
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/helping-a-chick-out-of-shell-that-has-not-pipped.403394/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ut-there-is-definitely-a-chick-in-it.1226579/

I hope everything works out!

 

[Feathered_Texans]

I’ve seen people play recording of chickens from the internet to encourage hatching. You could even look up a broody hen talking to her chicks.
Good luck, I hope all goes well!

 

[chelseachook]

Thanks for the replies, I will bring a teenager chicken to the incubator, and hopefully that will encourage the chick to pip.

 

[chelseachook]

It is now day 29, and I have basically lost hope. I did the water test yesterday and 80% of the egg was below water level but wasn't moving. When I candled, I wasn't sure if it had internally pipped. Should I remove it now? Should I make a pip for it? I haven't seen any movement recently and I can't leave it in there for any longer. Also, the veins have been getting fainter and the embryo has been going redder over the last few days.

 

[mzhof]

If it didn't move in the water it's probably a goner. Sorry. You can pip a hole on the large end to see if theres any movement inside.

 

[cmom]

That's a hard choice. I have chicks due to hatch tomorrow. Usually on day 19 I candle all of the eggs and then I take out all of the obvious quitters or blanks. Any I'm not sure about I mark and leave in the hatchers. There has been a few times to my surprise that they hatched. I have three marked in this hatch. I'll leave them in until Friday. I have had a chick hatch on day 25. I thought it was a quitter. Good luck....

 

[cmom]

It probably expired, but you can pip it and maybe zip it. I don't think the veins will be an issue but you never know.

 

[cmom]

I had my first hatch of this year last week. One chick was mostly zipped but expired before it hatched. Sometimes they don't make it.

 

[chelseachook]

It probably expired, but you can pip it and maybe zip it. I don't think the veins will be an issue but you never know.

I read an article on making a safety hole, but can you cut the outer membrane? And if it has absorbed the blood, can you also cut through the inner membrane?