Eggs developing really slow

[KarateHorse]

Hello everyone. I have sveral eggs in the incubator right now and they were due to hatch on March 21. It is now March 31 and I am finally seeing one internal pip. I have hatched a lot of chicks before but I have never seen eggs develop this slow. Does anyone know what causes eggs to develop this slow? The eggs that are in the incubator are definitely still alive because I can see movement when I candle them. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[oregonkat]

low incubation temp? What temperature was your incubator through the incubation period, what was the humidity? 10 days is very late obviously, are you sure you counted your days correctly? Are you using calibrated independent hygrometers and thermometers or just the ones on your incubator?

 

[Pyxis]

Wow, ten days is pretty late! What breed are you hatching and what date did you set them? Is your incubator still air or forced air and what temperature did you have them at? And finally, have you calibrated your thermometer to make sure it's accurate?

 

[KarateHorse]

Thank you both for the replys. The incubator's temperature did drop to 88 at one point during incubation because our power went out. The humidity has been around 50 percent the entire time. The eggs were set on February 28 and due to hatch on March 21. I got one internal pip on March 31, two days later and the chick still hasn't externally pipped so I think I might have to help it. The eggs are Sultan, Silkie, Ameraucana, Frizzle and other mixed breeds. The two thermometers in the incubator are both accurate.

 

[oregonkat]

Thank you both for the replys. The incubator's temperature did drop to 88 at one point during incubation because our power went out. The humidity has been around 50 percent the entire time. The eggs were set on February 28 and due to hatch on March 21. I got one internal pip on March 31, two days later and the chick still hasn't externally pipped so I think I might have to help it. The eggs are Sultan, Silkie, Ameraucana, Frizzle and other mixed breeds. The two thermometers in the incubator are both accurate.

When you say the incubator dropped to 88 at one point, what has the temp been for the rest of the time? An occasional drop in temp is not a killer necessarily as long as it has not been for hours and hours obviously, a spike is much more serious. I think a long incubation at a lower temp than normal is more likely to cause a hatch as late as yours. Is the one that has internally pipped making any noise?

 

[KarateHorse]

When you say the incubator dropped to 88 at one point, what has the temp been for the rest of the time? An occasional drop in temp is not a killer necessarily as long as it has not been for hours and hours obviously, a spike is much more serious. I think a long incubation at a lower temp than normal is more likely to cause a hatch as late as yours. Is the one that has internally pipped making any noise?

The temperature was around 98 and 99 the rest of the time. The one that is internally pipped is chirping.

 

[oregonkat]

OK so now is there any sign of the chick externally pipping? You may need to make a small hole in the air cell end of the egg if this little one does not appear pretty soon. See the assisted hatch link here https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Are any of the other eggs making any noise?

 

[Pyxis]

The two thermometers in the incubator are both accurate.

Have you calibrated them to be absolutely sure of their accuracy? And I see you were keeping it at 98 to 99, which is low for a forced air, and very low for a still air - which is your incubator, still air or forced air (fan or no fan)?

 

[KarateHorse]

There is a fan in the incubator and the thermometers have been calibrated. I made a small hole in the egg so the chick can breathe but I'm hoping he will hatch the rest of the way on his own. The other eggs haven't internally pipped but they are still moving when I candle them. I have more eggs that should be hatching today but when I candled them, they weren't developed much at all. But they are still moving. Last year, we had problems with the temperature being too high. Now we have problems with the temperature being too low.

 

[aart]

There is a fan in the incubator and the thermometers have been calibrated. ........ Last year, we had problems with the temperature being too high. Now we have problems with the temperature being too low.

How did you calibrate your thermometers?