HELP! Do my chicks have any hopes of hatching?

[squirrelgirl01]

Okay, I candled two of the eggs. I do feel like they look to be a tad bit behind but they seem pretty far along to me. The eggs are pretty dark but I still see healthy veins. Didn't notice movement or if there was, very little but I only candled long enough to take pictures. Do I need to lower the humidity back down and keep turning, or leave them as is?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Okay, I candled two of the eggs. I do feel like they look to be a tad bit behind but they seem pretty far along to me. The eggs are pretty dark but I still see healthy veins. Didn't notice movement or if there was, very little but I only candled long enough to take pictures. Do I need to lower the humidity back down and keep turning, or leave them as is?

These do not look ready for lock down yet. Here is a photo I just took of one of my DAY 18 eggs. Another way to tell is to candle from the bottom. The egg should be completely dark usually by DAY 16 on this end and filled with chick.

 

[squirrelgirl01]

These do not look ready for lock down yet. Here is a photo I just took of one of my DAY 18 eggs. Another way to tell is to candle from the bottom. The egg should be completely dark usually by DAY 16 on this end and filled with chick.
View attachment 2981126View attachment 2981125

Okay. Around how long do you think they have left then? Or how can I tell when they should be locked down?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Okay. Around how long do you think they have left then? Or how can I tell when they should be locked down?

Try candleling from the bottom and see if the chick has filled in the pointy end of the egg. I find this a good indicator.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Based on what you see when you candle the bottom of the eggs, you can safely stop turning eggs at DAY 14, so you can just stop turning them and have them all set to go into lockdown but wait to up the humidity until you see the first PIP.
It does require that you keep a close eye on them.

 

[squirrelgirl01]

Based on what you see when you candle the bottom of the eggs, you can safely stop turning eggs at DAY 14, so you can just stop turning them and have them all set to go into lockdown but wait to up the humidity until you see the first PIP.
It does require that you keep a close eye on them.

Thank you! I'm candling a few and it's a little hard to tell with some of them. The bottom is very dark but there still seems to be a little space. I think I'll try this method, I think they have to be at least at Day 14 development based on what I'm seeing.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thank you! I'm candling a few and it's a little hard to tell with some of them. The bottom is very dark but there still seems to be a little space. I think I'll try this method, I think they have to be at least at Day 14 development based on what I'm seeing.

Perfect!
You can just also assume they are at day 14, stop turning them just in case and then candle them again in four days and see where they are.

 

[squirrelgirl01]

Perfect!
You can just also assume they are at day 14, stop turning them just in case and then candle them again in four days and see where they are.

Thank you so much for your help! If anything else comes up I'll post and if not, I'll be sure to post the chicks when they do hatch

 

[Lenny loves chickens]

Thank you so much for your help! If anything else comes up I'll post and if not, I'll be sure to post the chicks when they do hatch

 

[squirrelgirl01]

Update: last night, I thought I might have heard a chirp inside the incubator but didn't hear anything else, so I didn't think much about it. Today, chirping has been coming from an egg all day! I raised the humidity to lockdown-appropriate percentages. Is it normal for the chick to be chirping this much inside the egg for so long without pipping?