HELP HELP HELP URGENT...Day 23 and nothing...Please!!

Sarah, I am such a newbie at hatching babies whether incubating or under a hen, so I can't really give you any advice.

I will tell you that one of our mutt ducks sat on a nest forever and some of the eggs began to rot. I made my husband clean them out and we thought he'd gotten them all, but one little egg must have been hidden under the wood chips where she'd made her nest, because one morning soon after he had "cleared up" the rotten eggs-there was a baby duckling!

We named it Milagro (miracle) and it is still small enough that we aren't sure if it is a he or a she but it is doing great.

It might be that the egg's temp under the hen was low and it will be a late hatch. Do you mean it is solid now, as in there isn't any air cell at all? You can't see any movement?

I am sure someone with much more experience than I will come along to give you some sound advice.

Good luck, I hope it hatches!

Deb

 

Wait a bit longer, you never know.

 

I would pull the eggs at the end of today if you have nothing. Chicks that hatch late generally do not thrive. Do you have some one near you or a feed store that has chicks? You could swap the eggs for babies this evening and I doubt your hen would know the difference.

 

the chick should have internally pipped by now, at least. most likely the chick has died. If you are sure of the dates go ahead and take the egg away. You can always use the water test to be positive the chick is dead. Place the egg in a pan of warm water. if the chick is alive the egg will bob around.

 

Is it totally out of the shell?

 

Oh Dang, Sarah, I was just getting ready to write you and tell you that someone (Becky) posted on my Serama hatching thread that she had eggs that were on day 23 and she also thought they were dead. She opened them up to see when they quit and they were ALIVE!

Four of six of hers made it. Now, you might be able to save this one if it hasn't bled to death by now, and was close to hatching on its own.

I can't remember if you have an incubator or not. If you do not, wrap the egg up in a warm wet paper towel to keep the membrane moist. Make sure you don't drown the chick if it is still alive and place it on a towel in a bowel with a light over it to keep it very warm. If you don't have a lamp you can hang, use a heating pad.

It just might surprise you and make it out.