Help Please! Day 23, no chics, no pips, just cheeps

[3chickies]

I had all but given up when I heard weak little peeps coming from one of my eggs. It was shaking and peeping, but no pips. I know I need to sit on my hands, but how long. I was so relieved to hear the peeps, but 4 hours later, nothing. I turned up the incubator because it was only 99 degrees. the themometer fell off the eggs, so I'm not sure the actual egg temp. Incubator is in the basement so I'm trying to keep it warm.....I thought I was doing everything right now, I'm second guessing my every move.

 

[Kittymomma]

Late hatches are pretty common if the temp. has been running a bit low. I'd keep a close eye on it now though, especially since you adjusted it up a bit--sometimes the darn things go way higher then is intended. All in all though it's probably just a late hatch due to slightly low temps, happens fairly often with not major problems. If you're hearing cheeps some of them have pipped thru the membrane and you'll probably have some chicks in the next 24-36 hours.

 

[Tropical Chook]

From my last batch of eggs which were under a broody, the first one hatched on day 20, the next on day 22, one on day 23 that never made it, 1 on day 24, and there are still three left under her. As today is day 25, I will give it another two days, but then I'll pull the eggs. If I was you, I would just sit tight and let nature take its course. At least allow them 25 or even 26 days.

 

[3chickies]

I'm going to sit tight. The temp is holding steady at just under 100 with the themometer on the floor of the incubator. So it is probably a bit higher. I know not to open the incubabtor so I'll have to guess at the them. It was running about 1-2 degrees higher at egg level...I have 1 vent plug in and the other out. If I take them both out, that should lower the temp a bit and I can put the one back in. I noticed that with both out, the temp just gets too low and it's hard to keep it stable. So I have one out and one in. Humidity is at 75%.

Okay...and I opened the incubator yesterday evening when nothing hatched and I thought all was lost. I'm a project manager, it was like a project that missed the deadline, I automatically went into "what went wrong mode". I can't believe I wasn't patient enough to wait. Now I wonder about the other two chicks, they had developed embryos and my husband saw another egg move yesterday but only 1 peeps. Okay, this is painful. It's midnight and I can't sleep. I keep staring at the incubator, fogging up the glass....

 

[3chickies]

That egg did hatch. The chick is very lethargic. Should I expect that she won't make it?

 

[Splashsilkies37]

I am no expert, but I do know after reading a lot on here, usually everyone agrees to give it time. Some I guess hatch out ready for a football match, and others take a little more time finding their feet. Wishing you well!

 

[Kittymomma]

How's the hatch doing? I'm hoping your chick made it. Sometimes it takes them awhile to start moving around, hatching is really hard work and they usually need to rest after they finally make it out.

 

[flgardengirl]

I agree, give it some time and leave it in the incubator. Sometimes they just need to rest awhile. I have found chicks that had got pushed out of the nest by the momma ,when they hatched out in the coop, very cold and hardly moving and put them in an incubator for a day and they bounced right back.

 

[3chickies]

My little chick is doing great...now there is another shimmying egg, but not peeping. We're at day 25. Is that just wishful thinking. I guess I could just wait and see....

 

[Kittymomma]

Glad to hear your little one is doing well, hopefully she/he will have a buddy in the morning.