How do I know when to give up on eggs hatching?

[BlossomSilkies]

I have a broody hen sitting on 2 eggs. I estimated that they should hatch around 6/21, however, not exactly sure when she started sitting on them. One of the eggs has a piece out of it and I can see feathers, but it's been that way for a couple of days now. The other isn't pipping at all. I have candled them so I know that both developed to at least some point. Advise? Thank you.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Well, one of the chicks was dead this morning, didn't look like it had even made it to 21 days or pipped. Mama or one of the other hens must have messed with the shell because it was about off this morning. Still no action going on with the other egg.

 

[terry22]

I would maybe give it another day. There is another post somewhere I just read that said some people had experienced the amount of time from the first internal pip to a fully hatched bird was in the ballpark of 35+ hours for them. Is mom still sitting on the egg? Is the egg still warm? We just had a broody hatch some eggs last week and she gave up on the eggs that were no longer developing. We had 8 hatch out of 13 total underneath her and after day two of nothing else hatching she left them alone and the eggs turned cold. I cracked them all to see what was inside and there weren't any (fully) developed chicks inside. Some looked like they had been developing for about a week and then didn't make it.

I know that isn't the same thing you are going through but I might leave it up to momma for at least another day. However, the longest it took our eggs to go from first pip to fluffy butt was around 12 hours.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

She is still sitting on the one egg and it is still warm. I'll see what happens. No pips yet. That one did go under her a few days after the first one, and was from the frig, so I will be patient for a few more days. Thank you

 

[terry22]

Hey Kristy, just seeing if there is any progress with your egg?

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Nothing yet on the last egg.

 

[terry22]

That stinks. Do you have any movement or chirps coming out of the egg? I've always heard that you aren't supposed to "help" a chick out of their egg and just let nature do its thing, but since it's been 4 days you might want to look at some of the other threads about assisting chicks out of their shell. Otherwise the chick could die inside the egg if it got stuck for some reason.

I've never had this happen so I'm sorry I couldn't be much more help.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

No go on either egg, both chicks looked fully developed, but didn't hatch and were both dead.

 

[terry22]

So sorry.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

ah, thanks sweetie. It happens. I only set them to satisfy a broody hen.