How do you survive the last few days?!

[MommyAndWife]

I was always told that eggs can hatch 5 days after the day they are due to hatch so I would give them until day 26 before you give up. You can also candle them again on day 21 to see how they are doing but only if none of your eggs have external pips.

 

[kg5]

Looks like I was miscalculating days! Monday at 4pm was the start of day 20 and there were pips later that evening. Tuesday (today) at 4pm started day 21 and five of the seven have hatched. The other two have pipped a little, though one at the wrong end.

With the slow development you're describing, I think your temperature was too low during incubation.

Under ideal circumstances (just right temperature and humidity), the chicks will start hatching around day 21 and all that are going to hatch will have done so within about 24 hours. (This is more likely when using a broody than an incubator. After all, she's preset with perfect temp and humidity.) If there are no more signs of life - peeping coming from the eggs, pips or rocking eggs I would dispose of them. Whether you open them or not is up to you. This far past the hatch date, I don't think any more will be hatching.