How long past 21 days has a chick hatched successfully?

[Ban seabhag]

How long past 21 days can one reasonably expect a chick might hatch? I don't want to crack an egg to determine what happened if there is still a chance for hatching. I had one Serama hatch at 22 days which seems very irregular since they are supposed to be early (19 days?). I would like to get an idea, even the extreme cases would help. These eggs were alive before lockdown.

 

[emvickrey]

If I dont hear or feel movement on day 23 I remove the eggs and do an eggtopsy. I've ha some hatch on day 23 before and lived. Sometimes it depends on the temps. My last hatch I had 2 that I heard peeping from but they mever pipped. Died before. My temps where around 100 and 101 and humidity was 65 - 70%. Sames as I always do it. Sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

I had one hatch that I helped all 3 chicks out because they where having trouble. They all had curled toes and one had a club foot. So I put boots on them to correct it. Got that fixed and meanwhile I was having to hand feed them because they had no interest in food. I gave them vitamins to boost them up, but all my efforts were for nothing. They all died. The last one lasted for a week before it gave up. So sometimes it isn't meant to be. Something goes wrong and they're gonna die anyway. I usually intervene and try to help and usually with success but this last time was a heart breaker. So my last hatch I left it in Gods hands as to who would make it or not. I had alot less hatch.

It's all really up to you if you want to intervene and help them out. Who knows if they will make it or not. You can only try or let nature takes its course.

 

[Ban seabhag]

Okay then. I am going to day 24 (tomorrow) so that is what I will do. I had a temp spike, but hoped it wasn't too high or for too long. Looks like it was. Thanks for that. I had no idea how long was too long.

 

[emvickrey]

I had gotten up and the temp was 104. It hadn't been like that for long and I got it down immediately. It could be why I lost so many this last time. I had 6 that made it all the way to the time they should have pipped but didn't. The others must have died in the temp spike. One was deformed, out of the 6. Out of 18 eggs I got 8 chicks. One with curled toes but that is correctable and has been. I still haven't figured out what is causing that problem. I've had a couple that bled alot and had what I was told was a stroke. I nursed the first one for several weeks and he is doing fine and growing great and the other one is only a week old and one side of it's face doesn't seem to work. It's beak is a tad crooked and one eye stays shut. It eats and does fine, just like a chick should. I give it a little dose of vitamins a couple times a week to help it along. I hope it pulls out of it as it grows.

 

[Ban seabhag]

Oh my, one of my Serama chicks had one eye shut, with a crooked beak. We had him for a week. I really didn't have a clue how to care for him (her?). I might have had a chance with him had I known what I know now. I have learned a lot from people here. I didn't know then about vitamin adds that may have helped. I have no idea why those problems occurred.
This last group had a spike to 108 on day 19. I was pretty sure it was too much.

 

[kathyinmo]

Copied from posr #37, from this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=266636&p=1

Quote:

 

[Ban seabhag]

Oh man -there's still hope then!

 

[Mahonri]

End of day 23 and I start doing eggtopsies.

 

[emvickrey]

Oh yeah, thats pretty high. I discovered in the winter it is very hard to keep the temps stable especially nearing hatching time. I usually get very little sleep. The incubator is right next to me and every hour or less I check the temp and do what ever is necessary to stabilize it. I have an LG and during the 18 days it stays pretty stable. I have mine rigged so I don't have to open it at all if I don't have many eggs inside. On day 19, I have to open it to remove the eggs on lock down and put more in where those where. I don't have an automatic turner, I have a couple home made ones that I have a wire sticking out the side of the bator and use a vise grip to hold the turner in the position I want it in. Works great but I have to take the chicks out pretty soon after hatching to prevent them from getting under the turners and getting stuck. I have the brooder right next to the bator ready to go when I hear peeping.

I asked Santa for a turner but I guess his list was full this year.

 

[Ban seabhag]

Yes it seemed too high for much hope. I will be checking the eggs tomorrow. Day 24 .

I will have more eggs for the Brinsea tomorrow. It has been reliable.