How long until i trash the eggs?

[Sunshinechickies]

Hi all! I have a broody silkie sitting on a batch of eggs currently, and I am not completely sure what week it is but I think it might be past week 4… I thought the eggs would be dead by now and have no chance, but I candled some of the silkie eggs and they seem fully developed and are moving around. I’m not sure what to do and if they have a chance of making it? I think that possibly off-temperatures may have delayed the hatch? Does anyone else know what to do and when I should throw them away?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If you've candled and they are moving around, why would you toss them?
Give them a few more days and see if they hatch.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

If you've candled and they are moving around, why would you toss them?
Give them a few more days and see if they hatch.

I meant when should I toss them, but thanks! I’m just worried because it’s almost week 5, and i’m worried that maybe since they’re so delayed they might have some issues when they are older. Fingers crossed all goes well!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Hi all! I have a broody silkie sitting on a batch of eggs currently, and I am not completely sure what week it is but I think it might be last week 4… I thought the eggs would be dead by now and have no chance, but I candled some of the silkie eggs and they seem fully developed and are moving around. I’m not sure what to do and if they have a chance of making it? I think that possibly off-temperatures may have delayed the hatch? Does anyone else know what to do and when I should throw them away?

Okay, to be quite honest never before have i heard of chickens hatching at almost week 5.

I think you might be confused. Is there a chance that someone else is laying eggs where she is broody or they are not at the days you think they are?

Do not throw them away if they are developing.

 

[Chicken poppy]

I meant when should I toss them, but thanks! I’m just worried because it’s almost week 5, and i’m worried that maybe since they’re so delayed they might have some issues when they are older. Fingers crossed all goes well!

I wouldn’t really mess with it. This is how i view hatching: If they are strong enough to come out, they are strong enough to survive.

Meaning if they can break out of the egg and look well you have no reason to mess with them, leave them be, if worst comes to worst and something is really wrong and they seem to be suffering, cull them.

Is there anyway you could post a picture of the egg candling photos here? People here would be able to easily tell what day it is and it might be a lot less then you think it is.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am not completely sure what week it is but I think it might be past week 4

I candled some of the silkie eggs and they seem fully developed and are moving around.

I’m just worried because it’s almost week 5, and i’m worried that maybe since they’re so delayed they might have some issues when they are older.

You're not sure what week or how many days they are on...

You may have miscalculated or as mentioned, possibly some eggs were laid or deposited after you started counting?

If they are fully developed and moving around, give it a couple of days and see what happens. Chicks are not going to wait until week 5 to hatch, they may go a day or two beyond 21 days but not by much.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

Okay, to be quite honest never before have i heard of chickens hatching at almost week 5.

I think you might be confused. Is there a chance that someone else is laying eggs where she is broody or they are not at the days you think they are?

Do not throw them away if they are developing.

That’s what I was thinking, but the eggs I had candled are hers and have been there since day 1, I might of gotten confused, I double-checked and they are on early week 4. I don’t have much hope for these but hopefully they end up hatching in a couple days, I wasn’t planning on hatching chicks but my hen was broody so I let her, she sat on a lot of eggs for her size so I wasn’t very confident.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

You're not sure what week or how many days they are on...

You may have miscalculated or as mentioned, possibly some eggs were laid or deposited after you started counting?

If they are fully developed and moving around, give it a couple of days and see what happens. Chicks are not going to wait until week 5 to hatch, they may go a day or two beyond 21 days but not by much.

Thank you so much for your help, I will give it a couple days and if nothing happens i’ll candle again and see if they are even alive.

 

[Chicken poppy]

That’s what I was thinking, but the eggs I had candled are hers and have been there since day 1, I might of gotten confused, I double-checked and they are on early week 4. I don’t have much hope for these but hopefully they end up hatching in a couple days, I wasn’t planning on hatching chicks but my hen was broody so I let her, she sat on a lot of eggs for her size so I wasn’t very confident.

I think your probably at week 3. When candling what does it look like inside?
Is there a lot of black?

 

[Sunshinechickies]

I think your probably at week 3. When candling what does it look like inside?
Is there a lot of black?

There is a lot of black and a small amount of veins near the air cell, no internal pip though. It did look like my last batch when they where at around day 18, but my hen was broody a bit over 4 weeks ago, as you can probably tell I am pretty new to incubating and this is only my second batch, but my first one with a broody hen. Since she sat on so many do you think they just developed a bit slower?