How to tell a quitter?

[Munkeesmama]

My eggs are on day 17. I candled last night and can see movement/veining still in most of them. 2 were iffy. Half the egg (lengthwise, up and down) and showing clear, but then dark mass on the other side. I'm not sure if i saw movement or if my eyes were playing tricks on me. I could also see some sort of liquid moving when i tilted it side to side. How do I tell if a day 17 egg is a quitter? Or, should I just leave it in the bator and hope for the best. It doesn't smell.

 

[Red&Yellow]

If it don't smell, I say leave it-especially if you don't trust yourself or the candler apparatus.

 

[Penturner]

How to really tell if a day 17 egg is a quitter. put it incubator for 4 days. if it doesn't hatch it quit. may need to a couple extra days just to be sure but this is a fairly accurate way to tell.

 

[Munkeesmama]

LOL Penturner, I figured that, was just wondering if i could tell anything by candling. My intuition is telling me it's a quitter, but I'd hate to break open a live chick, so I'm marking it with a ? and putting it back. We go into lockdown tomorrow and the bator won't be opened anymore until they hatch as of today. Eeek, getting close!

 

[Penturner]

Elaine, Sorry my recent posts list did not show a new post to this thread. I didn't realize you had come back. My first answer was of course a joke. Not sure you still need the info at this point but I have heard of a couple of real answers. Not sure they are worth the risk though. One is to float the egg in a glass of warm water. the chick at 17 days would be large enough that if they move the egg will rock. I think by candling you would not see much but an air cell. with a little luck you might spot something move but space shoudl be getting pretty cramped in there by day 17. Of course by now you should be in lockdown and are pretty much limited to my first suggestion now.
Best of luck

 

[Munkeesmama]

I left it alone. Went ahead and put them into lloockdwn a day early, since some fel out of the cartons, GRR, and one cracked (I put nailpolish on it, and out it back, removved them from the turner, and went into lockdown). It's day 19 and one is hatched already (a bantam). Now, to wait and see for the others.

 

[Penturner]

Well that is a good sign. keeping my fingers crossed. I'll even throw in a couple of crossed toes if it will help. I've heard the Bantams can hatch early. I jsut hope the others catch up soon enough to get the first out within 2 days. The little one should be fine for that long on the yolk.

 

[Munkeesmama]

Well, Luckily my incubator holds and recovers both temp and humidity within minutes (king suro), so if need be, I'd feel pretty comfortable snagging it out and waiting for the rest, but I'm hoping I don't have to do that.