Incubating day 22! Only 3 have hatched.

[AmyLynn2374]

Three more have hatched out this morning. I still have four that have not even started hatching or chirping. When should I candle them again and what should I be looking for when I do?

You can candle them at any time if there are no external pips. You're starting day 23 and have had 6 out of the 10 hatch right? (Congrats, btw.) When you candle the first thing you are looking for is any internal pips. (A shadow in the air cell where the beak has poked through it.) If you see this tap gently on the eggs at the air cell end and you may hear it chirp at you. You are also looking for any movement at all. If you see no internal pips (this is important) and no movement than you can do the water candle test.

 

[rachiel25]

I don't see any internal pips or movement. Is that common for them to be very active at day 18 but not make it to hatch?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I don't see any internal pips or movement. Is that common for them to be very active at day 18 but not make it to hatch?

It's not uncommon. :-/ Not sure how to answer that. My first hatch all 17 of mine were wiggly and moving at lock down. 2 hatched late, one survived (bad thermometer). A lot can happen in those three-four days believe it or not. My second hatch13 hatched and 3 made it to day 20/21 but never hatched. When I eggtopsied them I found one had pipped internally but was shrink wrapped so it was unable to finish the job. One (a turken) had a lot of moisture in it, I believe the quality of egg (it was huge and probably didn't let enough moisture out) had a part in that one. The last was another turken and I have no idea why it died. It was in position, not shrink wrapped, yolk completely absorbed and just died. I did question on the Turken/NN board about them having higher mortality rates and was told one person had reasearched it and found a source that did say turkens had a SLIGHTLY higher mortality rate before hatch. Just a lot of things could attribute. The best way to decipher is by doing an eggtopsy and try to pin point it that way.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I can say I don't know too many people that have had 100% hatches, at least not with more than 6 eggs at set.

 

[rachiel25]

Thanks for your help! Everyone told me that 50% hatch rate was about normal, but I was determined that if I kept everything just right I could do better.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

If you decide to eggtopsy (and I recommend it. I didn't on the first hatch and just threw them out and regretted it after worrying myself as to wether they were all really dead or not. Plus it's good education and helps with pinpointing any problems.) I would put a small hole at the air cell end (egg only) and check to make sure the chick is dead before preceeding to open the membrane and egg.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for your help! Everyone told me that 50% hatch rate was about normal, but I was determined that if I kept everything just right I could do better.

I think that's more true with first time hatch and definitely with shipped eggs. I think with future hatches and local eggs rate should be higher like 70-90% you did a whole lot better than my first hatch. 6/10 beats 1/17 lol. This last hatch I had 13/16 (using lockdown numbers not starter numbers) so I was happy.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for your help! Everyone told me that 50% hatch rate was about normal, but I was determined that if I kept everything just right I could do better.

Also, there are so many factors we can not control like egg quality, genetics, defects that no matter how well we did everything those things prevail.