Is this normal?

[azrc]

I have about 7 hatching eggs with cracked or broken shells, but after almost 24 hours no chicks have emerged and all seem to be stuck inside the internal membrane.

I haven't opened the incubator in 4 days. I don't know what the humidity level is, but it should be up there.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

What day are you on? We have some that have taken a good 2 to 3 days once they pip until they hatch out. It is possible that they might have drown inside the shell which happens if the humidity is too high. Watch for the eggs to shake. That will tell you if they are still alive in there. We have a seperate hatcher/brooder that we move the eggs to after the 18 days. If we have a pip but then nothing, we will take the egg and hold it to our ear and tap on the shell with our fingernail. That will usually get them to chirping or moving and you can hear them. If so then we put them back and patiently wait. If not then I will very gently pry off a small piece of shell with a toothpick and see if there is any movement. If still not then we will slowly keep peeling until we can determine if they are alive or dead. If alive then we will put them back and cover the peeled area with a damp towel until they hatch.

 

[Chickengal505]

Eggs take time but somtimes we dont want to wait for them the above sugesstion is very good its just so pianful to dispose of the passers and if you do peel back the shell be carfull not to poke him/her

 

[azrc]

Well, I gave up and cracked the incubator for about 3 seconds to remove one of the eggs with a beak sticking out. It didn't move when I poked it with a wire through the vent hole. I then peeled away the shell and membrane, but it was dead. I do hear more peeping from the other eggs, but I fear that the first egg to pip is also dead.

It's probably my fault since I had the eggs in the turner upside down (yes, I'm dyslexic) and some of them are trying to come out the wrong end which looks a lot more difficult

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Sorry to hear about the loss. It is all a learning process and we all started at the same point. But at least you hear peeping. We just had one hatch last night that came out the wrong end and it was right in the incubator. They get all tuned around inside the shells sometimes.
It is a real struggle for them to get out of the shell so try not being tempted to help. If you see that one is starting to zip the shell open and the membrane becomes stuck to it then you can take a toothpick and slowly pry the dried part loose and then let the chick do the rest. They will zip part way and stop to rest then zip some more. If your humidity is good then the membrane might dry out but shouldn't stick to the chick. It is a really hard call some times. The more you hatch the more you will get used to what to watch for.
If you are peeling back shell or membrane watch for veining that appears to be still filled with blood. That will tell you right away that the chick is not ready to come out. They should not come out until they have absorbed all of the yolk sack and all that veining goes away. Which sometimes is only a matter of an hour or so.
Keep us posted