It is Day 21...Nothing...Not Looking Good for Lone Chick :(

[PamB]

So, I've left the lone egg in the incubator and it is now Day 21. I don't think it is moving at all inside there. This is just sad. How long should I wait until I give up on this poor little baby? I have had my doubts that it was alive in there since at Day 16 I candled and no movement was seen at all.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Your temps/humidity could be off so give the egg til day 25 or so unless you get a funky smell from the bator and then remove the egg carefully and dispose!

 

[humster]

Was there a decent sized mass in the egg? I candled around the same time and didn't see movement, but large masses in most of my eggs and got two chicks so far this morning. Just make sure there is enough water in the bator and do not open it at all if possible. Even with a 50% hatch rate, your one egg may or may not make it. Good luck!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I never check for movement. When I candle, all I look for is the dense shadow. All of the ones that have developed have hatched for me.

I am on my third batch of eggs with my incubator.

In short, don't give up until 3 or 4 days after hatch day, unless smelly as Tuffoldhen said!

 

[PamB]

There was definitely a mass when I candled. A mass at one end and an air cell at the other. Just no movement, so I thought it was dead.

This is my first time incubating. I started with four eggs and I'm down to this one. I added more water tonight when I got home a bit ago, in addition to a sponge with water. I haven't opened the incubator at all. There is no smell at all. I will wait a few more days then...thank you for your responses. I appreciate it...you've given me a bit of hope. If this chick hatches, I will name it "Lucky"

 

[humster]

Lucky is a great name! I got a free white silkie recently and b/c of the circumstances and the genetics of the whites I named him "Surprise!". Sounds like chances are decent since you had the mass and the air cell. If it doesn't work out I hope you try again soon! I'm happy with my mail orders since I had about 75% fertility at 16/13 days with 17 eggs.

 

[sheila3935]

I had 4 out of 13 eggs that was fertile, the rest was not fertile. Had some problems with my bator this time a couple of spikes and trouble holding humidity so day 21 came and went. I started to worry day 22 3 hatched and technically day 23 the last hatched. She hatched at 1:30 am this morning they were due Thanksgiving Day. So dont give up.

 

[PamB]

Well, I got rid of the last egg today because it was starting to smell. I'm going to try to return my LG incubator because I never could seem to regulate the temp and humidity to my liking. I am thinking of purchasing a Brinsea Mini Advance. I need something easier to work with. I just don't feel that I am experienced enough for anything too complicated.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I LOVE my Brinsea mini advance. Be sure to look at the brinsea website since they had the best price around when I bought mine. I use dry incubation for the first week and a half. Then I fill the first reservoir until lockdown (when I fill both reservoirs).

 

[PamB]

Quote:
I LOVE my Brinsea mini advance. Be sure to look at the brinsea website since they had the best price around when I bought mine. I use dry incubation for the first week and a half. Then I fill the first reservoir until lockdown (when I fill both reservoirs).

What is the reason for using dry incubation for the first week and a half? I'm new to this, so I'm curious.