Late hatch... should I worry?

[chickenmama22]

Hi, I was trying to find information on chicks that don't even pip on day 21, but I haven't yet.

I am working on my 3rd or 4th hatch in a Little Giant still air incubator. Today is the 21st day and I don't think the eggs are anywhere near ready to pip. (Last hatches, they pipped on day 19.) I think my temps were too low.

Here's the history: I placed some chicken eggs and guinea eggs in to hatch. Guinea eggs take 28 days. I got the 3 fertile chicken eggs to hatch... I think they were on time. (These 3 were also elevated / slanted in an egg carton.) However, the guinea egg was on day 30 and still didn't hatch. I thought it was dead, so I opened it. It was alive, but died. Lesson learned

Now I am thinking that the temps must have been too low.

What is the longest I can wait for the eggs to hatch? Have you even had low temps and still had eggs hatch? I'm a little worried, can you tell? I do think I saw movement next to a vein in one that I candled today.

Thanks in advance,
Nancy

 

[speckledhen]

I have had one or two hatch on Day 22, but not usually. And I take a proactive approach that not many would by not allowing any to go past Day 22 without pipping the air cell myself. That, however, is only if I know my temps and humidity have been correct all along. If you've had a significant low temp period, they could hatch a day or two late and I'd wait till Day 23 to do anything.

 

[chickenmama22]

I am trying to be patient... I think the incubator was at a good temp, but the weather changed (got cooler) which means my room was cooler. I didn't adjust the incubator for the cooler temps and 'borrowed' the thermometor for another project. I'll just keep waiting a little more.

 

[chickenmama22]

speckledhen,

I am getting tired of waiting... what are the steps involved in your proactive approach to helping the chicks? I don't think the chicks have broken the air sac yet.
Thanks!
Nancy

 

[speckledhen]

Nancy, here is one thread where intervention is described:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316

I myself just warm a damp washcloth or towel, take out the egg and cradle it in the cloth, then use an eyeglass screwdriver and something to tap it with and pip open the very end of the aircell, right on top of the egg, then carefully chip away piece after piece of shell. You may want to have a flashlight handy to peer into the hole you make to see if there is a chick right at the end. Then you must play it by ear. If there is just alot of space on the aircell end and no immediate chick, then that may mean the chick has died and shrunk back away from the aircell. They usually pip the aircell by Day 18.