late hatchers

[wynn4578]

Just curious... Me and my wife placed 20 eggs in an incubator 4 weeks ago. On day 20 the eggs started hatching. All of the Australorp Wyandotte crosses hatched on day 20,21,and a couple on day 22 but the 4 bantam eggs did not. I candled them and 2 were not viable so I removed them both yolk no growth. The other 2 were still moving. Finally today (1 week later) the 2 bantam eggs hatched. Does anyone know what would cause them to be so late. Just a side note today was going to be my last day If they didn't pop out when they did, I was planning on removing them this evening and reloading.

 

[scflock]

Just curious... Me and my wife placed 20 eggs in an incubator 4 weeks ago. On day 20 the eggs started hatching. All of the Australorp Wyandotte crosses hatched on day 20,21,and a couple on day 22 but the 4 bantam eggs did not. I candled them and 2 were not viable so I removed them both yolk no growth. The other 2 were still moving. Finally today (1 week later) the 2 bantam eggs hatched. Does anyone know what would cause them to be so late. Just a side note today was going to be my last day If they didn't pop out when they did, I was planning on removing them this evening and reloading.

Holy cow! They hatched healthy? I would have tossed them 3 days ago

 

[kuchchicks]

Ugh I tossed some last Sunday on day 24 ... now I wish I would have waited a little longer. How long do you all normally let your eggs go?

 

[scflock]

Ugh I tossed some last Sunday on day 24 ... now I wish I would have waited a little longer.  How long do you all normally let your eggs go?

I have never hatched a chick that I didn't have to cull later after day 24

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I wait 24 hours after the last hatcher and then I candle. If there are no internal pips and no signs of life I proceed to eggtopsy. If there is a sign of life I would leave them in there, but like SC, day 24 is my limit. (Unless there is an internal pip with movement). My day 24 hatcher (from my first ever hatch) has issues of balance and lung capacity that I am certain are from the delayed development and hatch. It was not apparent until he was 4 or 5 months old and growing physically. We love him and glad he hatched but he will always be "special needs". He will never be a part of the coop or be used to breed.

 

[WalnutHill]

I have never hatched a chick that I didn't have to cull later after day 24

Same here.

 

[bcostley]

We have a broody hen who we first noticed sitting on March 28th. Her eggs started hatching last night (Apr 23-24) and she has five hatched now with at least one more that has pipped.

 

[lazy gardener]

That points to the resiliency of the hatching process, and the incredible design that goes into it. An egg can start incubating, be chilled into dormancy, and then later be incubated again to complete the process, which is what I think must have happened in this case.

 

[wynn4578]

Both seem quite healthy. Since the other chicks have a week head start and these 2 are bantams they will not be able to go in the brooder with the rest. I will keep you guys up to date on their development especially if they don't develop normally.

 

[keiferlou]

OP's better half here. Attaching pics of these late kids. Concerned about the feet of the smaller one.

Both are eating and drinking well. This little one has curved feet. He gets around alright but I'm concerned about those ltitle feet. We did have them on newspaper and he couldn't get around at all on that so I swapped it out for straw and that's easier for him. I'm totally ok with keeping him (or her) as a special needs guy if they don't straighten out. My question is, has anyone dealt with this before and is there anything I can do to help straighten them out?