losing hope

[davekrista]

So I haven't seen my eggs moving since my kids went to bed last night. And still no external pipping. I'm starting to get discouraged and lose hope

 

[katharinad]

I'm sorry, this does not sound good at all. You could pip them, but usually there are more problems if they cannot do it by themselves.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
I checked the temp and humidity before i made the post, and then again after. It went from 83% humidity to 86% just in the min or so it took for me to make the post. I read some where that the humidity will go up when it pips, is that true? Could that be why it went up in that short time? I haven't done anything and my kids are in school and hubby working so no one else would have done anything either. I can't see any visible pips but just trying to figure out why the humidity went up so quick.

ETA: Humidity now 87% so still rising. I can't for the life of me remember where I had read the humidity goes up.

 

[emjay]

I don't know if ducks would be the same as chickens, but, I'm sure pretty darn close when it comes to coming out of an egg.

I had to do a save this July with some chicken eggs the day of hatching, as mama hen went psycho on me. I had no incubator,just a heat lamp. I got a couple of eggs started, as I didn't want them to suffocate on a drying membrane from improper humidity.

Of the 3 that I helped to start by breaking a small hole for them, 2 survived and are now 13 weeks old and very healthy.

I had held the eggs to my ear, could hear them inside, I lost many from not helping, just eventually died, so I felt I had nothing to lose really.

the hen was on 15 eggs, 3 were bantam x eggs. I got 7 viable babies with just a heat lamp, and my lap and my daughters lap.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
Well I'm on day 27, so i don't know, maybe I should wait and see? My humidity is holding at 87%, but still not sure why the rise 4% in less than an hour. Should I help now or wait until original hatch day?

 

[emjay]

can you hear them inside the egg? or I guess they are in lockdown??

I listened to each egg individually, sometimes I'd tap the egg with my fingernail and that would sometimes wake the baby inside. There were times I thought dud eggs until I gently tapped, it was like encouragement from a mama, I think that helped a bit with motivation for the baby.

Of the 8 eggs I took that I believed still viable from under the mama hen, 7 lived. 4 hatched with help(whether I started them out or on my knee or my daughters knee) ,1 hatched on its own and 2 had hatched under the mama hen.



I was amazed that mine hatched under a heat lamp, I just put a wet cloth over the egg and made a nest. worked for the time. But, I was lucky, it was their due date so, had it happened days earlier, my outcome might not have been as good.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
They are in lockdown so I don't want to open to put to my ear. And I can't hear them from outside the incubator.

 

[emjay]

oh.
I guess that is the part that sucks about using an incubator. it's too bad they didn't devise a unit, where you could hear through. would make it easier I think if you could at least hear them inside the egg.

good luck to you. I do hope you start to see some movement in them eggs.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Don't lose hope yet, mine rocked and rolled then all was quiet for a day or so before the external pip, I think they are resting up for their big day!! It's onlly day 27, mine didn't hatch until day 29, today day 30. So don't lose hope yet, I know I've lost one, just a gut feeling and how the egg is getting terribly discolored around the rim of the air sac and narrow top and it hasn't rocked what so ever. But please, don't give up hope. These babies have a mind and timing of their own.

 

[davekrista]

Ok so today is day 28. I haven't seen movement all day yesterday, only a spike in humidity. No peeps, or pips, so this morning i candled them. I took the incubator carefully into the bathroom while the hot water had been running. And I have 2 that are moving pretty well inside, 1 is all black, couldn't find any air cell, 2 were moving very little, just like shadow movements and 1 not moving at all. Giving that my are cells are messed up should I wait it out still or should I help? They had been rocking and rolling the other day and now nothing. I'm just worried and need advice on what should be done. I know at this point some are definately moving. And humidity when i put back in the bator is still 84% and rising.......