My chicks will not hach

[Kk Augy]

My chicks have been in the incubation more then 21days and I noticed that their is a horrible smell coming out from the incubator. Are my chicks ded? Could they still hach?

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Have you candled any of them? How long ago? How many days past 21 is it?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

So sorry! That doesn’t sound good.. hope everything’s ok!

 

[Lemon-Drop]

Also welcome!

 

[cmobley]

Did you ever candle eggs before day 21 to many variables here for a good answer.

 

[Davethebirdman]

Infertile or never developed

 

[als77]

Horrible smell probably means that (at least) one of them is rotten, but doesn't necessarily mean that all of them are bad/dead.

How many days are you at? If your temps are low then they might take more then 21 days (also, just in case; we start counting at day 0, so day 1 starts after 24 hours)

 

[Kk Augy]

Well it's been 24 days now! I have cancelled them all at day 19 and all were black! toaday, I did the float test and two of my eggs did not even start developing that was the horrible smell but why did they not develop?is this the fault of me having too much roosters in my flock?(2)

 

[als77]

You should expect some unfertilized ones, especially if you live in the northern hemisphere (i.e winter now).

Those two rotten eggs might have had a tiny crack in them, allowing bacteria to enter. Some people candle before incubating to avoid those with cracks, but as long as they don't explode in the bator (and spread the bacteria) it shouldn't be an issue for the other eggs.

Do you have an external thermometer to check the temperature-readings from the incubator? If your incubator is a few degrees cold, that can delay hatches a few days.

 

[50-45-1]

With 2 roosters I would guess that it was not fertility but some other problem.
Maybe your incubator errored at some point for the entire hatch to be lost.
How were the eggs handled and stored before set?
Has this incubator hatched for you previously?
You say 2 roosters, how many hens?
How about your climate where you are. Did the eggs get to cold before setting?
Sorry, I know how disappointing a total loss is.
It has happened to me and I discovered it was a faulty incubator.