My Silkie Eggs aren’t Hatching

[The Ranch Girl]

So February 22nd I put in a batch of twelve (shipped) silkie eggs into my incubator. Day 18 I took them out of the turner and layed them on their side.
Throughout the whole incubation we lost 6 eggs. With the six others growing fast! So back to day 18. I heard from many people silkies, bantams, etc tend to hatch early. I was hoping these would too. But when they didn’t pip or anything on day 19 I wasn’t to worried. Ours just needed more time. Day 20 came around and like usual for us, the pip. But mine didn’t…. So I candled them. 5 were moving but hadn’t pressed out of the sack and into the air cell yet. One has.
I was hoping for a pip today! Day 21, but nothing.. should I be worried? They are all moving and alive. It’s just been so long. Nobody has pipped. I just wanted someone’s opinion on what to do! I have really been looking forward to these. It’s my first time hatching them.

 

[Huntmaster]

So February 22nd I put in a batch of twelve (shipped) silkie eggs into my incubator. Day 18 I took them out of the turner and layed them on their side.
Throughout the whole incubation we lost 6 eggs. With the six others growing fast! So back to day 18. I heard from many people silkies, bantams, etc tend to hatch early. I was hoping these would too. But when they didn’t pip or anything on day 19 I wasn’t to worried. Ours just needed more time. Day 20 came around and like usual for us, the pip. But mine didn’t…. So I candled them. 5 were moving but hadn’t pressed out of the sack and into the air cell yet. One has.
I was hoping for a pip today! Day 21, but nothing.. should I be worried? They are all moving and alive. It’s just been so long. Nobody has pipped. I just wanted someone’s opinion on what to do! I have really been looking forward to these. It’s my first time hatching them.

Being patient is all you can do. Do you have extra calibrated thermomotor/hygrometer to know your temps and humidity is correct?

 

[The Ranch Girl]

Being patient is all you can do. Do you have extra calibrated thermomotor/hygrometer to know your temps and humidity is correct?

Yes I do and temp is good, same with humidity. I read lots of articles on how to hatch these. I have incubated and hatched MANY eggs in the past. Just never these.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have incubated and hatched MANY eggs in the past. Just never these.

They're just eggs and do NOT hatch early in my experience (previously breeding them and hatched a LOT).. though some specific LINES might.

No, I wouldn't be worried just yet. There are a lot of factors that go into exactly how many hours it takes including ovi-position of the individual hen.. each day old the egg is before setting for example is said to add one hour to the total incubation time.. etc, etc.. yes.. I've done my share both of worrying and also of waiting patiently.

Shipped eggs are always a wild card depending on how far they came and other things.

Happy hatching!

 

[The Ranch Girl]

They're just eggs and do NOT hatch early in my experience (previously breeding them and hatched a LOT).. though some specific LINES might.

No, I wouldn't be worried just yet. There are a lot of factors that go into exactly how many hours it takes including ovi-position of the individual hen.. each day old the egg is before setting for example is said to add one hour to the total incubation time.. etc, etc.. yes.. I've done my share both of worrying and also of waiting patiently.

Shipped eggs are always a wild card depending on how far they came and other things.

Happy hatching!

Yes definitely a wild card! I’ve found that out!! These aren’t the only shipped eggs we bought. We got ducks, and Marans so it’s been an interesting process. I’m the same, no matter how many eggs I hatch I always end up worrying
I will be patient and see how things go. I was super EXCITED for these babies and want to keep as many or all alive. I will keep things posted!

 

[Huntmaster]

Wishing you and your eggs the best.

 

[Ridgerunner]

should I be worried?

Not yet. Some Silkie and bantam eggs regularly hatch a day or two early, some regularly hatch a day or two late. Some are occasionally on time. Some full-sized fowl eggs regularly hatch a day or two early, a day or two late, or on time. Heredity, humidity, how and how long they have been stored, and just differences in the eggs can influence that. So can average incubation temperature, that is a biggie.

My full-sized fowl eggs usually hatch a couple of days early whether they are in my incubator or under a broody hen. It is so consistent I think it has to be heredity. Sometimes an egg will hatch a full day before (or after) any others, sometimes all chicks hatch within 16 hours of the first pip. Each hatch can be quite different from others.

If you don't see a pip in another couple of days I'd start to be concerned. But since you haven't hatched any of these eggs before I think it is too early to worry.

 

[The Ranch Girl]

Not yet. Some Silkie and bantam eggs regularly hatch a day or two early, some regularly hatch a day or two late. Some are occasionally on time. Some full-sized fowl eggs regularly hatch a day or two early, a day or two late, or on time. Heredity, humidity, how and how long they have been stored, and just differences in the eggs can influence that. So can average incubation temperature, that is a biggie.

My full-sized fowl eggs usually hatch a couple of days early whether they are in my incubator or under a broody hen. It is so consistent I think it has to be heredity. Sometimes an egg will hatch a full day before (or after) any others, sometimes all chicks hatch within 16 hours of the first pip. Each hatch can be quite different from others.

If you don't see a pip in another couple of days I'd start to be concerned. But since you haven't hatched any of these eggs before I think it is too early to worry.

Ok thank you!

 

[The Ranch Girl]

UPDATE:
One of the eggs pipped, the other 4 haven’t. And from the looks of one I think it’s dead. It looked really weird before though and one that died earlier on was severely disformed so I think that’s what happened with this one. Still waiting this out to see how it will go!

 

[The Ranch Girl]

UPDATE:
3 hatched! Unfortunately 2 died in the egg. And one is in the process of hatching right now!! The three that hatched are Blue silkies, I’m so THRILLED