nearly 4 days after first chick and still 3 unhatched

[tracy 5447]

hi,
my silkie was sitting on 6 sulmtaler bantam eggs and 1 hatched on time on saturday night then 1 monday, one egg was bad now 1 has a crack in it so i checked the other 2 for viability using the float test and they floated, with a wee bit above the surface which suggests that there are chicks inside. one of these 2 were cold as she wasn't on it. i have put them back under her now to see if anything happens, there was no signs of pipping or movement from either of the two eggs. and i hope the cracked one is actually hatching.
how long before the first hatch to last, thats 4 days now and I'm getting worried,

 

[WVduckchick]

Did they wiggle during the float test, or just float? They will still float if the air cell is large enough, but to determine if they are still alive, they should wiggle in the water. Don't float the one with the crack though. The water will leak into the crack and drown it. Also, she may have kept some warmer than others, so the different hatch dates don't surprise me.

 

[tracy 5447]

hi, no they didn't wiggle at all, just floated, still no change today 5 days after first hatch. the cracked one has fluid around it which is making the egg stick to the hens feathers, but thats the one that I'm sure i seen moving, i don't know what to do, the hen is sticky underneath and shows no sign of leaving the eggs

 

[WVduckchick]

Is she still sitting on them? I haven't experienced it personally, but I believe they say that the hen will leave them or can kick bad ones out of the nest, so there still could be a chance if she is still sitting. And have you tried smelling them?

 

[Sumartae]

Hi, I have 2 eggs that are in the process of hatching. Originally there werefour eggs. Two eggs hatched two days ago and I brought the chicks inside and put in a brooder. The third egg is partially hatched. the little goose has been taking his time to come out but I see his beak and he is moving. The fourth egg now has a section of shell missing but the membrane is still intact. I have several questions. The mother has taken a break and is down at the pond, nearly 1 hour now. Is this normal? Should I bring the partially hatched eggs inside and put them in the brooder under the lamp and let them finish hatching? I'm worried they will get too cold. It is in the low 70's. I apologize for jumping in on this forum. It's my first time posting and I'm not sure what the rules are, but I'm in hopes of getting a response right away as time is of essence. Thanks so much.