Need advice 7 days after hatch date

[Mamahenbliss]

Hi! I’m new to hatching eggs and need some advice! I’ve never done this before, So everyday we write the dates on the eggs left them in the coop ( I do not have an incubator). I have olive eggs so they are dark and I could not see if they are fertile. Today the egg was marked 7-22 so it was past a week I read to toss it out so I was just curious. I cracked it open and it was a baby chick and breathing I panicked and hurried and put it under a light but unfortunately 3 hours the baby chick didn’t make it(it was also a little bloody. Ugh I’m so sad. I have one that is marked 7-23 should I assist it? I seen some people do a small tiny hole on top or just leave it?thank you

 

[SilverBirds]

Is today day 22-23?

 

[Mamahenbliss]

Is today day 22-23?

I’m sorry for not clarifying it was July 22 the egg was laid so it was a total 28 days as of today and it was alive breathing

 

[NatJ]

So everyday we write the dates on the eggs left them in the coop ( I do not have an incubator). I have olive eggs so they are dark and I could not see if they are fertile. Today the egg was marked 7-22 so it was past a week I read to toss it out so I was just curious. I cracked it open and it was a baby chick and breathing I panicked and hurried and put it under a light but unfortunately 3 hours the baby chick didn’t make it(it was also a little bloody. Ugh I’m so sad. I have one that is marked 7-23 should I assist it? I seen some people do a small tiny hole on top or just leave it?thank you

Eggs need 21 days of incubation (under a broody hen, or in an incubator.)
But you were writing the date the egg was laid, not the day a hen first started to sit on it.
So depending on when a hen started sitting, your eggs might be developing but not yet ready to hatch.

I would leave the egg under the hen for now, and not try to assist it.

Do you know when a hen went broody and started to sit on the eggs? That could help tell when they are likely to hatch.


For the future, it's often a good idea to write a date on each egg and keep it somewhere safe (like inside your house) until a hen goes broody, then give her a whole clutch at once. That way they all start to develop at the same time, and they all hatch around the same time (about 21 days after they go under the hen.)

 

[Mamahenbliss]

Eggs need 21 days of incubation (under a broody hen, or in an incubator.)
But you were writing the date the egg was laid, not the day a hen first started to sit on it.
So depending on when a hen started sitting, your eggs might be developing but not yet ready to hatch.

I would leave the egg under the hen for now, and not try to assist it.

Do you know when a hen went broody and started to sit on the eggs? That could help tell when they are likely to hatch.


For the future, it's often a good idea to write a date on each egg and keep it somewhere safe (like inside your house) until a hen goes broody, then give her a whole clutch at once. That way they all start to develop at the same time, and they all hatch around the same time (about 21 days after they go under the hen.)

Thank you for the information it was extremely helpful! I have no idea when the hen started to sit on them I have 4 hens and I do see them rotate when one gets off another one comes and sits on the eggs. Also, when I try this again and I bring the eggs in the house before the hen goes broody do I leave the eggs room temp or to I need to put a heat lamp over it and if so what should the temp be?

 

[NatJ]

Thank you for the information it was extremely helpful! I have no idea when the hen started to sit on them I have 4 hens and I do see them rotate when one gets off another one comes and sits on the eggs.

In that case, I would not try to assist any of the eggs, but just leave them alone and hope for the best. In another week or two, if none have hatched, try cracking the oldest egg to see what's inside (it will probably have hatched by then if it was going to, based on what you found inside the first one.)

Also, when I try this again and I bring the eggs in the house before the hen goes broody do I leave the eggs room temp or to I need to put a heat lamp over it and if so what should the temp be?

No heat lamp. Just room temperature.

With wild chickens, the way it works is:
The hen lays an egg every day, and otherwise goes about her business ignoring the eggs. The eggs sit in the nest, at whatever temperature nature provides. After a while, where there is a big clutch of eggs, the hen goes broody and sits on them. All the eggs start to develop at the same time, so they all hatch at the same time. That makes it easier for the hen to take care of the chicks, because they are all the same age.

With domestic chickens, they don't always get the details right, and we usually manage things a bit. But storing the eggs at room temperature will keep them from developing, so they just sit there and wait until you're ready to put them under the hen. If you use a heat lamp, they could get warm enough to start to grow, and that's not what you want.

You can store eggs for at least a week before you put them under a hen or in an incubator. If you store the eggs for 2-3 weeks some will still be able to develop and hatch, but some will not. You typically get the best hatch rate if you store eggs for 1 week or less. It's a balancing act, trying not to store them too long but to build up a convenient-sized clutch.

 

[Mamahenbliss]

In that case, I would not try to assist any of the eggs, but just leave them alone and hope for the best. In another week or two, if none have hatched, try cracking the oldest egg to see what's inside (it will probably have hatched by then if it was going to, based on what you found inside the first one.)



No heat lamp. Just room temperature.

With wild chickens, the way it works is:
The hen lays an egg every day, and otherwise goes about her business ignoring the eggs. The eggs sit in the nest, at whatever temperature nature provides. After a while, where there is a big clutch of eggs, the hen goes broody and sits on them. All the eggs start to develop at the same time, so they all hatch at the same time. That makes it easier for the hen to take care of the chicks, because they are all the same age.

With domestic chickens, they don't always get the details right, and we usually manage things a bit. But storing the eggs at room temperature will keep them from developing, so they just sit there and wait until you're ready to put them under the hen. If you use a heat lamp, they could get warm enough to start to grow, and that's not what you want.

You can store eggs for at least a week before you put them under a hen or in an incubator. If you store the eggs for 2-3 weeks some will still be able to develop and hatch, but some will not. You typically get the best hatch rate if you store eggs for 1 week or less. It's a balancing act, trying not to store them too long but to build up a convenient-sized clutch.

Thank you I will make sure to follow these step next run! Also, would you happen to know what’s going on with my egg its oozing orange stuff It’s sticky too is this egg no good?

 

[NatJ]

would you happen to know what’s going on with my egg its oozing orange stuff It’s sticky too is this egg no good?

That one is probably no good.

You can sniff it-- if it smells bad, it is DEFINITELY no good.

You could just dispose of it, or you could take it somewhere outdoors and crack it open, to see what is inside (this does not help the egg in any way, but might be interesting or informative for you. Some people are curious, and some other people really don't want to look at a rotting egg or partly-formed dead chick. I don't know your preferences here.)