Nervous!!! Could I have killed them?

[youngjedi32002]

Today is day 21! I have no pips, I hear no peeping, no movement, no nothing! I am really nervous because 2 days ago, I wanted to see if I could hear anything, so I took one out and held it to my ear. I heard tapping and was so excited! I put it back and haven't heard a peep or a pip since! Could my lack of patience and excitement caused my chicks harm?! I am beside myself with worry! I have a teeny incubator. The kind that grade school kids have in their classroom. It actually belongs to my 9 year old son and these are HIS chickens! I have to keep reminding myself of that.........

 

[bakerjw]

Cool incubators can delay hatching a few days. Be patient.

 

[easttxchick]

Sometimes you don't hear a thing until they are out of the shell. I've had instances where the first thing I heard was a duckling/chick peeping in the incubator.
Just to make you feel better(don't try this at home because this is BAD advice

) I candle my eggs once a day for the last 3 days of incubation checking on air cells-you didn't hurt them by taking it out and listening to it.

 

[youngjedi32002]

Thanks, guys! I needed that! I am trying to be patient and not worry! I will let you know if I hear/see anything! Fingers are crossed.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

I advise patience. Chicken eggs do not always hatch at exactly 21 days. If the incubator is running a little bit cool they can be two or three days late. There are other things that can cause them to be early or late, but temperature is the usual culprit. I had some hatch over two days early, mainly because my incubator was running a little warmer than it should.

I often have no noticeable movement or peeping until they pip.

Have you calculated the days correctly. That is a common mistake. If you set the eggs on a Thursday, the 21 days is up on a Thursday. If you set them on Friday, the 21 days are up on a Friday.

Can you harm them by being impatient? Yes. If you open the incubator during lockdown you can shrink-wrap a chick, especially if it has pipped. That is where the membrane inside the chick dries out, shrinks, and sticks to the chick. Then the chick cannot hatch. It does not happen each and every time, but it certainly does happen.

Good luck!

 

[youngjedi32002]

Quote:
Thanks so much! I didn't think of the temperature making them take some extra time. That makes perfect sense! It's funny about this silly little kid's incubator we have, the temperature was so perfect and consistent! But taking the cover off for turns may have slowed it down some, having to readjust. We set them the day they were laid which was 3 weeks ago today, it was definitely a Thursday! I am hopeful! I am not always patient but I am keeping my hands away from the cover, no matter how badly I want to try tapping and hearing them again! I will keep you posted!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Tapping should not matter. Opening it will. Feel free to tap and cheep, cheep away.

 

[youngjedi32002]

Really? I can still tap? I'm so afraid to lift the cover off the incubator! I guess even the mommas get up from time to time.....

 

[youngjedi32002]

Day 22 is slipping away without a peep, a pip, a shake, or anything! I am very worried. My son is pretty disappointed. He is convinced they are dead. I still have some hope, especially after that post about temperature making it take longer sometimes. I tapped one by just lifting the edge of the cover a little and listened. Nothing. Don't quite know what to think..........

Plus, kids down the street found a nest of baby wild rabbits. Yesterday they said their dog killed the mother and they were taking care of them, feeding them from an eye dropper and such, and had been for 2 days. Today I saw them in the field across the street putting them back in the nest, at their parents direction. I couldn't get a straight answer from them, they said they saw a rabbit hopping about and thought it was their mother. Not sure what to do. I may have chicks and rabbits by the end of the day! Really want the chicks! Feel I need to save the rabbits! I will take anyone's opinion on either!!!!

 

[Julie08]

Still nothing?? Dont lose hope they can still make it.