No signs of life...What should I see

[surgerynut]

At 7:30 this evening, I will have 7 surving eggs at 21 days in the incubator. Shouldn't I see some sort of movement or hear peeps? Do the eggs just lie still? When I candled Thursday, the eggs were filled with chick. A word of encouragement please? What is your experiences?

 

[FireTigeris]

What type of incubation are you doing (still air/circulated air, humid hatch/dry hatch) and what temps have you had?

Someone else is having hatches day 23- you might be running late also- Good Luck.

 

[surgerynut]

I have a forced air incubator, running temps of 99.5 to 100.5 with humidity of 60% until the last couple of days when I have it at 70%. Do the eggs move about at all prior to hatch?

 

[surgerynut]

I should also mention that this is the very first time I have ever tried to hatch eggs. A little anxious to say the least.

 

[FireTigeris]

Sometimes they do and sometimes you can hear them, mine hatch at 3 AM on the 21st day (no matter when I set them) expect the one that hatched early this time-

they will not be rocking around like crazy like on cartoons before the legs stick out and it runs away,

the movements will be tiny, the noise (scratching, pecking and peeping) soft until the internal pip is made.

They may be late, or this evening, breath and be patient.

And what's your incubator that you kept your temps that perfect, I'm jealous. (mine varied about seven degrees from day one till day 21- but the two year old human 'helped')

 

[mabhera]

In my first try incubating I runned the humidity like you 60 to 65 for the first 15 days. Then I read the eggs need to loose humidity to have space to hatch so I lower for 3 days only to raised it at the hatching time. Had many chicks that died for being to big for the shell. Helped a few that externally pipped and those survived. I waited to day 23 to help and the were loosing strength. hope that helps.

 

[surgerynut]

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom. I feel better. It would be much easier to handle if the eggs did roll around alot, bumping into each other like balls on a pool table. I don't need thunder and lightening, but maybe just a little sign...a wobble...a cheep...a hole with a beek peeking through. I figure they've developed to this point as evidenced by my candling. Surely they can survive long enough to hatch

 

[surgerynut]

Oh, and my incubator is a Farm Innovators Model 4200 Pro Series Circulated Air Incubator. As long as I monitor the temp and the humidity with an internal thermometer, it's great. Don't use the dial that comes built in to the top. It is never right.

 

[lareynadenada]

Thanks so much for the words of wisdom. I feel better. It would be much easier to handle if the eggs did roll around alot, bumping into each other like balls on a pool table. I don't need thunder and lightening, but maybe just a little sign...a wobble...a cheep...a hole with a beek peeking through. I figure they've developed to this point as evidenced by my candling. Surely they can survive long enough to hatch

It sounds like you are right on,,,,mine didn't rock,roll,pip or peep until 4pm on day 21, then it started gangbusters and everybody was going at the same time,,,hang in there and keep us posted

 

[mabhera]

What happened......??? Update please....lol. Hope everything went ok.