now what??????????????day 21 no hatch OR DAY 27

[3forfree]

Thursday at noon I locked down the incubator, and it's sunday and nothing has happened. Now what. Do I quit, or wait longer. When this is done I'm going to break open all the eggs (24) to see what's happened. I was candling alot but really couldn't tell with these brown eggs what was going on. I could see dark spots in the eggs, and thought there was something happening. Temps and humidity was good all the time, they were turned 3 times a day. I'm bummed because nothing has happened, at least I didn't pay alot of money for these eggs.

 

[Posh Chickens]

Wait 'till day 25, some hatch out then.
Good Luck!

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
WAIT EVEN LONGER !!!!!! I had live hatches day 27 and day 28 but they needed intervention. Both lived !!!!
Don;t keep eggs after day 30 as they WILL explode and smell really fowl!!!!!

most folk throw at day 25 - but because I had a late hatch success I give it longer. IF your temp has been on the low side it can delay hatch if your humidity is a bit on the high side it can cause shrink wrap. Be patient you can also try the water test.

Oesdog -

 

[madgabmomma]

I agree too wait a little longer! I'm waiting on my first batch to hatch as well. I have only 3 though that made it to lock down and only one piping so far and it's day 22 now for me. I plan to wait until day 25 unless I have activity going on on day 25 (chirping, and piping) then I'll wait till day 27 too give up. Good Luck too you!!!

 

[HomesteadGal]

I've also had a delayed hatch. Mine were supposed to start hatching March 31 and April 1. Not one peep out of any of them. I candled all the eggs and there was chick growth so I know I had live peeps at least up to March 25. My temps fluctuated between 96 and 103 degrees so I hope this didn't affect their development.

Before I quit turning the eggs, I put a towel inside the incubator and put ripples in it to keep the eggs from rolling around on the wire during the hatch. I put some water on the bottom layer of the towel (just to moisten, not saturate the towel) to increase the humidity. Is this the problem? I've seen other people do this with the same incubator I have and they didn't have a problem.

Really hoping at least some of these little guys hatch as they will be 2nd generation Welsummers from our flock.

 

[HomesteadGal]

Quote:
most folk throw at day 25 - but because I had a late hatch success I give it longer. IF your temp has been on the low side it can delay hatch if your humidity is a bit on the high side it can cause shrink wrap. Be patient you can also try the water test.

Oesdog -

What is the water test?

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

Yes dont worry yet! I locked down on thursday too and have one pip this morning. Can you hear them tapping or peeping? Are the eggs wiggling?

 

[HomesteadGal]

I just checked my eggs...no sound, no wiggle. I know the humidity is good as I have condensation on the inside of the incubator. The temp is 104 so I turned it down. Keeping the temp correct has been the hardest part. I varies too much no matter how I adjust it. If these don't hatch, I'm using one of my broody hens next time.

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

I have a still air incubator with a wafer thermostat and it takes a looooooong time for it to regulate itself after an adjustment. In my house the temperature fluctuates alot so when i would adjust it up the temp in the room will have changed by the time it regulatd itself so it would be wrong again....very frustrating and impossible to know what the average temp of the eggs really was. And my thermometer was off real temp like 2 degrees, which is average error range for thermometers unless you get some fancy scientifically calibrated thing. So 104 was really only 102 so i was turning it down when it didnt need it. Then when i got it down to 98-100 it was only really 96-98. SO i had too low temps when I thought they were too high! I was mystified when they hatched late. My humidity was too high too because i did not have a hydrometer and that is a bad combination. BUT i still got a 50% hatch. I THREW OUT the digital thermometers I had and got a combination hydrometer/thermometer made by zoo med for reptiles at the pet store eventually, and that has been great. Be patient. I have read stories on here where people have thrown unhatched eggs in the compost pile and find live chicks there the next day or so! the whole process is more nature than science i think. HANG IN THERE!

 

[HomesteadGal]

I also have a still air incubator and it didn't have a thermometer or hygrometer. I am guessing at the humidity and use a meat thermometer stuck through the side (at egg level) to see where the temps are. Thanks for the tip on the petshop reptile thermo/hydrometer. Will definitely buy one before I try another hatch.

I just did the water test and out of 15 eggs, 3 are no floaters. This gives me hope! Would love to have 12 fluffy Welsummer peeps cheaping in my living room.

It is interesting that the 3 dud eggs are from the same hens. I have 2 Welsummer hens that lay light speckled eggs. Next time, I'll choose only the smooth dark colored eggs for my next "Hatching Adventure."