Okay I'm ready to be yelled at lol what did I do wrong?

[FowlWitch]

So today is day 20 and I felt like something was wrong with these eggs. I saw no sign of internal pipping, and the shape inside they egg when I candled didn't change at all since lockdown, so I know they haven't repositioned themselves to be facing the air cell.

So I decided to meddle because I'm me and I have no impulse control lol

https://imgur.com/a/54oAQU4

It looks like neither bird has absorbed their yolk sacks. The chick at the top of the pic did move, but the fluid was a little coagulated on the edges of the shell (I accidentally removed the membrane because I thought the chick was dead). The chick is weak and didn't really respond much to me picking at the egg. The membrane on both eggs were opaque white, so I dabbed some oil on it to allow me to see inside. I was more careful with the second egg and didn't break the membrane, but the chick isn't moving. I assume it's dead.

At day 20, the yolk is supposed to be absorbed and they slchicks facing the air cell, right? Where did I go wrong?

They were developing just fine until lockdown. I have them at 98F and humidity fluctuated between 60 - 65 percent.

The only think I can think of is that on day 18 there was a power outage. The incubator had no heat for 12 hours, so I was careful not to open it. I'm thinking that may have shocked the embryos and stunted their development. What do you guys think?

Also, what do I do with the chick that was still moving? I want to leave it alone and see what it does, but I think it may be too far gone. Would it best to cull now or wait a little?

 

[Folly's place]

No advice here, but so sorry!
Mary

 

[ShannonR]

I feel like there is still a little bit of a chance of hatch, since you were incubating at a slightly cooler temp than norm. This is a definite possibility! As for the meddling.... it happens to the best of us. Usually it does more harm than good, but you really never know! My only concrete advice is to tell you that the slightly cooler temp could mean a little bit of a later hatch. No yelling from me.

Good luck!!

 

[ChickNanny13]

@Pyxis @sylviethecochin Thank you in advance

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oh dear, I'm sorry that you're having a difficult experience!
A few things, 99.5F is the desired temperature to incubate chicken eggs. When the temps are lower, it is common to see delayed development and hatch. It typically takes around 21 days for chicks to hatch but this isn't an exact science. The chick will at first pip internally through the membrane and begin to breathe the air in the air cell at the rounded end of the egg before pipping externally. At this point, as the chick first begins to learn how to use its lungs that it starts to absorb the yolk sac. This can take several hours.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

You said that you removed the membrane, there are two membranes, the internal membrane would be the one you need to be most cautious about because it's covered in blood vessels that the chick will absorb along with the yolk sac. So if the chick still looks ok inside the egg then I would just try to keep the membrane from drying out by occasionally reapplying the oil. Are you able to see the chicks beak where it looks like it's getting into position to pip?

 

[Elsveta641]

Whenever you have an power outage, the eggs will be delayed. Hatch should be day 21 so yours could've went another day or even two? I incubate at 99.5 degrees 35% humidity till lockdown and then 65-70%.
Maybe they were just weak chicks too. Try giving your birds more vitamins and make sure you check for egg shell quality before setting them. Porous shells tend to develop but then fizzle out at hatch and usually end up dead in shell in my experience

 

[FowlWitch]

Oh dear, I'm sorry that you're having a difficult experience!
A few things, 99.5F is the desired temperature to incubate chicken eggs. When the temps are lower, it is common to see delayed development and hatch. It typically takes around 21 days for chicks to hatch but this isn't an exact science. The chick will at first pip internally through the membrane and begin to breathe the air in the air cell at the rounded end of the egg before pipping externally. At this point, as the chick first begins to learn how to use its lungs that it starts to absorb the yolk sac. This can take several hours.

I had them at 99.5F from days 1 - 18. I was reading on a dry incubation guide to lower to 98 for lockdown. This is my first time trying it this way. This is my 7th (or 8th) batch I've tried hatching. This is also my first run at true dry incubation - I normally have humidity at around 45% for the first 18 days and then raise it, but I kept having chicks drown.

 

[FowlWitch]

You said that you removed the membrane, there are two membranes, the internal membrane would be the one you need to be most cautious about because it's covered in blood vessels that the chick will absorb along with the yolk sac. So if the chick still looks ok inside the egg then I would just try to keep the membrane from drying out by occasionally reapplying the oil. Are you able to see the chicks beak where it looks like it's getting into position to pip?

The chick does not appear to be in[osition, but he's moving around in there. I was able to see the yolk sac earlier, but the chick moved and covered it. I'm thinking it may be trying to hatch. I'm lucky it didn't bleed out - the blood vessels had already retracted from the membrane by the time I got around to opening the egg.

 

[FowlWitch]

Whenever you have an power outage, the eggs will be delayed. Hatch should be day 21 so yours could've went another day or even two? I incubate at 99.5 degrees 35% humidity till lockdown and then 65-70%.
Maybe they were just weak chicks too. Try giving your birds more vitamins and make sure you check for egg shell quality before setting them. Porous shells tend to develop but then fizzle out at hatch and usually end up dead in shell in my experience

Ahh yeah these eggs were from eBay. I'm basically done buying eggs online at this point. I always have crummy hatches. My own flock eats layer feed mixed with chick feed (all fermented) with calcium offered regularly and ACV added to the water once a week. They lay some nice eggs, just to brag a little lol

But yeah, some of the eggs I did manage to hatch from eBay (I've purchased from this same seller before) have turned up chicks that, at a month old, I'm suspecting may be inbred. I think there's a reason this seller has such low prices...