Overdue Egg - any advice?

[happarose]

This is my second time hatching bought fertile eggs under one of my broody Pekin bantams. With the first, all six hatched no problem at all at 22 and 23 days. This time I've had nothing but issues! Half the eggs either didn't develop or failed by 15 days. The first pipped two days late in the evening. I went down next morning expecting a newly hatched chick and instead found a stone cold egg with the beak just poking through, not moving at all. I broke open the shell figuring what harm could I do now, and it moved! After warming it up, I had a live fluffy chick two hours later! I kept it in and warm until the second egg hatched later that day (without incident) and put the rescued chick back with its sibling under the mama. But there is still one egg unhatched four days later (and six days past the due date). I don't know exactly what day the eggs were laid but the cut off point had to be the day before I received them in the post. I can hear movement and tapping inside. I've put the egg under another broody as the first hen has left the nest with the two hatched chick so I guess she's lost interest in the egg to focus on her chicks. She's not been the most attentive mama. Could the fact I often found one or two eggs cold each day have slowed down the chicks' development and caused the delayed hatching? If I'm hearing movement, do I keep trying to hatch this last egg? Break it open? Give up? How long can they go until hatching?

 

[Spiderduck]

If you can hear movement. Keep the egg warm. It needs more time.

And with the eggs not hatching like on the 22nd or 23rd kind of days i think the eggs you got were laid in different days entirely.
Thats all i can say. Because eggs on laid on the same day should hatch on the same day. 22 days later i mean.

So keep the egg warm either letting your 2nd broody on it or take it inside and keep it warm.
I never had this issue but i have look aftered a day old chick by myself indoor without a incubator.

Hope this helps!

 

[happarose]

Thanks, I'll keep persisting with it under another broody while I can still hear movement.

 

[elaineinspain]

This is my second time hatching bought fertile eggs under one of my broody Pekin bantams. With the first, all six hatched no problem at all at 22 and 23 days. This time I've had nothing but issues! Half the eggs either didn't develop or failed by 15 days. The first pipped two days late in the evening. I went down next morning expecting a newly hatched chick and instead found a stone cold egg with the beak just poking through, not moving at all. I broke open the shell figuring what harm could I do now, and it moved! After warming it up, I had a live fluffy chick two hours later! I kept it in and warm until the second egg hatched later that day (without incident) and put the rescued chick back with its sibling under the mama. But there is still one egg unhatched four days later (and six days past the due date). I don't know exactly what day the eggs were laid but the cut off point had to be the day before I received them in the post. I can hear movement and tapping inside. I've put the egg under another broody as the first hen has left the nest with the two hatched chick so I guess she's lost interest in the egg to focus on her chicks. She's not been the most attentive mama. Could the fact I often found one or two eggs cold each day have slowed down the chicks' development and caused the delayed hatching? If I'm hearing movement, do I keep trying to hatch this last egg? Break it open? Give up? How long can they go until hatching?

the day the eggs were laid is inconsequential. You need to start counting the days from the day you put the eggs under the broody to hatch. Day 1 is 24 hours after setting the hen on the eggs. In my experience some eggs take longer to hatch than others and some pip on day 19 and some wait till day 21 and then hatch about 24 - 36 hours after first pipping. If you can hear/feel movement in the egg keep it under the broody hen. Good luck and congratulations on your new baby chicks!

 

[happarose]

the day the eggs were laid is inconsequential. You need to start counting the days from the day you put the eggs under the broody to hatch. Day 1 is 24 hours after setting the hen on the eggs. In my experience some eggs take longer to hatch than others and some pip on day 19 and some wait till day 21 and then hatch about 24 - 36 hours after first pipping. If you can hear/feel movement in the egg keep it under the broody hen. Good luck and congratulations on your new baby chicks!

Ah, thank you - I guess that's where I was going wrong with calculating hatch date.

 

[elaineinspain]

Ah, thank you - I guess that's where I was going wrong with calculating hatch date.

...it's an easy mistake to make

 

[happarose]

Sad to say the chick died without attempting to hatch. The second broody kept leaving it so I took it in and kept it warm, but no luck.

 

[Cntry1958]

Sorry on the loss of the chick. Its sure sad when we love one. Best of luck with the others.