Panic is starting to set in...

[wegotchickens]

If there is a sloshy kind of yuck in there, then they are for sure dead.

With mine if I looked and saw nothing poking into the air cell and nothing sloshing, and they were past due, I pipped a hole in the air cell to see if there was movement or any response. If no movement at that time, I would tap the inner membrane gently. If it felt solid the chick was dead.

I've been lucky and had 30-50% of each shipped hatch, so I usually did this after the survivors hatched.
One time I decided to candle them and saw a pip, so I closed the bator and sat on my hands. Somtimes there's a little bitty pip that you can't see through the window.

My kids laugh at me. but I also talk to my eggs when I candle and when I think there should be hatching. Sometimes I hear responses before I even open the bator (and then I don't open it, of course).

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

UPDATE-

Well.

l No chicks. Six of them had nothing. Not even any veins. The other egg had a small black spot.
I guess I can turn my bator off huh? I am going to break them open and see what is going one though.

 

[wegotchickens]

DO IT OUTSIDE!!

They may stink up the place...

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Quote:

It's a done deed. It didn't stink at all. Well not a lot anyway.

 

[wegotchickens]

I'd say the PO tried to make an omelet for you in the shell.
Had some of those. It's such a bummer. I've been trying to find folks with breeds I like that are closer to home. I've had much better luck with eggs from NC than from PA or CA. Gotta be the amount of time being tossed around!

 

[Mrs MIA]

:aww
I'm so sorry... that sort of thing happens to me all the time... it gets easier, but nothing makes me sadder than throwing out eggs that didn't hatch. Perhaps you can find someone that has them closer to you. The PO really does a number on my eggs, and I've all but given up on hatching shipped eggs.
I know it doesn't change the outcome of the hatch, but we feel your pain.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. I think my dh's friend at work has Mille eggs that he might be willing to share.

 

[wegotchickens]

If they are Mille fleur d'Uccles, then be prepared to fall in love!
I have 5 and they are the sweetest chicks, and soooo funny to watch! They waddle like ducks with those feathered feet of theirs. Hysterical! And when they scratch in the dirt i can't help but smile.
One got knocked onto it's back by one of my hens, and it had to do a somersault to get back up. It's feathered feet and hocks kept it from rolling onto it's side. I laughed so hard I hurt!!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

So sorry...Were you able to see veins when you candled previously?

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Quote:
I didn't candle at all up until today. Last hatch I had three quitters so I was a bit afraid it was something I did while candling.
It was just yolks. There was one with a small something in it. It was just a mass of white.