Past due date, but underdeveloped

[Snozzle]

I had some chicks due to hatch yesterday, but to my horror I noticed that my incubator was 5 degrees too low yesterday morning, though it had been at the right temperature during the whole incubation when I checked. I adjusted it and it has been right on again since. I decided to check one of the eggs for signs of life thinking that my whole clutch may have gotten killed. I poked a hole in the end with the air pocket(I have done this in the past and the chicks usually still hatch without problem)and peeked inside. To my amazement I saw movement from a very underdeveloped chick. The membrane was still intact and there was lots of room for the tiny guy inside, it looked like a chick 4 or 5 days prior to hatching. I put him back in the incubator since I didn't damage anything vital inside. Now I wonder what I should do, leave them inside, if so how much longer should I give them, should I help them hatch, put them back on the turner or what? This hatch was a very important one and it would be terrible to lose all of them. I checked the calendar again and the date is the correct one, I have no idea what happened, the only time it was low was yesterday and this incubator has always been very reliable. I need to save these guys somehow!

 

[20736]

my eggs NEVER hatch in exactly 21 days. Keep the temp and humidity up and hope for the best. I bet you get a couple.

 

[Snozzle]

I have had one that was backwards in the eggs and 2 or 3 days late on my last hatch, it was in my other incubator, so it wasn't equipment related.
I just worry about these guys, they are incredibly tiny, the one I looked at was just barely pushing against the membrane. I am going to keep telling these guys not to give up and tell them about all the pretty grass, bugs to eat and the other chicks that await them out here, maybe that will help

 

[Snozzle]

I ended up with 6 of them, though none of the 3 silkies hatched and my friend who had the majority of the silkie eggs only got 3 out of 12 I believe, so it may have been the eggs and not my incubator. I had 1 faverolles chick that needed a lot of assistance hatching and is very tiny, won't gain weight , has pasty butt and is missing a toe, so there was something wrong with it anyways. I gave it to my friend so it can be in a pet home, she likes the difficult cases.