Peafowl egg not moving yet- is it a goner?

[chick4chix]

Day 18 on incubated Peafowl egg- it is not moving inside and when I move the egg- the shadow seems to "free float"- is it a goner?. The egg developed strong veining and eye by day 9- then grew- but mostly as a dark shadow (I couldn't see much - only the shadow). The shadow has taken up about 1/3 of the egg. By this stage -should I being seeing movement, and also should the dark shadow be larger than 1/3 of the egg?
Thanks so much.

 

[autumnmfisher]

I'm no expert, but I'd wait n see. I just hatched our first ever chicken chicks, and most of them I never saw move, actually only saw two move and only one of those two hatched. 6 out of 10 eggs hatched.
its only day 18,you have 10 days left, that's a lot still.
As for the free floating. I too would think that's a bad sign, but not sure.

 

[MinxFox]

This year it has been hard for me to see inside the egg I have incubating. Mine is a little older than day 18 but I would say free floating doesn't sound so good. Keep smelling the egg and make sure it doesn't smell bad (although the egg I have smelled bad early on but it is alive because it moves and pecks so smell doesn't always tell you if an egg is bad). If you are not worried about it ruining other eggs you could just keep on incubating it. Like I said the egg I have incubating is on day 21 and I never saw distinct veins in it, but I can hear the chick pecking and see the egg move slightly so I know it isn't dead.

Since yours is on day 18 I guess you will know soon enough if it is good or bad.

 

[chick4chix]

Thanks Minxfox and Autumnmfisher! I have experience with chicken eggs- but have never had a peafowl egg before. I have had dark shelled eggs (chickens) that were impossible to see into when candling - thinking nothing was there, then having a chick hatch. With this lone peafowl egg the "free floating" shadow seems ominous, but... I will have patience and wait it out. It doesn't smell, and the air sac has continued to get larger- is that a good sign? I think I'm obsessing - and I also think it's a goner but I'll wait - like you said I still have a ways to go.

I wish I could see in there clearly - it's so hard to see.