Scared

[luv2snugl]

I have an egg in incubator and it's my very first egg. Yesterday was day 20 and I heard it chirp for the very first time. I only heard it the one time and I have not heard it since. Today is day 21 and I still hear nothing and I see no signs of it trying to break out. I'm so afraid that my little baby has died. Does anybody know if it can take longer than 21 days and if they stop with their little chirping before they come out of their shell. I made the mistake of bringing my for little granddaughters over to stay the night last night so they could watch the baby hatch. They are so excited and I don't want to break their little hearts. Does anybody have any good news for me please oh please oh please

 

[luv2snugl]

Nope, it just sat there. I I think I will just leave it for 3 or 4 days and see if maybe we get lucky enough to have a baby chicken. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to try and help a complete stranger with her baby chickens. I do greatly appreciate it and I will let you know if we happen to Get Lucky and have a baby in the next couple days

 

[BullChick]

I would absolutely love to set some more. Is it okay to do it since winter is coming? I don't think I could take any more heartbreak. We had planned on keeping them in the house for a couple months after they hatch but that'll put them into about December or January and it'll be super cold outside. Gosh I can't even think right now I just keep hearing that poor little Peep Peep Peep that I heard a couple days ago. I sure wish that little thing could have lived. I don't know why I'm so attached to a chicken that wasn't even born but the tears won't stop.

To be honest, you don't need to baby them as much as you think. If you put eggs in the incubator within the next week, there should be no problem putting them outside around three or four weeks without heat. I'm not kidding. Eight weeks is not really necessary. That is when they will be fully feathered if you keep them in the house and warm. My broody raised babies are already feathering out because they are outside even at night when it's cool. This past year I was able to get away with putting babies outside as young as a week without heat. Earlier in the year, I had babies outside at three weeks without heat. It even snowed! I won't tell you that all birds will be happy about it. You aren't going to sleep well with them outside anyway, so you may as well check on them. There is a difference between an occasional peep, and a desperate screaming peep. Just like with human babies, you will probably know the difference between something is wrong, and they are just unhappy.
I am on mobile right now, but I thought you were from Washington. I have been there several times, and I am aware of your weather. I really do think that it will be okay.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Lol, if you need help we'll be here and link to the info you need on the incu thread but if you log on from a computer the 'notes' are linked in my signature which is in all my posts and you can always pm (private message) someone if you want a direct contact

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I have an egg in incubator and it's my very first egg. Yesterday was day 20 and I heard it chirp for the very first time. I only heard it the one time and I have not heard it since. Today is day 21 and I still hear nothing and I see no signs of it trying to break out. I'm so afraid that my little baby has died. Does anybody know if it can take longer than 21 days and if they stop with their little chirping before they come out of their shell. I made the mistake of bringing my for little granddaughters over to stay the night last night so they could watch the baby hatch. They are so excited and I don't want to break their little hearts. Does anybody have any good news for me please oh please oh please

Welcome to BYC,

It can take longer than 21, how are your temp and humidity? what incubator are you using?
What kind of egg?

 

[luv2snugl]

Thank you the incubator I have is the Little Giant... everytime I check the incubator over the last 3 weeks it's been at 99.5 degrees... the humidity's been at 68%... And I'm not sure what kind of chicken it is. I'm not sure what kind any of my chickens are to be honest. My hand that I bought I bought from an auction that was for Slaughter. It broke my heart to see that poor little hen up on that auction table. We also have three roosters that she has been in contact with. We have 5 other hens that we bought from a Farm Store but they are still too young to lay eggs. My little lucy is the only one laying eggs.

 

[luv2snugl]

The incubator I have is the Little Giant. The temperature has remained at a constant 99.5 and the humidity has been at 68% for the last few days. I'm not sure what kind of chicken she is We rescued her from a Slaughter auction. We have three roosters of which I don't know what two of them are but one of them is a silky. The roosters and hens were rescued from the slaughter auction.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

did you calibrate your thermometer or your hygrometer?
do you have heatsinks in the bottom? (rocks/pebbles) to help with temperature swings?
has your humidity been the same the entire time?
usually (dependent on breed and location) people run around 35% to d18, then go up to 65% at d19

 

[kysilkies]

We constantly run cross checks on our gauges.

 

[luv2snugl]

I have a humidity and temperature gauge inside the incubator as well as the one that comes on the outside of the incubator they both read the same except the inside humidity thingy says that the humidity is 1 - 2% higher than the gauge on the actual incubator itself. I just bumped it to 68% humidity 2 days ago. I think this chicken egg hatching is more stressful then my pregnancy days way back when