Should I give up on this egg? *Pictures*

[msiler]

Ok so, I have had a lot of trouble with my incubator but long story short I got the egg to lockdown, it was moving before I locked down. Now today is approaching the end of Day 24 and I have seen no pip.

-How do you tell if it has pipped internally?

I have had to open the incubator a couple times to change the sponges to keep the humidity in the high 60s to 70s, which I know can prolong.

-The air cell seems to be getting bigger and bigger, which I know could be drawdown, but could it also be the chick decomposing or something?
- Can you try an assisted hatch if the chick hasn't cracked the shell? I don't want to wait too long and the chick dies... but I don't want to kill it if I try to help it either.
-When should I give up, and perform an egg-autopsy?

This is my first hatch and only 1 of 6 eggs has made it to lock down, I really really want it to hatch!

 

[msiler]

Here are some pictures... for reference this is a Silkie egg.

I am concerned with the size of the air cell....

A view from the side.

One side of the egg, base side up

Another side of the egg, base side up

Yet another side of the egg shot, base up

Another egg lying flat shot, like photo #1

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

If you don't see movement or hear noise (scratching, tapping or peeping) when held up to your ear I'd guess it's probably gone I'm so sorry about that. No idea what went wrong unless you open the egg.

 

[Clucking Lovely]

That air cell does look pretty big but i would give it another day and leave it alone.

 

[BYCforlife]

You should be able to tell if the chick has internally pipped by looking to see if its head is in the air cell area. The air cell is abnormally large on that egg, but I would wait until day 26 at most before throwing it out.

 

[msiler]

I guess at this point I kind of excepted it... I noticed the air cell growing when it should have been getting smaller and I wasn't too sure. When I candled it, I could see a faint outline of something in the air cell, so maybe it tried to pip but something went wrong? Incubating sure is tricky... I will give it until Monday night like @BYCforlife said at most before taking a peek. And I definitley didn't hear any noises either...

 

[cmom]

What kind of incubator are you using?

 

[msiler]

What kind of incubator are you using?

Brinsea Mini Advance 2... I bought it used for a good price but now I kind of wish I hadn't. I have to keep a sponge and a wet towel in there to keep the humidity elevated at 70%, and a whole sponge when it was around 45%. Both the water chambers were filled to the max too! It also at least 3 times a day sounds the alarm that the outside room temperature is to low to maintain proper inside temperature, which is ridiculous because it is inside my house!
Tomorrow I am going to give Brinsea a call.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Whoa, that's a LOT of extras to add for such a tiny incubator. Makes me think the sensor is way off. Hopefully the second go around is more successful.

 

[msiler]

Whoa, that's a LOT of extras to add for such a tiny incubator. Makes me think the sensor is way off. Hopefully the second go around is more successful.

I know! What sensor are you talking about though?