Should I give up?

[janebonbon]

First time incubating chicken eggs. I had 4 multi-hour power outages during the first 18 days, but kept the incubator insulated with styrofoam, and it didn’t lose very much heat. I had 2/12 pip on day 20 and hatch on day 21. When I candled them before lockdown everything looked good, I could see a good air pocket, and vessels, etc.

My question is: it’s almost end of day on day 22. Do I give up on the other eggs that didn’t pip?

 

[Weeg]

I would candle them and see what you see. Did you check the bator with a separate calibrated thermometer and hygrometer before incubating?
Post candling photos here and we may be able to help.

 

[janebonbon]

I would candle them and see what you see. Did you check the bator with a separate calibrated thermometer and hygrometer before incubating?
Post candling photos here and we may be able to help.

Hi! I used a digital thermometer and hygrometer placed inside during lockdown to make sure the humidity stayed consistent. Whenever I tested it during the first 18 it was within range as well.
I’ll candle tonight and post what I find.

 

[BelovedBirds]

First time incubating chicken eggs. I had 4 multi-hour power outages during the first 18 days, but kept the incubator insulated with styrofoam, and it didn’t lose very much heat. I had 2/12 pip on day 20 and hatch on day 21. When I candled them before lockdown everything looked good, I could see a good air pocket, and vessels, etc.

My question is: it’s almost end of day on day 22. Do I give up on the other eggs that didn’t pip?

Don't throw them out without checking, it's not uncommon for eggs to hatch on day 22- I would candle each egg, carefully, looking for movement. They probably just need more time.

 

[Weeg]

Hi! I used a digital thermometer and hygrometer placed inside during lockdown to make sure the humidity stayed consistent. Whenever I tested it during the first 18 it was within range as well.
I’ll candle tonight and post what I find.

Thats good, did you calibrate the gauges before? Since it was reading correct it leads me to believe the bator is probably accurate enough. Like mentioned, its not uncommon for chicks to hatch a bit late. Its possible that your bator had a warm or cold spot, or was running slightly colder than you though, possibly because of the power outages.

 

[Tonyroo]

Cool moments during 1- 18 days delays the growth process of the eggs.

It's not uncommon to have late hatches due to the circumstances.
But definitely candle them to see what's going on.

Also not all incubators heat evenly, most of the time you will always have cool and warm spots.

 

[Ridgerunner]

HI, welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.

First time incubating chicken eggs. I had 4 multi-hour power outages during the first 18 days, but kept the incubator insulated with styrofoam, and it didn’t lose very much heat.

I don't know how long those outages lasted or how cool the eggs actually got, but some of my broody hens leave their eggs for over an hour each day, occasionally twice a day. Brinsea markets an incubator where you can program in letting the eggs cool some each day, they say it helps. The studies they linked was mostly geese, not chickens, but the principle should still be the same. There are many stories on here where eggs were left to cool for several hours and the eggs were still fine. I had a broody hen do that once, she was off most of the day one day and still hatched 11 of 11 eggs. It is not something that you want to happen but it's usually not catastrophic.

I had 2/12 pip on day 20 and hatch on day 21. When I candled them before lockdown everything looked good, I could see a good air pocket, and vessels, etc.

Did you count the days right? That's a real common mistake on here. An egg does not have a day's worth of incubation when it goes into the incubator. It tales 24 hours before you should say "1" when you start counting. An easy way to check your counting is that the day of the week you set them is the day or the week the 21 days are up. If they went in the incubator on a Monday, the 21 days is up on a Monday.

Not all eggs hatch at 21 days anyway. For many different reasons an egg might hatch two days early or late. That could be due to heredity, humidity, how and how long the eggs were stored before incubation started, or just differences in the eggs. If the average incubator temperature is warmer they can be early, cool and they can be late. Many different reasons they can be early or late.

My question is: it’s almost end of day on day 22. Do I give up on the other eggs that didn’t pip?

No, not yet. Some of my hatches, broody hen or incubator, are over less than 24 hours after the first one hatches. I like those. I've had some drag out more than 48 hours. These are nerve wracking. One incubator hatch I had one hatch late in the day. It took about 24 hours for another to external pip, that was just before I went to bed. Not hatch, just pip. When I woke up the next morning there were 16 new chicks in there. Patience can be your friend.

I hesitate to mention this because some people reading it think it can be helpful or fun to do earlier in incubation. I consider it a last minute desperation move just before you toss the eggs, not something to do for fun. It's a float test. Only do this if the egg has not pipped. No holes in the egg.

If you place an egg in a bowl of water that has incubated for three weeks, it should float because it has lost so much moisture. If a live chick is in the egg that late in incubation the egg should wiggle in the water so put it back in the incubator. If it does not wiggle this late in incubation there is not a live chick in there. That might make you feel better abut tossing the eggs. I'd probably wait another two days before I tried this.

Good luck and once again,

 

[BelovedBirds]

HI, welcome to the forum. Glad you joined.


I don't know how long those outages lasted or how cool the eggs actually got, but some of my broody hens leave their eggs for over an hour each day, occasionally twice a day. Brinsea markets an incubator where you can program in letting the eggs cool some each day, they say it helps. The studies they linked was mostly geese, not chickens, but the principle should still be the same. There are many stories on here where eggs were left to cool for several hours and the eggs were still fine. I had a broody hen do that once, she was off most of the day one day and still hatched 11 of 11 eggs. It is not something that you want to happen but it's usually not catastrophic.


Did you count the days right? That's a real common mistake on here. An egg does not have a day's worth of incubation when it goes into the incubator. It tales 24 hours before you should say "1" when you start counting. An easy way to check your counting is that the day of the week you set them is the day or the week the 21 days are up. If they went in the incubator on a Monday, the 21 days is up on a Monday.

Not all eggs hatch at 21 days anyway. For many different reasons an egg might hatch two days early or late. That could be due to heredity, humidity, how and how long the eggs were stored before incubation started, or just differences in the eggs. If the average incubator temperature is warmer they can be early, cool and they can be late. Many different reasons they can be early or late.


No, not yet. Some of my hatches, broody hen or incubator, are over less than 24 hours after the first one hatches. I like those. I've had some drag out more than 48 hours. These are nerve wracking. One incubator hatch I had one hatch late in the day. It took about 24 hours for another to external pip, that was just before I went to bed. Not hatch, just pip. When I woke up the next morning there were 16 new chicks in there. Patience can be your friend.

I hesitate to mention this because some people reading it think it can be helpful or fun to do earlier in incubation. I consider it a last minute desperation move just before you toss the eggs, not something to do for fun. It's a float test. Only do this if the egg has not pipped. No holes in the egg.

If you place an egg in a bowl of water that has incubated for three weeks, it should float because it has lost so much moisture. If a live chick is in the egg that late in incubation the egg should wiggle in the water so put it back in the incubator. If it does not wiggle this late in incubation there is not a live chick in there. That might make you feel better abut tossing the eggs. I'd probably wait another two days before I tried this.

Good luck and once again,

I'm curious since I've never actually float tested eggs before, but is it possible to mistake a sleeping chick for a deceased one- or would there still be some movement during it? Just curious, wouldn't want OP to throw out living eggs!

 

[janebonbon]

I would candle them and see what you see. Did you check the bator with a separate calibrated thermometer and hygrometer before incubating?
Post candling photos here and we may be able to help.

 

[janebonbon]

Those are the ones that still appear viable with clear air pockets. I saw one of them move while candling as well.