URGENT PLEASE HELP!! Chicks Haven't Hatched Yet! Day 24!

[chickeneer1-1]

Ohh okay, at what point should i give up and crack the eggs open a little bit to see if theyre still alive.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

IMHO, at no point. They either hatch on their own or they don't.

 

[NatJ]

Ohh okay, at what point should i give up and crack the eggs open a little bit to see if theyre still alive.

Maybe if they start to stink?


https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
This article talks about assisting eggs to hatch, including when to help and when to leave them alone.

But I can't find anything there about how long to wait if the eggs are late because of lower temperatures while they were incubating (like the times your hens were off the nest.)

I don't know how many eggs you have, but if you have multiple eggs and none have pipped yet, then they probably all need more time.

I recently candled my eggs again and saw movement!...Some of the eggs' air membrane isn't there anymore the egg is full with the chick I guess....I can't see any air sac either.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/
This article has pictures of eggs being candled at various stages of development.
By about day 14, the egg is mostly full of chick (but still has a week to go before hatching.) Personally, I don't see much difference in the photos for any day after day 14 or 15.

Depending on how often you were candling, and when you first saw that the chicks were filling the entire egg, you might be able to guess how many more days they need.

I'm a little concerned that you can't see the air sac-- it should be an empty space at the big end of the egg, fairly easy to see if you shine the light in that end.

 

[chickeneer1-1]

Update: our first chick just hatched! Thank you all for your amazing help!!

 

[coach723]

That's awesome! Congrats! You've been given great advice, sometimes the hardest thing to do is wait.

 

[chickeneer1-1]

That's awesome! Congrats! You've been given great advice, sometimes the hardest thing to do is wait.

I know! It really is hard! Thank you!

 

[chickeneer1-1]

Should I give it some water?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I know! It really is hard! Thank you!

Congratulations. That's good news. Just sit on your hands. They hatch or they don't. Once you get to the end of incubation. All the difference you can make is long past. The only thing left is assistance and that rarely goes well for me.

 

[-Flash-]

Should I give it some water?

Wait until it is fluffed out, and leave it in the incubator for 24 hours. It won't need to eat or drink for that long because it has absorbed all the egg yolk.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Theoretically, they don't have to eat or drink for a couple days. But the sooner they eat the better.
Usually people wait till all are out of the shell but you still have to play it by ear.