While I was away from home my incubator was turned off overnight and in the morning it was subsequently turned up. I came home to find the temp was 105 F! This was around day 12 of incubation. I was pretty sure I'd lost them all but I got the temp and humidity back to where they should be and thought it couldn't hurt to let the eggs stay for their full time just in case. (I'm never leaving the house again when I have hatching eggs!) On the 20th day I had one hatch! He is healthy and happy now, but today is the 26th day and I noticed that one of the eggs was cracked. It wasn't a pip mark, rather it looked like it was shattered. Inside was a nearly fully developed chick. It wasn't moving and may have been dead but it appeared to be only recently so because it was neither stiff or cold as with the in-shells deaths I've had in the past. The yolk hadn't been completely absorbed but was close. I removed the egg and found that the two beside it were cemented onto the turner. Removing them broke them and one was infertile while the other held a warm, pliable chick just like the first. I quickly cleaned the turner and closed up the bator. Now temp and humidity are still good but I was wondering when to give up. I know eggs are supposed to hatch around day 21 but that they sometimes can take longer. What is the longest I should leave them in the incubator before I throw in the towel and throw out the eggs? I can't bear the thought of killing more babies that might still hatch!
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