When do you say when with an egg??

[tbmorgan]

Ok, I have a dilemma...
Last weekend, I hatched out my first ever batch of eggs in my little incubator in my kitchen. I had 9 go to lockdown, and 8 hatched (5 on day 20, and the other 3 on day 21.) Egg #9 has done nothing. I still have it in the bator, because when I candle it, I swear I think I see a pulsing movement every so often...
We are now on day 26 with this egg. Do I risk making a very small peep hole and peeking inside? Even though I can see that the chick has not pipped internally? I would feel really bad if this chick is alive and I wind up killing it because it really just wants to take its sweet time, but on the other hand, what if it needs help? At what point do you intervene? I know it is rare, but sometimes chicks take several days to a week after they are due to hatch. I am not experienced enough at this, especially candling (and this is a brown egg so even harder to see what's going on) and I am not sure if I am imagining things and the chick is even alive.
I guess I'm looking for both advice and moral support here.

Katja

p.s. side note: the other 8 are doing fabulously well! This is a pic that I thought was especially cute:

 

[Granny Hatchet]

8 chicks out of 9 eggs is awesome odds. i wouldnt think the last on is good. sometimes when i look and think i see movement it is the yolk that is moving. did you candle and see a live embryo early on? you could do a pip hole but be aware if its bad of the chance of it exploding . scared me a couple of times. and look at it as an egg autopsy not a rescue mission.

 

[tbmorgan]

Well....I kind of look at it this way, at this point: if it hasn't done anything by day 27, there's a reason. There is no change today. Tomorrow I will be holding a funeral for an egg. I have 8 happy, healthy Peeps in my brooder!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

no, its not going to do anything. you should take it outside and open it so you would know what you were looking at. but if you insist on a funeral , where do i send the flowers? hehe

 

[Veer67]

I have heard of eggs hatching around the 27th day but I don't think it happens often. If you do decide to hold a funeral you should make a pip hole and look inside to see if the chick died for an unknown reason or never formed properly, at least that's what I usually do when an egg doesn't hatch.

 

[tbmorgan]

the chick didn't make it. I made a tiny hole, but there was no sign of life. I buried it in my little pet memorial garden, under a hydrangea. RIP little Peep.

 

[Veer67]

the chick didn't make it. I made a tiny hole, but there was no sign of life. I buried it in my little pet memorial garden, under a hydrangea. RIP little Peep.

Aww, sorry for your loss. But on the bright side 8 out of 9 eggs hatched!

 

[Krischick]

Day 28