When to call it quits? Hatching problems

[Bethend]

I'm fretting over this egg, which has been slowly splitting open over the last two days. I don't know were to call this one dead or wait and see. The eggs would be hatching now or any day now, and while there' no progress there's also no sign of anything that would overtly signal death, like a change in colour or a funny smell... so my wife says wait.

How do you know when it's time to give up for good? Or, how would I be able to confirm that a chick is still alive?

 

[aart]

Is chick moving?
You should be able to see beak moving.
What kind of eggs...and incubator?
Info on temps, humidity levels, air cell growth during incubation would help

Here's the best assisting article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Bethend]

This is my first time incubating. I jerryrigged an emergency incubator in the kitchen cupboard, after two hens started fighting over brooding the eggs and some got broken
I followed instructions I found online, but I don't have any temp or monitoring equipment. I was going to buy a purpose built incubator, but the eggs continued to develop normally so I decided not to mess around with something that was working.
As I said, this is my first time and we set up in the literal middle of the night (the fighting hens were so loud we coudl hear them from the house. There was blood drawn, so the safest option was to seperate them and remove the objects of dispute completely. Once there wasn't a nest to feud over, they both went back to normal and are doing fine now).
The eggs are hybrids, pekin rooster and thuringian bantam hen. There is no pip, I can't see any movement except that the crack slowly widens. If I hold the egg to my ear, I can hear crackles but it is hard to tell - I have a toddler, this is not a house with complete silence.

 

[aart]

Crackles could be wet breathing....might want to check out the assisting article I linked.

 

[chickens really]

Hmm? Too me it's not too promising at all. Humpidity isn't available and being crushed like that I'm thinking it died.

 

[casportpony]

Do read the article that @aart posted a link too, it's a good one. @Pyxis and @WVduckchick might have some suggestions too.

 

[WVduckchick]

How many days had the hens been on the eggs?

Looks like pretty large cracks, so I would expect you should be able to see some movement, even just from the chick breathing.
Also, if they were dead and not moving, I would expect the membrane to look brown and dry out, and I’m not seeing that in the pics, so be sure to watch for that.

It also appears that they might not have enough support to give them the leverage required to zip the shell, so you may likely have to help if you see them struggling to get out and making lots of noise.

Also be sure to keep your nose open to notice any putrid odor if they happen to be rotting. Let’s hope not, but anything is possible. Whatever caused the hens to fight and break them, is anyone’s guess.