Worried My Eggs Have Failed

[Sunnyducks]

I'm nearly at the end of Day 21, and there's no sign of a pip in any of my twelve eggs. I'm not very good at candling, at lockdown I would say most of them didn't have a chick, some I'm not sure about, three I was really hopeful as they looked really dark and full up. They were all like that 3 days earlier. There's no smell. I was sold the eggs by a lovely lady, but they were very dirty. I was probably a bit too timid, just paid up and left She said she's never had a problem and never cleans them. I'd never have been able to get the muck off them tbh, they've got do-do all over them and rock hard. She sells to lots of local people and I've not seen a complaint so I think it must be me. The diet plus speckly eggs was part of the problem not being able to see inside. I've just hatched three ducklings from ducks out of six, but then these aren't ducks! Any thoughts gratefully received

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

21 days is just a guide so there is still hope. Also if your temps have been a little on the low side this can slow hatch down. Have your temps been OK during incubation? What do you have your humidity at right now?

Fingers crossed they are just slow to hatch and you have some action soon

 

[Sunnyducks]

Hi, @Yorkshire Coop

Thank you for the reply. Well, it's 24 hours later, so nearing the end of Day 22 and nothing doing at all. The humidity is (and has been since Day 18) between 65 and 69%. The temperature guage, as far as I can tell, keeps pretty much to what it should be, and whilst I realise things can change, my duck eggs gave me 50% hatch.

I saw something on line about float testing/water candling and I've just had a go - all the eggs bar one, have about 10-15% above the water, which according to the sticky on here, is about right for viable eggs. (The other one is more like 20% above the water but it floats on its side). There is no wiggling whatsoever, they just float. I'm kind of perplexed, because I was convinced that a good number of the eggs are clear or never really progressed.

Best wishes, and thank you!

@JJMR794 Hello, I've taken the liberty of including you in this post, because of your brilliant information on float testing. I just wonder if you may have any thoughts? Best wishes to you and thank you in advance.

 

[Sunnyducks]

Hi @Yorkshire Coop

Just to tell you that I finally have two chicks! They hatched today, midway through day 24! There's a useful lesson for me not to give up on them despite being virtually three days late! Thank you for your encouragement!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

That's fantastic news

Maybe a quick double check that your temps are reading correctly would set your mind at rest just incase it is reading a tad on the low side. Also when you count your days do you count the day you set as day 1 or after a full 24 hours of incubation?

Congrats on your chicks

 

[Sunnyducks]

@Yorkshire Coop

The temperature seems to be ok, I have two thermometers, but it's a cheap unbadged incubator from eBay so no telling how well it copes during the night when the temps outside drop really low. I've brought it back in now, running it empty for a few days and I'll check it all out - I've been able to hold off on the silkie eggs for a few days.

I think (hope) I'm counting the days right - I put these eggs in there at 5pm on a Thursday, so I was counting the end of Day 1 being 5pm Friday.... expected hatch day (Day 21) was therefore from 5pm Wednesday night to 5 pm Thursday - I hope!

Thank you for helping