Worst case scenario with continued incubation of infertile eggs?

[jensaisquoi]

Neurotic first time hatching chicken lady again...Hi...

What's the worst that can happen if I leave my "maybes" in the incubator? As this was my first time candling eggs and I wasn't totally sure what I was seeing, I left many that were probably "nopes" in the incubator just for the sake of not wanting to be wrong. Now, at Day 22, I'm literally having nightmares that one bunk one explodes and somehow bacteria harm the potential hatchers...

What's the right thing to do?

Thanks,

Jen

 

[twigg]

Quote:
It's a small risk.

At day 22 they should have hatched .... did you have some problems?

I would hang on now, and leave them another couple of days. After that there is little hope.

If they don't hatch, you might want to open them and tell us what you find. This isn't a job for the squeamish, but does provide invaluable info.

 

[jensaisquoi]

Well I didn't really have any problems that I'm aware of...I didn't expect high fertility b/c some eggs had been given to a neighbor who'd refrigerated them, so it was a long shot...as I said in another post, they were the eggs I'd gathered from the day my Dellies died in a fire. I just kept the temps around a hundred and the humidity up around 50 % until day 18 when I added some sponges and brought it to about 70, took them off the turner which dropped my temps a few degrees for about a day...I saw moving embryos around Day 8...even in one of the 'fridged eggs.. so yeah I don't know...I'm getting posts from people who've hatched at Day 25 so I'm hanging in there...But yes I'll probably do some investigation (candling first) after around Day 27, I guess, and be sure to pass on any info...ugh.


best
jen

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
When you say "around 100," how close to 100 was it? Were there big swings? When it dropped a "few degrees," how far did it actually drop? Are you using an accurate thermometer and hygrometer? Is it a still air incubator? If so, where was the thermometer located?

 

[jensaisquoi]

Thanks Jody:

Pretty much between 99.5 and 100 measured on three diff thermometers...when it dropped it went probably two degrees at most, so no big swings... It is a still air and the thermometers are level with the eggs. not sure if hygrometer is accurate, but I have some condensation now on my bator windows...

Best

Jen

 

[horsejody]

In a still air incubator, the temperature at the level of the top of the eggs should be about 102. The temp at the mid level of the eggs will be about 100, and the temp at the bottom of the eggs will be a little less.

 

[jensaisquoi]

Thanks, Jody
So should I crank it a bit? There's so many different inputs on the subject; it's really very confusing. This has been the temp I've kept them on for the last three weeks and they were developing-does the lower temp just slow them down? or make them weak? I keep meeting people who tell me about their 25 to 27 day hatches...I don't know how they are so PATIENT?!


Best

Jen

 

[Tuffoldhen]

No you don't want to crank up the temps at this stage. If the temps were off the chicks might hatch out late. Cranking up the temps will just kill them. You want a low temps rather than high this late in the game. Patience, they may fool you I have had chicks hatch out on day 25 from lower temps then I should have had when I first started hatching chicks.

 

[Akane]

I wouldn't try to change it now. You could end up making it too high. Too low is safer than too high. They'll just hatch a day or 2 late if it's too low. Too high kills them quick. At this point it's best just to wait and see what happens. Just keep an eye on the humidity. I don't let mine much over 70 or they risk drowning and when one does start to hatch it will spike the humidity. I usually keep it 60-65 and when they start to hatch it will jump up near 70. You can pull a vent plug if it gets too high.

 

[jensaisquoi]

Thank you, O' Chicken Guardians and My Tenuous Connections to Sanity!

I will leave it alone. Is it normal that I see NO movement in there; No sounds--just total stillness, taunting me? Just wondering.

Thanks again,

Jen