My eggs are at 21 days, nobody is hatching out.I had 1 chick hatch out last week from a different batch. It was 2 days late. I turned the eggs 4 x aday and kept temp at 100. CAN I CRACK THE EGGS? and help chicks ot if they are alive? Thanks

-- Davenport (dhomestead@webtv.net), July 03, 2001

Answers

I would leave them for a couple of more days before doing anything. Sometimes they will hatch a few days late even if you have the temperature just right. If you were turning them 4 times a day, you would have lost a lot of heat each time you opened to turn them & that may throw them off a few days. I only turned mine twice a day & had a pretty good hatch rate. Out of 24 ducks, 18 hatched, & out of 14 turkeys, 9 hatched. I also had 1 lone chicken hatch. The rest of the eggs had no baby in them when I cracked them open today. If a chick is in it, they'll come out sooner or later. If you crack them open before they're ready to hatch, they will die. Also, when they do start hatching, do not open the incubator until the hatch is done or you lose the warm humid air. Babies can live up to 48 hours without food/water. Good luck! :-)

-- Wendy (weiskids@yahoo.com), July 03, 2001.

I think wendy gave good advice. I got a better hatch rate just turning twice a day. The less we open the incubator the better. I have had late hatches and I think it was because I was lossing heat too often. Also, did you check the batch last time??? Were the unhatched ones developed at all?? What is your rooster to hen ratio?? Perhaps your rooster isn't covering all the hens and you are trying to hatch unfertilized eggs.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 03, 2001.

My incubator chart says never to turn the eggs an even number of times because they lay on the same side over night. If you turn 4 times a day then they always lay on the same side at night always turn an uneven number of times. I have used this method with success are you adding humidity? (shallow bowl or pan of water in the bottom of incubator?) The eggs should not touch the water. Can a chicken count? No Do they hatch eggs? yes Go figure. Sometimes I will have a chick not hatch with the rest of the batch and every time that chick dies. Was it too weak to get out on it's own? probably. But I can't help trying. Linda in Indy

-- Linda in Indy (freeinindy@yahoo.com), July 04, 2001.

I did a lot of clutches under hens/ducks this year and had my husband build me a candler (a device that you can look through the shell and see the chick or lack of chicks). I think you could make one easily with a light in a shoe box by cutting a 2" diameter hole in it. If you want more info on this e-mail me directly. Also there may be more information in the past posts.

-- Emily in central Ky. (BellyAcresFarm@kyk.net), July 04, 2001.

I had a chick on a relatively large nest . 14 eggs hatched when she left the nest.leaving 5 eggs un hatched. I did help the chicks out of the eggs . they were not ready to come out they were not complete the yolk sac was still attached. I put the babies under a infared heat lamp . The chicks were not able to get up or move they looked as if they were dead. 24 hours later they were dry and ready to assume a normal life with the mother. The sac quickly shrunk up. All made it but one . I called it the preeme ward .lol

-- paul miller (millerclan@alltel.net), July 08, 2001.

Have you tried to see if the eggs were doing okay by looking at them over a flashlight,yet?just try one,but if it still has a yolkbag hanging from it quickly stick under a heatlamp then the yolk will shrivel up.the chick will be dry and full energy.Good Luck Tell me if they hatched if you can use my e-mail address.

-- Shannon Schneider (jvbsl@cableone.net), April 08, 2002.