Bantam eggs are not ready to hatch on day 18? HELP! !

[SilkieGirl 1]

I need some help! I started incubating bantam eggs on the 15 of March. I counted 21 days and they are said to hatch on the 4th of April. Today (the 2nd) was the day I am suppose to stop turning for them to hatch. But when I candled the eggs, I can still see blood vessels and the egg is not filled up all the way. What do I do? Should I just keep turning a day or so longer or should I go on lock down???

This is a picture of one of the Bantam eggs today. Should I go into lock down?



Sorry this one is not good quality...

I really would like some advice. This is my second time trying to hatch eggs in a Hova-bator, and I am feeling great about this time hatching! Until today...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are all the eggs like that? What it looks like to me is that the egg stopped developing during the first week. If the egg is not mostly dark with the air cell clearly visible at 18 days there is no use to put it into lockdown. That egg will not hatch.

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s a link to candling pictures in the Learning Center above so you can maybe better tell when that egg stopped developing.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs

And here are links to troubleshooting articles so you can see what might have caused the eggs to stop developing at that age.

Mississippi State Incubation Troubleshooting
http://extension.msstate.edu/content/trouble-shooting-failures-egg-incubation

Illinois Incubation troubleshooting
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res24-00.html

For what it’s worth you are counting the days correctly. I use a Hovabator 1588, should have some pip and hatch today. It holds the temperature really steady, but did you have some kind of temperature upset during the first week?

A second thought probably not in those troubleshooting guides. Have you calibrated your thermometer so you know the temperature is pretty close to what it should be? I never trust any thermometer for incubation without it being calibrated, too many of them just aren’t set right. If your temperature is off far enough I could see the eggs getting that far and them just quitting.

I really hope that is just one egg and not all.

 

[SilkieGirl 1]

All of the eggs are sorta like that, everything is black but just on the top there is blood vessels that you can see. But in ALL the eggs, you can see the chick moving. There are a few eggs that have little patches in the middle of them that show light like the picture below.



But even this egg has movement inside..

@Ridgerunner

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you can see chicks moving, put them in lockdown mow and get ready for a good experience.

 

[SilkieGirl 1]

Thanks for the help! I do appreciate it! I was just very concerned

 

[Christine04]

Hi, I know this is an old post but just wondering how your hatch turned out? Did you still lock down on day 18?, I'm asking as I've currently got bantam eggs due to be locked down tomorrow and they look just like yours did, not quite full and blood vessels still visible around the top. Thank you

 

[Krisitne]

Hi, I know this is an old post but just wondering how your hatch turned out? Did you still lock down on day 18?, I'm asking as I've currently got bantam eggs due to be locked down tomorrow and they look just like yours did, not quite full and blood vessels still visible around the top. Thank you

Mine look like that too. Did you have any luck with yours hatching?

 

[Christine04]

Mine look like that too. Did you have any luck with yours hatching?

Yes! I still locked my down on day 18 and all but 2 hatched, it did take up to day 26 for the last to hatch tho, fingers crossed for yours

 

[Krisitne]

That’s awesome and thank u for the reply!