Hatching at Day 25

[Es_In_Miami]

Day 25! 3 eggs started pipping. Two have hatched. One is still trying but has not absorbed its yolk sack.

This started with a post about what to do with a delayed hatch. This portion is about the late hatching.
Here's the other thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/slow-developing-eggs.1626954/post-27792063

--Day 23: Candled and saw signs of internal pipping starting.
--Day 24: No real progress. In am increased humidity to 85/90 and increased temp from 99.5 to 101.3. By 9pm Chick #1 pipped internally, #2 and #3 still working on it.
--Day 25: Chicks #1 and #2 pipped through shell but little progress. Lots of chirping. #3 still trying to pip internally.
--Day 26: #1 is out and strong. #2 is out but weak. Both are now in brooder and getting sugar water. Both are drinking. Starter is available. #1 is pecking at food. #2 has perked up with sugar and is up.
#3 is still trying. I can see the egg yolk has not been absorbed.

**I did intervene by chipping away at the outer shell. I should have waited on #3

I'll update as things progress.

 

[Debbie292d]

How's it going?

I always resist helping. It's hard to just walk away and leave them do their thing by themselves, but that's what's best. I like it better just waking up to an incubator full of chicks.

 

[Es_In_Miami]

How's it going?

I always resist helping. It's hard to just walk away and leave them do their thing by themselves, but that's what's best. I like it better just waking up to an incubator full of chicks.

Right. It's so much better when everything goes as it should. No one is satisfied with pancakes when they're baking a cake

 

[Es_In_Miami]

UPDATE

#1 and #2 are doing great

These two were weak. I gave them a few drops of sugar water (1/4 tsp in a cup of water) during the first couple of hours. These little ones were lethargic, most likely due to dehydration and little energy stores due to extended incubation period.

#1, the largest and strongest chick, started standing and moving around as soon I gave him some water. It started feeding and drinking fresh water withn a few hours. #1 is doing GREAT!

#2, the weakest little one was concerning. It had a hard time raising its head but seemed motivated to do so. This little one for now sugar water than #1. It perked up immediately. It took about 8 hrs before it started moving around freely, albeit wobbly. Sugar water was given for the first couple of hours, a few drops at time as it would take it, no forced watering. This one also started feeding on starter and drinking fresh water within a few hours. I did help it drink from the water dish the durst several times. 24 hrs later, #2 is moving,ceating, drinking, pooping - top chick activity

#1 @12hrs already making a mess.

#2 at 24hrs doing great today

#2 @12hrs Still weak but improving.

##1@24hrs Ready to take on the chicken world.

 

[Es_In_Miami]

ABOUT #3 and what not to do

#3 did not make it. I blame myself for sealing this little one's fate. Although it was most probable this little one wouldn't hatch, I intervened too soon. Here's why.

At day 21 the eggs looked like they were at about day 15. As it turns out, that estimate coincided with when these chicks started to hatch. When the chicks started to pip internally, this one was not progressing. Since we were at day 25, the other were progressing but not #3, not knowing enough or finding enough detailed info, I tried to help it. I opened the air sac portion of the egg. There was little mobility and it was dry. It is hard to tell what too low moisture looks like from descriptions. I thought this was low, in hindsight, I believe I was wrong. It was a clean air cell.

I should have stopped here. The incubator humidity was high at 85. Temp was 101.3. Why did this change? I read this encourages late eggs to hatch, it may be true or it might have been hatch time. I can tell you the chicks in the eggs became much more active when I raised temp and humidity. But, I did not.

Believing the chick would die without my help, I started to chip away at the shell. Bad move. There was a lot of vascularity. When it bled, I stopped. But it gets worse. I kept going back.

The chick seemed to be trying to push through the membrane, unsuccessfully. I was afraid it was "shrink wrapped." I opened the membrane. A clear gewy substance was covering the chicks beak. How could it breathe? Yeah, it was egg white it had not yet consumed. Shortly after this I realized this chick had not consumed its yolk. With calmer mind I can tell you it needed another day in the shell. Would it have made it? I don't know. But what I did, I shouldn't have.

Moral of the story? Don't intervene anytime before the chick pips on its own. No matter how stressful, or concerned don't open anything.

#1 may have been able to zip on its own. I did that after it pipped. This chick did the rest itself.

#2 I doubt would have gotten beyond pipping. It was already I obviously lethargic. I also removed shell to alow it to exit. This was not progressing. I removed a little more shell and tilted the chick so gravity would help it exit. It wiggled and made it out. Dropped its head and laid in the incubator, half in, half out of the shell. Once out, a few hours later, #1 and #2 were transferred to a warm brooder at 98 degrees.

Apparently, chicks can hatch quite late. Candle, increase temp and humidity, help as a last resort but not before the break the outer shell. Even then, do the least but possible. Give them a day to do their thing.

Sugar water worked great. Don't do it for too long or at too high a concentration. No more than two hours and a drop at a time.

That's all I have. Sadly, #3 won't get a second chance. I learned a lot from this hatch. I hope it helps someone else avoid making similar errors.

 

[Knobby]

My latest batch is hatching out on day 25 as well. One is successfully hatched out, while 2 more are currently pipping and cracked open a hole in their shells. So tempting to assist them, but letting Mother Nature take it's course.

 

[Es_In_Miami]

My latest batch is hatching out on day 25 as well. One is successfully hatched out, while 2 more are currently pipping and cracked open a hole in their shells. So tempting to assist them, but letting Mother Nature take it's course.

How did this end up?

 

[Es_In_Miami]

Here are the ladies as 2 1/2 months

 

[Knobby]

How did this end up?

Not too well. Both chicks that hatched out didn't make it and I wound up getting rid of the unhatched eggs. Will be looking at other models of incubators before I make another attempt.

 

[Es_In_Miami]

Not too well. Both chicks that hatched out didn't make it and I wound up getting rid of the unhatched eggs. Will be looking at other models of incubators before I make another attempt.

What incubator were you using? I'm sorry they didn't make it.