18 chicken eggs in a incubator...

Question

we have 18 eggs in an incubator they are at day 18 today, and 2 have hatched during the night, there healthy and normal, no budge from the other 16 though, will they hatch at the usual 21 days?

Thanks

:-)

Answer 1

I would give the remaining eggs another few days, right up to about day 22 before I would say they are not going to hatch.

One way to check to the viability of the egg at this stage is to float it in warm water.  I take a small bowl or cup, fill it halfway with water warm to the touch but not hot and put the egg in the water.  The water must be deep enough for the egg to float. If the chick is preparing to hatch, the egg will bob up and down in the water, moving around.  If the egg is settled in the water and is still not moving, I wouldn't dismiss it right away but my experience has shown me that those eggs often will not hatch.  The extra humidity from floating the eggs never hurts either...

I know this sounds like a strange question but are you sure they are chicken eggs?  I recently bought an assortment of eggs on eBay and some smaller eggs were labeled bantam eggs when they were really guinea eggs.  Guinea eggs take an additional week to hatch so I left the mislabeled eggs in the incubator and sure enough, the chicks hatched at around 28 days.

Do not be surprised or disappointed if not all of your eggs hatch.  Even under the best circumstances, sometimes your eggs were infertile to begin with.

Edit:

I read the post saying not to float them but the poster never said why.  Candling an egg (that is the holding it up to a flashlight) can tell you if the egg was ever fertile but unless you see a blood ring (a very obvious red ring encircling the entire girth of the egg) which is indicative of an early embryonic death, you won't be able to check viability of the chick so late in the incubation phase.

You do want to make sure you don't float pipped eggs - that can result in the chick drowning but as long as you inspect the egg carefully before you float it, you will be fine.

I've been hatching eggs for years - Chickens, guineas, turkeys and peafowl... as well as cockatiels and even valuable parrot eggs.  It will not be at all damaging to your eggs.

Answer 2

d**n, "18 chicken eggs in an incubator..." sounded like the start of a really good joke

Answer 3

I wouldn't panic at this point. And have to agree with the post that mentioned the guinea eggs, I had never heard of the float test before (thanks for the information) We have left ours in for up to a week past hatch time also. I watch for cracking in the egg and sometimes hold them to my ear and can hear them inside the egg.  I have made the mistake far to often to panic about eggs not being fertile only to find out later that little ones where inside.  

Answer 4

DO NOT float them in water.  Chicken eggs can hatch up to the 23rd day.  I have even had some hatch at 24 days.  A lot depends on the temperature inside the incubator and the humidity.  Leave the eggs inside the incubator for a few more days.  If you want to know if they have a chick inside, hold it up to a strong flashlight in a dark room.  A chick inside will show up very dark, and airspace in the end of the egg will be very small.  No chick inside, the light will go through the egg and look sort of translucent.  There will also be a sizeable air space. The chicks that have already hatched can survive a day or two and should be kept in the incubator during that time.

Answer 5

They probably will all going well

Just wondering did you candle them at any stage to see if they were actually fertile?  

I am assuming you are talking about chicken eggs?

btw Just so as you know eggs do not always hatch on the  "21st" day some eggs hatch a day or two before in your case the 18th where  as some might not hatch until the 25th  day of incubation

also generally speaking bantam eggs have a tendency to come out around the 18th/19th day because they are smaller, have less growing to do and less yolk to  be absorbed =)

so this might be the case with yours

a few bantam eggs and the rest normal hen eggs

anyway as it is the only the 18 th day you should candle them just to see if there are chicks in the eggs so then you will know if any are going to hatch or not.

If there is nothing in the eggs. .  and have a liquid like sound to them

(NEVER shake them) then they are rotten and you should dump them.

If there are chicks in the eggs however just leave and monitor progress until they hatch =)

also after 48 hours or so off the 2 new born chicks being in the incubator you will have to take them out

(whether the  others have started to hatch or not) and put them in a brooder or  a box with a heat lamp and give them their first meal and keep them warm.

Good Luck =)