I have a possibly fertile chicken egg. I've read and been told its normal for the chick to be late, it's been 4 days since the egg was due to hatch.
I don't know the date the egg was laid so I don't know weather its late or not.
I can hear movement in the egg but I haven't seen any exteral pipping. I'm starting to get concerned about it, has anyone ever had a scenario similar to mine? If so can anyone give me any advice?
No jokes or wisecracks allowed.
If anyone has ever owned or had any experience with chickens please answer!
thanks!
2006-07-18 13:30:38 · 9 answers · asked by Checkers- the -Wolf 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
I've been keeping it warm myself in a homemade incubator.
2006-07-18 14:03:39 · update #1
I usually keep my eggs in the incubator an extra week after the intended hatch day. If it doesn't hatch after that time, the egg's probably dead. This happens with my quail eggs all the time >.< . If there's still movement, I'd say the egg is still good, especially if you've been constantly watching for life.
2006-07-18 18:19:19 · answer #1 · answered by white_ravens_white_crows 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Give it a few more days, but there is nothing you can do if anything has gone wrong. It is really rare for someone to successfully incubate their first egg in a homemade incubator. There is so much that can go wrong. Temp to high or to low, humidity the same. You turned it to much or not enough. It was handled roughly at some point before you got it. There was just something wrong with the chick. Lots of eggs don't hatch under the best conditions... You did a good job, but it may not be to be... I am sorry but give it a few more days, it may suprise you yet.
In the mean time if you are interested in tring again you can try www.eggbid.com or you can try ebay and type in "hatching egg."
Good luck and don't let this discourage you.
2006-07-21 00:06:26 · answer #2 · answered by heather k 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you "candled" the egg? Hold it arms length away up to a lightbulb in a dark room - if there is a chick in there, you might be able to see the outline, or the egg will not have the light go through the shell. If no chick, it looks kind of orangey...
Chicken eggs hatch after ~21 days - so you might want to see if it has been over that time since you found it. Wait ~ 21 days from the date you found it...if it doesn't hatch a few days after that, there is probably not a viable embryo. They will get out of there by themselves...though helping a bit after they start might not be a bad idea if it is having problems. They have a special "tooth-like" structure on their beak to help them break out...
This site says not to handle egg three days before hatching though! Is mom incubating??? If not, and you aren't - it probably won't hatch...
2006-07-18 13:32:24 · answer #3 · answered by dvm2b 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
is the shell darker then when you first got it? Leave it alone and keep it warm as you have been but remember, it does need air. Yes, chicks can hatch late. Don't touch till the Chickie is standing and fully fluffed. Since you are not sure of the date it was laid but you are hearing movement it should be fine. Patience is hard when you are wanting to see what has been hiding. Do you know what kinda chicken it is? What color is the shell? Every breed has a different hatching cycle. Everything will be fine. Do you have a place to keep the chicken? I can give you more details for care but need more info from you
2006-07-18 14:15:42 · answer #4 · answered by MotherNature 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has the mother been keeping the egg warm? Or have you kept it warm? If not, it has probably not survived.
I don't actually have experience with chickens, but we breed birds and usually if the hen has abandoned the egg, we find that it's instinct that something was not right with it.
You can help the egg hatch a little, and then see if the chick can do the rest on it's own, but you need to be positive that it is due or overdue rather than too early.
2006-07-18 13:37:05 · answer #5 · answered by kezzafazza 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Husband grew up on farm and provides a confident answer...
Use the tip of a ballpoint pen to very carefully poke a hole through the side of the egg and pull little pieces of shell away to make a hole big enough that the pen could fit in it. Put the egg back in the incubator or wherever you're keeping it warm with the hole side up. If the chick is ready, this will aid its escape. If it is not ready, you won't have done any harm.
Rebecca
http://www.ipowergrfx.com
2006-07-18 14:06:28 · answer #6 · answered by Rebecca 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think, if im not mistakin, and my memory from 2nd grade is correct, i think it takes 30 days for eggs to hatch...they're so cute
2006-07-18 13:35:21 · answer #7 · answered by agalicktourq 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
unless you've been keeping it in a warmer or something to keep it at the right temp. it's probably dead........
2006-07-18 13:32:44 · answer #8 · answered by Kryztal 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to the vet they will know
2006-07-18 13:33:53 · answer #9 · answered by BJM500 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋