# Day 22 and nothing



## chickenmommy

Hatch day has come and gone once again and no babies  I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I just candeled the eggs after the incubator being closed since day 18 and they are all still moving around. I'm keeping the temp at 100. I have the water reservoir slits filled with water. I am so bummed right now. I'm hoping they hatch tomorrow


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## robin416

If you're seeing movement then your thermo is way off. I've said it before, one of the most important things for successful hatching a really good thermo. 

I can recommend the GQF digital, I had two of them. I also have a Fluckers digital that does both humidity and temp. Any good reptile thermo would work, that's what the Fluckers is. 

Don't depend on mineral spirit thermos, you know the ones with the red? I have yet to see one that is dependable. My high dollar incubator came with that type, it was off by about 20 degrees.


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## chickenmommy

Should I not be seeing movement?


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## chickenmommy

This is a different thermometer than the one I used last time. I tried looking for a hygrometer to make sure I have the humidity at the right level but I couldnt find one around here.


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## robin416

I guess it depends on the movement you're seeing at certain points in the hatching process. At 22 days the eggs should be jam packed with a peep. You might see the beak move when they've externally pipped the internal membrane but you won't see much more than that. If you are not seeing a really full egg then something else is happening. 

I guess what I'm wondering is exactly what is it you are seeing?


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## chickenmommy

I can see what looks like a beak move near the air sac


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## robin416

And if you're seeing nothing but black in the egg then that's a good thing. It means the peep has broken through the internal membrane and the next step is to pip the shell. 

Even though my life is kind of whacked out at the moment, you have got to do regular updates. We'll all be watching and waiting.


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## tonykummrow

It can be frustrating for sure. Go to Walmart and get a good thermometer/ hygrometer and try from there. Make sure your still turning the eggs 3 times a day and be patient . hope something hatches for you


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## robin416

I'll give you an example why you should not buy thermos from Walmart. I had three identical units, I set them on my desk side by side. From the coolest to the warmest was a five degree difference. That five degree difference could mean dead embryos or a very late hatch.

I get why you did it, Tony. After having a successful hatch now is the time to get a good backup thermo.


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## chickenmommy

So I should keep turning the eggs?


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## tonykummrow

I have 2 now Robin. Paid a little more for the second one I just got. And chicken mommy after day 18 you don't turn them


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## robin416

Like Tony said, you're done turning. Hopefully, others will sit with you today since I'll be gone again all day. Maybe I'll get home to find you have some new peeps.


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## zamora

**fingers crossed** babies pip perfectly!


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## chickenqueen

CM,I got my fingers crossed for you,too.


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## chickenmommy

I got two pips!!!!!


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## seminole wind

You got 2?? How many more to go?


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## chickenmommy

Three have pipped. 16 more to go


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## chickenmommy

How long does this part of the process take? From the first pip til that chick hatches


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## robin416

It can take up to 24 hrs.


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## Nm156

My 9 started at 7.30pm on a Monday finished at 2.30pm Tuesday


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## chickenmommy

Ok. I was worried that nothing else had happened


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## casportpony

I thought this was interesting:
View attachment How_to_measure_eggshell_temperature.pdf


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> Hatch day has come and gone once again and no babies  I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I just candeled the eggs after the incubator being closed since day 18 and they are all still moving around. I'm keeping the temp at 100. I have the water reservoir slits filled with water. I am so bummed right now. I'm hoping they hatch tomorrow


Curiously, do you count the day you set them as day zero or day one? When I set mine, day one is 24 hours from the time I set them.

I find these pictures helpful:


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## chickenmommy

Casportpony I didn't even think of that. I think I might have miscalculated. And is that one of those thermometers that goes behind your ear? Because I have one


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## chickenmommy

I see a beak and I can hear a soft little chirp


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## chickenmommy

. Baby number 1


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> View attachment 20192
> . Baby number 1


Congrats! Happy for you.


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> Casportpony I didn't even think of that. I think I might have miscalculated. And is that one of those thermometers that goes behind your ear? Because I have one


It's the type that you stick in your ear.


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## chickenmommy

I wonder if mine would work. Mines the one that goes right behind your ear


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> I wonder if mine would work. Mines the one that goes right behind your ear


The article is pretty specific on the brand, so not sure.


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## robin416

So there you go. I just got home but seeing as you have a peep hatched makes my day better.


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## tonykummrow

That is awesome to see


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## chickenmommy

Awe thanks momma robin. I'm so happy. There's 4 more in the process of pipping through. Thank you guys for the good mojo you guys are sending my way!!!!!


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## chickenmommy

Chick number two is here and several more have pipped


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## robin416

I knew you could do it. Don't be disappointed if you don't get most to hatch. You'll get better and better at this as time goes on.


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## zamora

I'm so excited for you I'm bouncing in my chair!


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## chickenqueen

Congratulation,CM!I knew you could do it.


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## chickenmommy

I have three babies now!!!


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> I have three babies now!!!


Congrats! Pictures?


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## chickenmommy

I opened the incubator quickly to get these guys out. They were bumping the rest of the eggs lol


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## chickenmommy

they are all three Cochin/EE mix. They have little feathered legs


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## chickenmommy

They are all dry but they have a dry stickiness. Is that normal?


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## seminole wind

Finally got there, huh chickenmommy!


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> They are all dry but they have a dry stickiness. Is that normal?


 If they fluff up without needed to be washed, yes, that's normal.


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## chickenmommy

4 more just hatched. Total of 7 so far


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> 4 more just hatched. Total of 7 so far


You must be thrilled!


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## casportpony

So counting the day you set them as day zero, how many days are you at as of today?


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## chickenmommy

Today is day 23


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## paigeemarieee

Congrats I love seeing the process of babies! Little cuties!


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> Today is day 23


Were the eggs fresh? If so, I think you might want to look into getting a couple of good thermometer/hygrometers for your next hatch. Sounds like maybe your temps have been too low.


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## chickenmommy

The eggs set out for a couple of days on my counter while I collected enough to incubate. Does that make a difference?


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> The eggs set out for a couple of days on my counter while I collected enough to incubate. Does that make a difference?


A couple of days? Probably not...

I have two of these:
http://cdn.backyardchickens.com/f/fd/fdb1342a_hygrometer.jpeg

Both are pretty close in temp, but very different w/humidity.


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## casportpony

A picture is worth a thousand words...


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## chickenmommy

Hmmm that's something I need to look into


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## Nm156

My $9 one from WM worked good on my hatch.I tested it to the temperature on the thermostat for the furnace.
The read out was from being in the direct sun last summer not the incubator.


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> Hmmm that's something I need to look into


The thermometer and hygrometer on my RCOM are pretty close to accurate, but that POS Janoel? Right now the hygrometer is reading 99%, and with the temp set to 37c, it's somewhere between 37.5 and 38.2. Lost a whole batch of duck eggs thinking it was working okay. Not sure what happened, but decided to check shell temp with the Braun and they were reading 106 f. Not sure how long they were like that, but it killed all but one of the eggs. Lesson learned... have back up meters.

Suggestion... research meters before you buy, and buy the best that you can afford. The ones I have are okay, but not sure I'd buy another.


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## casportpony

And when you do get one, be sure to calibrate it.


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## chickenmommy

Thank you casportpony!  I appreciate all the advice


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## chickenmommy

How many should I expect to hatch? I had 19 eggs total. 8 have hatched and number 9 has pipped


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## robin416

There's really no way to know. The temps being low has really messed up the timing.


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## chickenmommy

Ok thanks everyone


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## seminole wind

I've learned that there are little micro climates in incubators even with a fan. So not only do I turn the eggs I move them all inside position to outside position. I have an accurate Styrofoam incubator , a glass thermometer laying on top of the eggs (Brinsea) and a spot check thermometer that hangs in the incubator, but only turned on when I want to check the temp. With the humidity, sometimes it ends up being an educated guess. I usually end up with a 1/4 cup of water for 18 days, then filling the little channels at the bottom for 3 days.

I am just reiterating what I do, and others may do things differently, but I think it helps give people a well rounded "education" listening to all the methods.


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## chickenmommy

I have 9 babies!!


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## tonykummrow

I'm so excited for you!


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## chickenqueen

Congratulations! I think you'll love the the Ameraucauna/Cochin mix.


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## casportpony

chickenmommy said:


> I have 9 babies!!


Congrats! More pictures?


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## chickenmommy




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## chickenmommy

my favorite


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## rosco47

hey this is awesome! congrats


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## chickenmommy

Thanks huckleberry


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## chickenmommy

I have a problem guys lol. I promised my husband that I would pick my two favorite chicks and sell the rest. Well I want to keep all of them. Lol


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## robin416

chickenmommy said:


> I have a problem guys lol. I promised my husband that I would pick my two favorite chicks and sell the rest. Well I want to keep all of them. Lol


That's not a surprise. Maybe keep them until they have their feathers then do the rehome thing.


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## chickenmommy

I was actually using that as an excuse lol. I told him we won't be able to tell if any are frizzles until their feathers come in


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## robin416

If you think that will work then go for it. Won't know until you really push that thought at him.


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## chickenmommy

I got two frizzles!!!!


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## seminole wind

Oh wow. I didn't even know that you were hatching frizzles.


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## chickenmommy

I just added a self blue silky to the brooder. I'm hoping to breed it with one of the frizzles.


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## tonykummrow

How are the babies doing ? Hoping all is well


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## chickenmommy

they are all doing great! Here's a pic of one of my frizzles.


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## chickenlittle9274

If you do decide to rehome a silky hen I'm very interested. Your frizzle is cute. Now I want one too


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