hello new to this forum hatching question

nitro4lf · Post by **nitro4lf** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:06 am

i have a pair of irn's the male is a split and the female is a green they have laid their firs clutch of the season about 5 eggs but is been about 53 days since the first egg was laid and still no chicks i know thier hatching period is 23 days but i dont know what to do they seem fine male feeds the female and she is always in the nest. should i take the eggs out or just wait to see what happens.

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 2:45 am

It's physically draining for the hen to sit on eggs all day. So if it's been way overdue then I would reccomend taking the box and the eggies out till next breeding season. Then feed them up nice and plump for next year.

Dani03 · Post by **Dani03** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 8:02 am

Have you tried candleing the eggs? You place a light up to the egg to check to see if there was ever an embryo in there. It is the only way to really be sure?

Dani and Prinny

nitro4lf · Post by **nitro4lf** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:01 am

il try to check the eggs if theres any embryos today after work but if there are embryos should i just leave them there or still take them. I have a brooder can i put the eggs in there to incubate or should i invest in an incubator (does any one know of an inexpensive one)

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 4:24 pm

After 50 odd days of incubation, even if the eggs are fertile they would have stopped developing and died ages ago. Incubation time is only 24 days. I would do as Neo says and take eggs and box out. JUst focus on getting them back into shape for next season.
Next time, a few weeks prior to breeding season, give them more sunflower seed than usual, also up their intake of fruit and veg.

nitro4lf · Post by **nitro4lf** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:06 am

just finished checking the eggs out of all of them there was one that had a dead baby chick and the others seemed to be infertile they just had a white liquid inside like water. so what im going to do is plump them up for next season ? does this mean that my IRN'S are an infirtile pair or just wasnt ment to be.

Neokireina · Post by **Neokireina** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 12:16 am

Usually if they are a young pair that would happen. They should do better next time, so give them lots of good foods and wait till next year.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 2:05 am

The humidity levels may not have been high enough inside the box, that would explain the dead chick.