Hatching eggs can be a fun process, first, you have to go through the eggs incubation cycle then comes the feeling of accomplishment when you see all your hard work and patience rewarded at the hatching stage. What hatches from the egg is an adorable tiny chick that is cute, fuzzy and endearing. But what happens when your chicks are taking longer than expected to hatch? Does the warm water trick for hatching eggs work? This article looks into it 

You would generally use the warm water trick for hatching eggs if the egg incubation period has passed and you want to determine if the egg will still hatch. Do this by placing the egg in warm water. If your egg moves and floats in water then it will hatch, if it doesn’t move or float then it won’t hatch.

 Warm water trick for hatching eggs

Eggs that are not yet hatched by day twenty-two of incubation can be dipped in warm water to determine if they will hatch. Eggs that have movement and float in the warm water are likely to hatch into healthy chicks.

Eggs that do not float, most likely contain dead fetuses and should be kept apart from the rest or discarded. This method is dangerous if you don’t get the water temperature right, too hot water may lead to the death of the fetuses.

Can eggs be hatched without an incubator?

Yes, eggs can be hatched without an incubator but not without incubation. An artificial incubator is a secondary solution for incubating eggs.

The original incubator is a brooding hen. It could be the same bird species or a different one, provided they cover all the eggs well and keep them warm.

In fact, any method that keeps the eggs at the recommended temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius, rolls over the eggs frequently within the day, and maintains the moisture at optimum levels for the egg-hatching is good for hatching eggs.

What happens if you don’t turn the eggs in an incubator?

An egg is frequently turned in an incubator to prevent the death of the developing fetus. The fluids in the egg are likely to cause the fetus to stick to the sides of the eggshell if the egg is not turned frequently.

Turning also ensures the fetus gets an even distribution of warmth, humidity, and nutrients in the egg. A deficiency in all these areas will kill the embryo.

How do you tell if an egg is going to hatch?

The easiest way to determine if the egg will hatch is by checking the number of days it has been incubated.

On day twenty-one, the chick should be ready to come into the world. The chick will make a small crack in the egg on the side it expects to come out. Do not help it by cracking the rest of the shell, as this may kill it by injuring its undeveloped body parts.

A chick may take up to a full day to hatch fully, and that is perfectly normal. 

How do you tell if an egg is alive or dead?

Candling is the safest way to tell if a fetus is alive inside an egg. It involves shining a bright light on the egg in a dark room to illuminate the contents of the egg through its translucent walls.

A healthy egg will have veins running towards the fetus and it should be developing into a chick shape by now. The air bubble should also be large. A red ring or dark bead is a sign of a lost egg and it should be removed from the rest of the brood immediately. 

Even when an egg shows signs of life, do not be tempted to help the chick out of the egg as you may end up losing it. Keep the egg in incubation for a few more days until it hatches by itself.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, if your egg is taking longer than expected to hatch and you’d like to check weather the egg may still hatch or not then place the egg in some warm water. If the egg floats and moves about then the egg will still hatch, if the egg does not float or move then it won’t hatch.

Yes, eggs can hatch without an incubator but won’t hatch without incubation. If the egg is not turned in an incubator the fetus will die. You can tell that an egg is about to hatch if it has a crack on the side of it. You can tell if the egg is alive or dead by candling it 

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: How to tell if a chicken egg is fertile with water, How to candle eggs with an iPhone, Chicken laying eggs without shell or membrane, why and what to do, How to tell if a bird egg is fertile, How to tell if chick is alive in egg