That one egg: Miraculous Recovery?

Catmoose1347

Chirping
5 Years
Jul 10, 2014
107
4
78
Washington
A few weeks ago, my silkie pullet went broody and I let her sit on an egg; y'know, why not? I didn't even take down the date, if that illustrates how not-serious about the whole thing I was. So a few days later, I was like, "Hey! Puff's sitting on an egg!" and shown a flashlight through it. Well, now. That's interesting. Light doesn't shine through this thing. THERE'S SOMETHING IN HERE!!

I still didn't think it would hatch or anything, and that hypothesis was strengthened when I found Puff in a different nesting box and the egg was cold to touch. I didn't really have the heart to take it out, so I moved her back. She did this four more times.

One of those occasions was within three days of it hatching, and one was the night before. Oh, yeah, BTW... it hatched!!!

Everything I've read about incubating eggs says things about how humidity, temperature, etc. need to be perfect or the chick will die... so what happened?

The chick is doing great so far. "He" is walking and ate something today after watching mom* eat it. Well, I hope things go okay, I'm still just stunned "he" is alive...


*"He's" a Welsummer x New Hampshire Red
 
Congratulations on your new chick! Hens often get off the nest for a while every day to dustbathe, eat drink, and eliminate. My incubator even has a setting to turn thee heat off for 1-2 hours every day, which some people feel improves your hatch rate.

Nature has a way of compensating for many things. Keep reading BYC and you'll hear stories of power going out for extended periods, temperature spikes, even forgetting to lock the incubator down and some chicks still hatch just fine.

That egg must have had enough time and heat to develop, and an average humidity that worked.

Have fun with your new chick, and I hope your Silkie is a good Momma.
 

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