Help! Day 7 & Incubator Knocked HARD

Ok, so not new to hatching or anything, but new to this type of issue. It's day 7 and I also brought home a new dog....

Well doggy and our kitties don't see eye to eye and when a kitty got a hold of the dog (she wouldn't quit pestering them) the dog ran across the living room and bumped into the table my incubator was sitting on & I mean HARD. It knocked the lid off and a few eggs out of the turner (none hit floor). I took the opportunity to do the first candling to look for cracks.

One was split up and down completely, so I tossed it to my other dog (& much better behaved one) outside, when I opened it, the yolk just gushed out. No veins or developed chick, so I'm assuming it's infertile. What worried me is how the yolk was loose and poured out. Is it supposed to be that way after sitting in incubator for 7 days? or firm and the dog destroyed it? Should I worry about the yolks of the other eggs? Bc they moved around an awful lot when I candled. Enough to make me uncomfortable, bc it's been almost a yr since my last hatch and I can't remember if they were like that then too or if the dog did this.


Is there a chance she somehow messed up the yolk in the fertile ones? All the other eggs had veins and development, so I put them back in. Two had a tiny crack which I sealed with 3 layers of candlewax and am hoping that keeps them alive and safe from bacteria.

I noticed some little chicks moving still, some I couldn't tell. One wasn't moving. And one egg's air cell was in the wrong place. Like it was knocked to the side. But still towards fat end.

What do you think? The verdict looking good or bad? I always treat my eggs as if they're made of glass. So this knock to the incubator has me afraid I've lost almost all of them only 7 days in

Please help!

I'm sure someone with more experience than me will chime in, but I can say that when I pulled my infertile ones at day 7, one yolk membrane was very thin and busted when I ever-so-gently opened the egg. So I would think it would be easily possible that it busted when it got knocked around. Personally I think the heat weakens it?

Best of luck on them though, and keep us posted. I'm curious if they make it, but my bet is they will! I'm the optimist!

I think you should proceed as you have been. I don't have a lot of hatching experience (2 broods in a home made bator, one broody as a teen) But, I'd not give any eggs from the incubator to any of my animals. The chance of any non fertile eggs or quitters being loaded with bacteria is quite high IMO. I wish you the best with your menagerie!

WVduckchick said:

I'm sure someone with more experience than me will chime in, but I can say that when I pulled my infertile ones at day 7, one yolk membrane was very thin and busted when I ever-so-gently opened the egg. So I would think it would be easily possible that it busted when it got knocked around. Personally I think the heat weakens it?

Best of luck on them though, and keep us posted. I'm curious if they make it, but my bet is they will! I'm the optimist!

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Ah man, that kind of makes me worry for the fertile ones. I don't see how they'd be able to absorb a broken yolk I was thinking the heat weakens it as well & I just had a baaaad feeling when the egg gooshed like that. But it had the most damage also & was almost knocked clear out of the bator.....idk what to think. But your reply does help. Thanks for sending positive vibes my way . Hopefully someone can see this that has been through a similar situation & tell me how good their hatch was after an incident like that. I have 20 eggs in there now and I'd hate to lose them all for my irresponsibility.

lazy gardener said:

I think you should proceed as you have been. I don't have a lot of hatching experience (2 broods in a home made bator, one broody as a teen) But, I'd not give any eggs from the incubator to any of my animals. The chance of any non fertile eggs or quitters being loaded with bacteria is quite high IMO. I wish you the best with your menagerie!

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I hadn't considered bacteria hurting my dog. I've done about 10 hatches now and I always give her my infertile and "quitters". Guess I should stop that! I just hadn't thought about it before. I know I'm just looking for reassurance so thank you. I know there isn't really anything else I can do, just looking to see if anyone else has dealt with this. I'd be devastated to wait 21 days and only have one chick hatch.

Oh I think you will definitely know in just a couple days if they are gonna quit or not! I'd wait it out for at least a couple more. Candle them, smell them... You will know.
As far as the dog, I would say it depends on the dog. If you've done it before, I wouldn't worry too much this time. Just maybe reconsider next time, but its up to you. My dog eats stuff that I am just sure is gonna kill him! Lol usually he pukes it back up. Eh!
Positive vibes ------

WVduckchick said:

Oh I think you will definitely know in just a couple days if they are gonna quit or not! I'd wait it out for at least a couple more. Candle them, smell them... You will know.
As far as the dog, I would say it depends on the dog. If you've done it before, I wouldn't worry too much this time. Just maybe reconsider next time, but its up to you. My dog eats stuff that I am just sure is gonna kill him! Lol usually he pukes it back up. Eh!
Positive vibes

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I will check in a few days for sure. I plan on updating this thread with hatch day results regardless of what happens. Maybe it will help someone in a similar situation later on

And this dog is a varmit dog. She's a shepherd mix, but she'll catch and eat rabbits, rats, and field mice if she is craving it. She'll also take the mice the cats catch away from them and go eat them. I guess that's why I've never thought about it. I've caught her eating some pretty despicable stuff over the years Tho I can at least say I've never given her unfertile eggs that have been in the bator for more than 2 weeks. But I have given her quitters. Even fully formed. It breaks my heart when I have to dispose of them so I usually just throw them to her and close the door. She handles it in seconds. But I may need to look into the subject more. Germy stuff I mean. I don't want to do anything that'd hurt her. She's the best dog I've ever had...ever.

And thanks for the good vibes. It's really lifting my spirit!

Haha she sounds like a real keeper. I often wonder if they are smart enough to know when they shouldn't eat something, but then I'll catch my Dudley eating deer poo and try my best to stop him but he ignores me. Then a half hour later, up it comes! Lol
I realize bacteria could be a whole nother ballgame, but I hate to think what they eat that we don't see! I'm not trying to trivialize it though. We love our 4-legged babies too.

I'll be anxiously awaiting your progress. And you are right, if it helps someone else in the situation, then its all good.

And fyi, I have 9 duck eggs and 3 turkey eggs in my bator now on day 11. Had 4 infertile ducks and 1 infertile turkey and lost another duck yesterday that blood ringed. I'm so anxious, it helps me to focus on someone else!

Forgot to say I love your avatar! Absolutely adorable!

WVduckchick said:

Haha she sounds like a real keeper. I often wonder if they are smart enough to know when they shouldn't eat something, but then I'll catch my Dudley eating deer poo and try my best to stop him but he ignores me. Then a half hour later, up it comes! Lol
I realize bacteria could be a whole nother ballgame, but I hate to think what they eat that we don't see! I'm not trying to trivialize it though. We love our 4-legged babies too.

I'll be anxiously awaiting your progress. And you are right, if it helps someone else in the situation, then its all good.

And fyi, I have 9 duck eggs and 3 turkey eggs in my bator now on day 11. Had 4 infertile ducks and 1 infertile turkey and lost another duck yesterday that blood ringed. I'm so anxious, it helps me to focus on someone else!

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Oh she is. She even goes to work with me. I never have to leash her in public either when we go places or into stores like Ace or TSC. She minds better than any creature I've dealt with. Stays at my side and never ignores me for some temptation. She may go walk towards it, but she has a solid recall and will come right back and sit at my feet. I love my Lady! She also likes to snack on a bit of chicken poo and spilled feed when I move my chicken tractor. Makes me want to gag and I used to get onto her but there's no point. She stays outside when she wants so I'm sure she eats whatever she wants when I'm not around lol.
Ow wow what an interesting mix! I wish we had a turkey. We want another one for a pet. Our last one had to be put down when the flock got sick, but anyway! I have 4 possible frizzle eggs and now 16 EE eggs. Green and a few pink. But glad I was able to help lol! I also get anxious during hatch time, but this has made it even worse than usual. I will be over the top by lockdown. I probably won't leave the house for anything for 3 days just so I can watch and wait and torture myself....

And thank you! Thats my very handsome fella Blackbeard. He's my very favorite. And he's becoming a jerk!!! (I still love him tho) He's figured out he can flog and that most things run away. He got me tonight, but I just picked him up and carried him around the yard. Looks like I'll have to start embarrassing him until I break him from doing humans that way lol.

I was told on fb by someone who's dog did the same thing that they had everything hatch except the one that cracked and was tossed out. So that also helped! I will update again Wednesday or Thursday when I candle again. I should have marked air cells tonight when I candled daggumit!! Now I'm not gonna be able to really tell if they have grown. Guess I'll just be looking for blood rings...