? about the air pocket

[New Dreamz]

Got the incubator going for 3 days now making adjustments and its finally staying consistant. So its rainy and crappy and just getting dark so i run out with my light and grab all the darkest looking eggs under my roman. I noticed a broken shell in there and it all kinda smells like a pond and worms on a rainy day. Hurried up and got them inside to mark them and I noticed that one of the eggs the fluid seems to be going into the air pocket when i was turning it. Does this mean the egg is bad? The darkness in it looks like the stage is near internal pipping soon. It does smell a little like old worms, could it be from the other egg breaking on it? If i put it in the incubator with the rest will it break in there if it is bad? How can i tell for sure if its bad or not without breaking it open? I do have another egg that looked like the fluid moved a little in the air pocket, but not like this one. Im new at this so any help is greatly appreciated!

I can recall reading about this subject somewhere a long time ago, but cant remember where?

God Bless,
Honnie

 

[Gracie9205]

If it smells then toss it. You don't want that exploding in your incubator. As for the fluid in the aircell, that is really not a good sign. If it doesn't smell then it won't hurt putting it in the incubator, but I wouldn't expect much if you see fluid in the aircell. If there is fluid then the gosling may drown once it internally pips. It won't hurt to try and hatch them though, so give it your best shot! Try and look for any veining or movement in the egg, this will indicate that the gosling is still alive. You will need a good candler for this. Good luck!

 

[DuckDuckDuckGoose]

Quote:
HI NEW DEAMZ-
Here is a great thesis thread on step by step hatching, I hope it helps
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013
T.

 

[pete55]

Hi New Dreamz

Well it does sound like the eggs with the free moving fluid in the air cells are bad. Sounds like early to mid-term embryonic death and subsequent degeneration of the egg contents and membranes. As the egg structure breaks down then the air cell membrane is breached and egg contents freely move into that area.

However rough handling will also cause ruptured air cells though not very often by a sitting bird, more a problem in shipped eggs. As Gracie said - recheck for active blood vessels or independent movement. If the egg smells it usually indicates bacterial infection. If any viable eggs have been contaminated with the contents of a rotten egg then I advise quickly washing them in warm (not hot) running water. This reduces the chance of those eggs sucumbing to a bacterial cross-infection. After this hatch I would disinfect your incubator thoroughly.

Good luck and hope you've got some viable eggs still.

Pete

 

[DuckDuckDuckGoose]

Quote:
Hi Pete- I sent NewDreamz your link of your egg hatching mini thesis soon to be published! Yea for you. so I hope he checks it out cause I was intrigued by the growing and hatching process of the egg. The molecular changes that happen in development is mind blowing!
Thanks,
T.

 

[New Dreamz]

Thanks for all the info, I did read pete's post prior to thinking about incubating eggs. Very greatful to pete for taking the time to educate and share his knowledge. I learned a lot just from that one post. I just decided it was one egg, and dont want to risk it breaking and causing a mess. I have 10 eggs in the incubator now, mom is sitting on over 10, and my other girls are laying every day so I guess its not worth the mess for just one egg when i can easily have more. If you shake the egg just a little it sloshes so, it probably is the bad one.

However I do have another egg in there that the fluid moves a tiny bit at the edges of the air sac, but it looks to still be good. Im going to keep an eye on it, and if i get the slightest smell.... Well maybe ill send it to my old crabby neighbor from our old neighborhood....lol


Also any opinions on the water test to see if the eggs are good or not? The lady I got the geese and ducks from was telling me to put eggs in warm water and the ones that float and bob up and down are good, and the ones that sink...well she said toss them. I found a hiding spot that the ducks were laying eggs, and oh my there were about 40 of them. I wasnt sure how old they were but wanted to know how long they can sit and still be edible, I candled them and they all looked like edible eggs..... Well they all sank and i just tossed them. Thought about it a few days later and tried it with some of my fresh laid chicken eggs.... they sank too. Can someone explain to me about this water test or how credible it is? guess I'm confused.


God Bless,
Honnie

 

[New Dreamz]

Ok, so i took the questionable egg outside and cracked it open. Sure enough, bad egg... it was growing, then somewhere down the line something went bad. Glad I didnt put it in the bator. I candled all the rest of the eggs and the other one that looked like a little fluid was going into the air sac, well its not today.

Day 2 in the incubator since I pulled from nest.
I got to see movement in most of the eggs tonight.... YEAH!!!! Im so excited, if these hatch these will be my first babies!!!!!