I'm so sorry!!! I know you said you had incubator issues...
but still... I dunno... I hope Vicki will post on here how her Dorking eggs are doing. She's in Michigan, and I think Monday will be two weeks for her. I had 81 bobwhite eggs shipped to me that will be 1 week tomorrow, and over 50% are already showing development. And it was COLD when they shipped here.
Yes, Tori, I had a temp and then a humidity issue with my 'bator, and as I've had successful hatches from your eggs before, I am positive that the issues with my 'bator this time was the problem.
I'll try again in a few weeks....but I think I'll be buying another incubator...or two....there are so many stinking enablers on BYC more than willing to put me in the poor house selling eggs to me, and I've not had an empty 'bator since January!!!!
I refuse to even tell when I do or don't have an empty 'bator...because ya'll are egg pushers!!
I'd have to save some up... I've shipped out all of my eggs, or will by tomorrow, for orders... I'll have to check the schedule and let you know. Things are picking up for orders just before Easter.
Update on my dorking eggs. I candled them on 3-7 but have been so busy, I didn't have a chance to get on and update. All the ones that were clear on the first candling were still clear and were removed. Egg #7 & 14, had stopped progressing early on and were removed, they were very tiny, no movement. Egg # 16 was left in, but the air bubble is too big and goes down one side too far. I am afraid this one has also died, but I left it in just in case, since it was farther along. Egg #11 I couldn't see movement, and it looked a little different than the others somehow, but I am not sure why. Just a feeling. Hopefully I am wrong and the chick was just sleeping. Eggs #5, 9, 17, 18 all look good and active.
I forgot #8 again! It was in the back, separating some other eggs, it looks good too, yeah!!!
I candled the eggs and took them out of the turner on the 11th, day 18, egg #16 was removed at that time. That left me with eggs 5, 8, 9, 11, 17 & 18. Egg 11 still looked funny, very liquidy, but no smell, and full looking, so it stayed, just in case.
Eggs 5 & 18 hatched on 3-18, early, with no problems!! I checked the eggs on 3-19, late in the day, after no further pipping. No movement. I opened them carefully, egg # 8 died without pipping, full term. Eggs # 9 & 17 looked like they died a couple of days ago, just a bit smaller, but almost there. Egg #11 had died quite early and seemed to either have bacteria or just had broke down and was nasty, floaty stuff. I didn't open the membrane to tell for sure, afraid of the smell.
Thank you for the update, Vicki! I'm so glad you got two babies!!!
I hope you'll post a photo!!
I've been doing a little bit more reading on the Dorkings, and apparently the chicks are a little harder to hatch than some. I had 4 that did the same thing this last hatch somewhere around day 19... fully formed, but the sac wasn't fully absorbed. Don't know why. "Delicate" was the word used, and I can definitely see that, when compared to my light brahmas. I call all my LBs Baby Huey, because they pop out of the shell like little chunky tanks and mow everyone else down! The Dorkings are almost shy compared to other breeds. I will
that you get a girl and a boy so you can start making more babies someday! If you ever want to try more eggs, just let me know!
thank you both for experimenting with me... I still think that if they're packed properly, they do much better in the cold than in the heat of the summer.