I set 36 eggs a little over three weeks ago. Hatchday was Monday. My incubator (Little Giant) is junk. Worst investment ever. It jumps in temps when you don't want it too and won't budge when you do. During this cycle it went to about 90 degrees for a few hours 2x, then 117 degrees for an hour and a half 1x, which were the worst jumps. Twenty seven eggs made it to hatch day. Last night, seven were definetly dead & two had pips and barely any movement. I pulled all the hatched chicks out at this point & the 7 dead eggs. I left the two with pips not expecting much, especially cause the 'bator was getting stinky. Seven am this morning I was in a super rush. I looked in the 'bator quick. One hatched, the other didn't make any progress on the shell and it's beak (could see through the pip) wasn't moving. Went to pull the live one out so I could turn my 'bator off. Silly thing quickly jumped out of the 'bator on to the table, then a few feet to the floor. Caught it, caged it with the rest, then ran out the door. I finally get home at 2:00. I'm ready to clean the super stinky junky 'bator. I look inside, the shell near the beak on the one I left for dead in the cold bator moved!! I pulled it out (bator was prolly colder than the room, looked at it, it was just barely moving. I decided to hatch it. It didn't seem to have the strength to get out on it's own and looking at it I figured it would probably just die either way. I got some tweezers, pulled off the shell. It was touch and go for a little while. Just looked at it and it's up, alert, and moving all around!! I'm amazed!! And happy!! Just one more mystery to solve..... The eggs were barnyard mix. I do not have any silkies that are of laying age. I did have a silkie roo get out for 10 min before I sold him, but didn't see him go after the hens at the time (and this was my last day of collecting eggs). None of my layers or other roos have black skin. The mystery - three of the chicks have black skin. IDK if they were that roo's babies somehow...or what is going on. I only get 5ish eggs a day..... Curious...... Really only wanted to keep 2-3 chicks......Trying to talk myself in & out of keeping the three.
