Anyone else hatching 6/25? Chicks are here!

[Paganbird]

Update on peafowl eggs:
So, having the attention span of an elementary-school-student, I candled last night instead of waiting until tonight. Of the 6 eggs, 5 - yes FIVE - have "detached" air cells.

The one with the okay-looking air cell didn't show any obvious development, but my light was getting dim & flickering. (I think it needs a new battery.)
So... I was all upset... looked up info on TAC and detached air cells and decided to leave them in there & follow directions for TAC.
Oh, yeah, and I need to get a new light.
I'm still disappointed. I wanted peafowl very badly. Seems like whenever I get shipped eggs, they're scrambled. Maybe the people at my PO don't want me getting any more birds!
*imagining PO workers playing soccer with box marked "live embryos: FRAGILE, Handle With Care"*

When I picked up this last box of silkie eggs, the lady says, "so what, exactly, are you doing with all these eggs?"
I replied, "I'm trying to hatch them, but shipping seems to be pretty rough on live hatching eggs."
She just gave me a look that said, "No comment."

 

[kcardella]

I'm sorry

Being very new to this, how can you tell the air cell is detached? What does it look like?

 

[Paganbird]

When you candle it , the air cell in the large end of the egg just moves around of its own accord - instead of staying at the big end like it should. Do a search on here for TAC (tremulous air cell) or detached air cell. You'll find some informative posts - some with pics.
I've read that it's possible to hatch TAC eggs. Possible, but not always probable.
As I said in an earlier post, though:
I don't take them out of the 'bator unless they stink or leak.
Well, until day 18... if there's no development, I'll get them outta the way for the other chicks to hatch. If there's any chance - no matter how slim - the egg stays 'till about 3 or 4 days past due date.

ETA: I wrote "day 18" out of habit. It's actually "day 26" for peafowl.

 

[chsfairy2007]

I'm so sorry, Paganbird! I was thinking today about you candling, and was hoping it would turn out well. I'd be doing exactly what you are, though, leaving them in there. Again, I'm sorry.

Btw, thank you for explaining detached air cells for us newbies. :3

kcardella:

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I can see you sniffing the eggs repeatedly, ha-ha! That's gonna be me too, though, lmao!

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I know what you mean! This spring, I just simply thought that I'd get hens and a nice rooster of a specific breed, and keep them going so I'd never have to buy chicks again.... well, I still bought a lot of chicks! And an incubator... and some bantams... and made a separate coop for them.... I've got it bad. My dad told me, "No more chicks... or chickens!" Hard to control a 20-year old impulse buyer (for chickens, anyways) that makes her own money... Bwahahaha!

 

[kcardella]

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Thank you - good to know!

 

[kcardella]

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I started with chickens 4 years ago, and then it was guineas (to control ticks), then I acquired my first egg-laying ducks (Khaki Campbells, Golden 300 & Welsh Harlequin) a few weeks ago (of course we needed a separate day pen with water), and now I am incubating goose eggs! This could be very, very bad...

 

[Paganbird]

Yeah, it seems to happen that way.
You set a few eggs and then while you're waiting on those, you look at another breed you absolutely have to have. Next thing you know... you have 40 + birds.
"I wonder where they all came from?" you think.

At least, that's what happened to me. I wanted silkies. The person I bought silkies from had mille fleurs, so I got a couple of those, too. Then I ordered some chicks from a hatchery to be delivered a month out. While I was waiting for the day-old chicks, I bought peacock eggs. Well, I needed more eggs to help stabilize the 'bator temps, so I ordered more silkies. Some of the girls at work knew I had an almost-empty 'bator so they brought in 15 "mystery" eggs of various colors for me.
Obviously, I'll have a few more chickens than I started with.

 

[Paganbird]

OMG! OMG!
I just pulled out the one good peafowl egg I have. I was going to show my husband how I candle the eggs and what the air cell looks like. I got the pea egg because it is larger and has a lighter shell than the chicken eggs.
So he sits behind me & I start to show him what to look for and... movement... I have definite movement!!
I really needed that. I was so disappointed about the other eggs. I still have a chance with my one egg.
My husband confirmed it and then he sat back and said, "Happy Birthday!" Yeah, I guess so... it's after midnight here, so it is June 9th.
Happy birthday to me!!

Wish me luck on getting this baby to hatch!

 

[chsfairy2007]

Hooray! I am so excited for you! And how exciting was that? To feel an egg move? Wow. I'm hoping that baby hatches for you. I'm cheering him on! Oh, and Happy Birthday!

I candle eggs the day after tomorrow. Hopefully that happens to me, lol.

 

[kcardella]

Very exciting! I THINK I saw movement in one of my remaining goose eggs (2 out of 4), but it's hard to tell. I am on day 17.