Araucana thread anyone?

[chickengr]

They are all dead. I don't know what the heck could have happened. All were alive at lockdown, just 4 days ago. I candled every single egg and no signs of live. I am devastated.

sorry to hear that. this time of year is not good for hatching. with heat the eggs might have not been good enough to keep the chicks alive. chickens eat less in summer so there might have been lack of nutrients.

 

[Trish1974]

sorry to hear that. this time of year is not good for hatching. with heat the eggs might have not been good enough to keep the chicks alive. chickens eat less in summer so there might have been lack of nutrients.

Thanks, but it didn't get hot here until a few weeks ago. I've only noticed a decrease in their food intake the past week. There were even two nights last month (which would have been when I was collecting eggs for this hatch) that I had to turn on my furnace it got so cold.
I found an article by Sumi about failed hatches. It looks like to narrow it down I'm going to have to do some eggtopsies. I really don't want to do that but I NEED to know what happened. I can't quit crying though, and that's going to have to pass before I open up those eggs.
Adding insult to injury, there is something wrong with my little Buck x Bluebell pullet. She isn't eating and standing in a corner this morning. I've noticed her bottom has been messy all week but when I look under the roost and on the ground I haven't seen any unusual poops. I need to get her brought in and examine her, and give her a dose of Corid to be on the safe side.
Words cannot describe how shocked and saddened I am by this loss.

 

[pginsber]

They are all dead. I don't know what the heck could have happened. All were alive at lockdown, just 4 days ago. I candled every single egg and no signs of live. I am devastated.

Sending hugs to you. I’m so sorry for you loss.

 

[Trish1974]

Thanks @pginsber. Are your eggs starting to hatch?

 

[Trish1974]

Eggtopsy didn't help. Nothing was really consistent. One of Mama's chicks had its intestines on the outside. Two others did pip internally.

The BBR's chicks didn't seem as developed as the others. I don't know what that is all about.

Most the other eggs did NOT pip internally. There were 5 I didn't open. On the last Blue Boy x Dbl tufted blue hen egg, I found a fully formed double tufted splash chick (which is what I wanted more than anything) - and I started BAWLING and stopped. Going into lockdown all I could think was, "Crap, I only have 3 Blue Boy and his mate's eggs in there...what are the odds of me getting a double tufted splash cockerel?" Well I got it. Just hadn't planned on this tragedy. Needless to say I am devastated all over again.

 

[Trish1974]

These are all the possibilities. Kind of hard to narrow down:

Full term embryo, did not pip, dead in shell. Eggtopsy shows yolk sac not absorbed, or only partially absorbed. May be some residual albumen (egg white).

- Inadequate turning during incubation, especially during the first week, resulting in decreased embryonic membrane development and nutrient absorption.
- Humidity too high during incubation, or after lockdown.
- Incubator temperature too low, or too high.
- Nutritional deficiencies.
- Hereditary.
- Disease in the breeder flock.
- Eggs stored too long prior to setting.
- Inadequate ventilation.

I guess the first and second to the last are possible, though I don't think there were any eggs older than 7 days in this batch.

 

[pginsber]

Thanks @pginsber. Are your eggs starting to hatch?

We sat 10 eggs, 4 developed and went into lockdown. One Naked Neck/Araucana mix hatched yesterday, one Norwegian Jaerhon/Araucana mix hatched this morning. The other Naked Neck/Araucana mix pipped last night and is taking a little too long to zip to suit me. The Legbar/Araucana mix hasn’t pipped yet.

 

[Trish1974]

We sat 10 eggs, 4 developed and went into lockdown. One Naked Neck/Araucana mix hatched yesterday, one Norwegian Jaerhon/Araucana mix hatched this morning. The other Naked Neck/Araucana mix pipped last night and is taking a little too long to zip to suit me. The Legbar/Araucana mix hasn’t pipped yet.View attachment 1844812 View attachment 1844813 View attachment 1844814

Congratulations!

 

[RinaRoo]

Oh my goodness, rumpless naked neck.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Oh joy more misinformation. https://hoovershatchery.com/prairiebluebellegger.html