Here is my problem...21 days ago, I put 18 eggs into the bator, now I have 2 eggs that hatched 2 days ago. I figured the heat or mama helped them hatch faster than I expected. Mama had hidden the nest, when I found it I put them in the bator. I have waited all day and have been hoping the rest of the eggs will hatch. I don't even know if they are good (fertilized) or not. So here is what I did tonight.
I took a small mini mag type flashlight, and instead of a cardboard box, I used the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper. The flashlight went in one end and I held the egg at the other. Now when I looked at 7 of the eggs, they looked clear, couldn't see anything. I am assuming these are no good.
But after looking at the other 9, I just see a clear spot at the large end (top) of the egg. The rest is just a dark mass, but I can't see anything moving or veins or stuff like that. I am hoping that these eggs are fertile and maybe they will hatch tomorrow.
What do I do now with these? Just wait for several more days or what? I really don't think I could handle opening up any eggs and possibly killing a chick, so I just figured I would wait another week or so. There is a possibility some of the eggs are guinea eggs, about half of the eggs are small, while I know the others come from my buff orphington and one of the red sex link hens.( These 2 hens lay everyday) I don't think the other hens are laying yet, even though they should be about 21 or 22 weeks now. I don't remember how big a guinea egg is, or how long it takes to hatch.
Any suggestions? I haven't seen any pips or heard anything from them yet. My brooder is set up behind me in the other room, while the bator is in front of me here at the computer. I can hear the 2 babies, but nobody else.
I took a small mini mag type flashlight, and instead of a cardboard box, I used the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper. The flashlight went in one end and I held the egg at the other. Now when I looked at 7 of the eggs, they looked clear, couldn't see anything. I am assuming these are no good.
But after looking at the other 9, I just see a clear spot at the large end (top) of the egg. The rest is just a dark mass, but I can't see anything moving or veins or stuff like that. I am hoping that these eggs are fertile and maybe they will hatch tomorrow.
What do I do now with these? Just wait for several more days or what? I really don't think I could handle opening up any eggs and possibly killing a chick, so I just figured I would wait another week or so. There is a possibility some of the eggs are guinea eggs, about half of the eggs are small, while I know the others come from my buff orphington and one of the red sex link hens.( These 2 hens lay everyday) I don't think the other hens are laying yet, even though they should be about 21 or 22 weeks now. I don't remember how big a guinea egg is, or how long it takes to hatch.
Any suggestions? I haven't seen any pips or heard anything from them yet. My brooder is set up behind me in the other room, while the bator is in front of me here at the computer. I can hear the 2 babies, but nobody else.
