Bantam Egg Problems

[Pat Mcaffee]

I candled my day 17 partridge Wyandotte egg today and the results were not promising. Aside from its regular air sack, I could see through the very top of the egg but the middle remained dark. The egg did not smell. Did it stop developing? PLEASE HELP

 

[microchick]

Are you certain on you incubation days is my first thought? 27 days doesn't sound very promising.

What I look for is movement in the egg. IF the chick in the shell is viable, you would be seeing signs of internal pip and still be seeing signs of slight movement if it was alive.

How does the aircell look? At term, the air cell should be large and dipped at one side. The dip is usually where the chick pips internally.

Could be that the embryo is a late quitter. Possibly. I've had them die at day 18. For some reason they do not get turned properly or an infection has taken them. Sometimes they just die.

At 27 days I would be looking to do a float test on the egg to see if it is viable or not. Not 100% accurate but it will give you an idea where you stand.

Hopefully some of the other BYC members with more hatching experience than I have will pipe in

@Sally Sunshine and BantyChooks...you out there?

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

Are you certain on you incubation days is my first thought? 27 days doesn't sound very promising.

What I look for is movement in the egg. IF the chick in the shell is viable, you would be seeing signs of internal pip and still be seeing signs of slight movement if it was alive.

How does the aircell look? At term, the air cell should be large and dipped at one side. The dip is usually where the chick pips internally.

Could be that the embryo is a late quitter. Possibly. I've had them die at day 18. For some reason they do not get turned properly or an infection has taken them. Sometimes they just die.

At 27 days I would be looking to do a float test on the egg to see if it is viable or not. Not 100% accurate but it will give you an idea where you stand.

Hopefully some of the other BYC members with more hatching experience than I have will pipe in

@Sally Sunshine and BantyChooks...you out there?

LOL! I'm sorry, I meant day 17, not 27.

 

[microchick]

AH, that's better.

My bantam eggs generally start hatching at day 19-20. At 17 you should still be seeing movement. Also as I previously posted, the air cell will be larger and dipped on one side. It is common to see only solid black when you candle at this stage.

Not time to hit the panic button yet. The chick may also be in a period of rest. Even then, Candling and watching closely you should be able to see minute twitches in the embryo.

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

I actually have never seen the chick move in the egg and I hatch chicks under my broodies at least three times a year. I am more worried about the see through portion at the top of the egg.

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

Tomorrow is day 19 and I am preparing for the worst. If it has not hatched by day 21, should I perform the float test? How do I do that?