Confession, and a question, eggs/incubation... **Graphic pic**

[Bettacreek]

Well, I admit, it's day 19, and well, no pips, no noise, nothing. So, I pulled a few eggs out and cracked them. I did it slowly to see if there was any blood, and I figured I'd stop if there was. The first three had undersized chicks, that were killed presumably in the heat spike last week or so. They were definately not full term chicks, and still had huge egg yolks, the big monster sized eyes, etc. Then, the last egg I cracked, well, I found this:

He wasn't moving, and there was no blood, but, you can see that the yolk was almost absorbed, thus he had to of been close to full term. Did I kill him by opening the egg, or did he die in the egg? There was no movement or anything, but, well, if he died in the egg, then what happened? He would have been a survivor of the heat spike, but then what else would have killed him so close if it wasn't my fault? Or, was it my fault? I just remember people breaking open eggs and finding wigglers in them, and this guy wasn't moving at all. So, am I a killer, or what happened?

P.S. Sorry for the BK wrapper, I poured the little guy onto a paper towel in the trash can.

 

[redhen]

 

[duckncover]

1 It would have been moving for a few second after you opened the egg if it was still alive.

2 your not a killer it and was most likely dead if it was on day 19 and still looked like that!

I'd stop worrying and leave the rest alone for awhile.

And from what I've heard coturnix arn't usually seen when pipping!

 

[Guitartists]

I don't know.... but the couple that I have lost during hatch were wiggling and moving up until they got stuck and died..... If it had been alive when you removed it from the egg.... I would think that you would have known without a doubt.

Also...

 

[KellyHM]

He was definitely already dead if he wasn't moving and was still that wet at 19 days. Some of them just die late...just chalk it up to natural selection.

 

[citalk2much]

What kind of quail? Sometimes they just die. I would give the others a few more days as long as there is no smell

 

[duckncover]

Oh and

 

[Fudgie]

Thanks for the BK wrapper giggle!

Honestly, he would have been wiggling even if you would have been the killer(or as my dd call me MURDERER!!!)

I however, don't think you did. I would say he was close and ALMOST made it but just could not. Don't beat yourself up. I did crack one open and had a wiggler and it later died, I was SICK that I killed it. things happen for a reason.

 

[heyeddah]

This is all a learning process and science is important.
Looking at what you have will only improve your future attempts.
We are already messing with nature when we put the eggs in the incubator.
Don't be hard on yourself. I have opened fully formed eggs at 20 and 21 days after others have hatched and found fully formed chicks that just were not going to hatch.
Try again. Start over. Move on. This is small stuff.

 

[monarc23]

That gross cloudy green color in the egg is from decompoistion you deffinatly did not kill that chick.....there'd be a bloody mess with that chick right now as well if you opened it up to a live chick so nope you didn't kill it no question about it

I cannot tell you why it didnt hatch though, either it just wasnt meant to hatch or the heat spike hurt it and it died later on.....it's hard to tell!