Day 27 - Did float test - questions? **update**

[colebarnhart]

It sounds like it's time to just do an egg-topsy and see how far along they developed and then maybe you could better pinpoint what may have gone wrong during the incubation process.

 

[JLS]

I forgot to give you an update. You guys were right (as usual). The chicks were dead. The large majority were fully developed. Some of the fully developed chicks were surrounded by a lot of liquid. Most though were perfect ... just dead

I dont think I can do this again! All of the time, energy, and emotion that is tied up into the incubating/hatching with horrible results is too much for me I think. The thought that I would fail NEVER entered my mind when I set out on this journey.

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HELPED ME OUT.

 

[Gypsy07]

Awww, how terribly sad. But please try not to be too dispirited for too long. I know it's very disappointing and very upsetting when you have to open your eggs to see tiny dead chicks, but if you stop trying now, that will always be your last memory of incubating. If you try to figure out what went wrong, and sort it out for the next time, you're very likely to end up with much happier memories and some cute little fuzzybutts to spoil. And look at it this way - it's a VERY steep learning curve and after just one incubation you know maybe 50 times as much as you did three weeks ago.

I suspect your problem was a combination of too low temperature and too high humidity, both of which are easily adjusted. I suggest you read a bit about still air bators, get the right temperature sorted out (I think 101.5F but not 100% certain) and drop your initial humidity to around 35%. If you want to be certain about what humidity is correct, you can weigh your eggs to determine moisture loss. It's easy, and VERY accurate. Candle and weigh at days 6 and 12, and adjust humidity as required. And maybe have a look around for the incubation 'cheat sheet' written by ChooksChick specially for still air bators. It's highly regarded by loads of people on here who have followed her recommendations with great success.

And I'll say it again, try not to feel too bad about your first attempt.

Most of the successful hatchers on here have got a string of horror stories they can tell about hatches that went wrong.

 

[deerman]

This float test kills me , it DOES NOT tell if a chick is alive....that some bad info i see on BYC even a sticky on some area. The float test is to be use to see how fresh a egg is, ones that lay on the botton are fresh ,those that float are very old. ones about 3 weeks old will start large end off the bottom.


True i guess if the egg moves in water ,chick is still alive........has noithing to do with floating, bad eggs with float as well as eggs incubated, incubator eggs will float at different levels,. good or bad,


http://www.helpwithcooking.com/egg-guide/fresh-egg-test.html

 

[disdelight]

first time hatching chicks its day 27 today did float test 2 sank and 4 floated how much longer should i leave them, really worried about them