Depressed

[angnic22]

DAY 10 UPDATE: Still don't 'see' anything. My eggs are in the light to medium brown range. I can see the yolk. Some float more than others, some are bigger than others. There's one I'm suspicious of, but I guess time will tell. I definitely don't see movement...although my eyes like to play tricks on me.

I weighed them all before setting. All have lost ranging from 7.5-11.1%. Is it normal even for quitters & yolkers to lose weight?

Brinsea to arrive tomorrow.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Regarding quitters / yolkers - my gut tells me yes, they lose weight too, due to evaporation through pores. Now, development, if there ever was any, would stop. Disclaimer: I'm new to incubating, usually I have a broody do it for me....

I wouldn't weed out any until I could see development in one or two, then I would have a basis for comparison....

 

[angnic22]

I'm half tempted to crack one open and see what it looks like. Thoughts?

 

[n8ivetxn]

Sure, why not? - Keep it back from your face!

 

[angnic22]

Thank you n8ivetxn. I honestly don't think any have made it. I know I was getting fertile eggs, but the temp in this ugly incubator is just horrid. I have a new one on the way. Just wondering if I should see what one looks like inside to determine if I should keep going.

 

[n8ivetxn]

You're welcome, unfortunately, learning comes with a price.... if you can, just leave them for a few more days - is it possible you may get a couple chicks? Get new eggs for the new bator and start that one.

I'm really sorry, the disappointment can be crushing...

 

[angnic22]

Yes. It is definitely crushing. Especially since I did it trying to hang onto my Roos genes.

#3 got the cut. It looks like a normal egg. I see the blastoderm.

 

[n8ivetxn]

Don't give up on them yet....105F is survivable, short term, so there may be some viable eggs in the bunch.....And, like a previous poster said, the hens could still be fertile, so collect a few new eggs and get that new bator tested out.....I'd let it run for 24 - 48hrs and work out the temp & humidity, then put the fresh eggs in there... Or, even if you have a few that are a few days old, hold onto them for the new bator too....

See? You still have some opportunities to continue your Roo's lineage.....

 

[RubyNala97]

Thank you Ruby! I ordered the Brinsea mini Eco advance and egg insert. I also bought a digital hygrometer and magicfly flashlight (I know I can use a regular high power flashlight but some people don't put it back when their done. Lol)

I requested 2 day shipping so it should be here Thursday. I'll be sure to start a thread on how the new and existing sets go.

Thank you again for all your advice & encouragement. Means a lot to me.

I'm soooo glad you went with the mini!! It is my favorite! I even bought the bigger brinsea but all of my important hatches get squeezed into the mini because I know they will all hatch! Lol. Once you plug it in, it will be stable in 30 minutes, no joke. The egg that you cracked does look fertile from what I can see in the pic. I wonder why it never started to develop. Very strange. (And yes, any egg will loose weight over time, the air cell grows regardless). I hope you've gotten a few eggs for the new batch. If you do make a new thread put a link here or just the title and I'll look it up. I'd love to offer any help I can so you can get some fluffy babies. I wish you lived closer...I've got 5 girls sitting on nothing that would love to hatch some chicks for you!

 

[angnic22]

Awh! Thank you. I had given 5 to a friend to put under her broody hen 2 weeks ago. Not sure how it's going. She's been sick and working a lot. But that's another story...

I collected 2 today and 2 yesterday. Went ahead and used the 2 from yesterday to check fertility: 1 fertile, 1 infertile. At least now I know which ones will have a better chance.

I actually bought an assortments of eggs from mypetchicken.com. I wasn't sure how many I could collect and wanted to have enough to fill the incubator (Yes. Even after a first failed attempt, I am hooked.) They should arrive within a few days. Enough time to get the new bator set up and tested. Also bought the hygrometer and a better light.

Definitely a learning experience. Thinking I will record parts of the next set and continue with the weighing, etc. Keeping a log comes in handy.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement and interest. Makes me feel good