Even stone cold eggs might be OK! don't give up hope prematurely if a hen abandons her clutch...

[MontanaChickDoc]

I had a call duck abandon a nest at around 3 weeks - ish. I don't know an exact hatching date because she hid the nest for a while before I found it. After I candled the eggs and pitched the 2 duds (while she was off getting a snack), she abandoned the nest and never went back. The eggs were un-incubated for over 24 hours before I decided she wasn't coming back - including a night in the high 30s. I had low expectations for viability but after 12 hours in the incubator the 3 eggs are going strong - lots of movement and kicking (I was shocked). So my statement is "Even stone cold eggs abandoned for 24 hours might be OK - so give them a chance" and my question is "Is it better to keep turning, or stop turning and have lock down like conditions until they hatch?" Based on air cell size and darkness of egg contents, I'm guessing they might hatch in less than a week?? I've hatched calls before in the incubator so I know they might need help anyway. I just don't know when that might be...and I don't want to keep popping the lid off to candle, either. OR SHOULD I?? Help.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Have they hatched yet?

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

No but I think one is internally pipped! I risked a quick peek/ candling this morning... And the other 2 have pretty large air cells so I’m going to sit on my hands but keep obsessively checking on them every 30 minutes. Like that helps!! Ducks take for-e-ver to hatch.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I hope you get some.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Two hatched! Blue with white bibs. The third was DIS, sadly. Will post pics tomorrow.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Congratulations.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Thank you! The first little fellow will be happy to have company. She’s all by herself in the brooder and looks so tiny and lonely. I was going to put two bantam chicks in with her but even at only 4 weeks they are three times her size!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you! The first little fellow will be happy to have company. She’s all by herself in the brooder and looks so tiny and lonely. I was going to put two bantam chicks in with her but even at only 4 weeks they are three times her size!

It's definitely the best news to have at least 2. A single is always lonely or bonded to another species. I have read eggs further along in incubation can survive going cold, so it's wonderful to hear it's true, and that you were successful in saving some of them.

 

[Noah Way Farm]

Well, this gives me hope.... 2nd morning in a row I woke up to the incubator at 93 degrees..... yesterday was day 19.....

It's definitely the best news to have at least 2. A single is always lonely or bonded to another species. I have read eggs further along in incubation can survive going cold, so it's wonderful to hear it's true, and that you were successful in saving some of them.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

I had 2 of the 3 eggs hatch. The third was dead in shell, unfortunately, but fully developed. They are call ducks so I was happy to get 2 given the circumstances. Yours might hatch a bit late but I bet they’ll be fine. Keep us posted!