Failed incubation? Pic of day 15 UPDATE: ONE lives, I think!

[Sabz]

ONE IS ALIVE

I candled all the eggs - 16 total.
They were half and half white/brown.
I could see through all the browns except one.

I tried water candling and it moves without any doubts!!!!!

I cracked open all the others and there was no baby chick in it, so I didn't kill them (phew).
Well, I may have killed the last one now.. I don't know if it harms them more to candle towards the end. I did it fast, had my hands super warm and put it back immediately.

He is due to hatch on sunday or monday.
He was a "cold egg" I had tried eggs right from the coop - at the minute they were laid. I tried some that were sitting on my table for a few days and a few that past a few hours in the coop (around 0 degrees). This was after the nice BYC people explained that I didn't need to grab the egg at the second it was laid to incubate haha. This one spent maybe. 6-7 hours in the cold.
So, he is my last hope.

If he gets through it, he will have the most love! haha It will be really easy to care for only one little chick, I guess he will be spending a lot of time with me I have 20-22 at a time usually.

Now I am going to read on what to do near hatching day. When I did this before knowing BYC, I did it like my father. Just a box, a light bulb and some water for humidity. Nothing special on hatching day. But here I read that there was a lock down? Like we cannot open the incubator on the last days..
I am going to check it out and try my best not to kill this little one.

I think I'll call him LastHope LOL Or just Hope! If it's a female, I'll keep her for the eggs, if it's a male it is going to be a meat chick. It's actually a cross between my brown layer and a meat chick (rosso breed).

I am exited. Thanks for your help. I would never had the courage to crack one if you wouldn't be here to give me your opinions.

I love this forum! I will post you a pic if I have a successful hatch

 

[Aphrael]

Lockdown is a term people use, because most don't open the incubator at all during the last few days until hatch is over. This is because opening the incubator can cause a drastic drop in humidity that can cause problems for any pipped eggs. Good luck! I hope it hatches for you.

 

[Sabz]

Thanks! He is locked down now

I removed the egg turned and put him on a non-slippery surface as it said in the instruction page.

I've checked the temp and humidity about 60 times yesterday and this morning. I went to talk to the egg to see if it would chirp LOL.

My dog thinks I'm crazy, talking to a big white box.

 

[julieseawel]

Any update? Did the egg hatch??

 

[Sabz]

You don't wan't to know.

Actually.. I might as well say it.. could help someone else.

Yes, it hatched. I spent the whole evening holding the little baby underneath a wool pijama, he was sleeping.. so cute. I kissed it about 50 million times.

And then.. put it in the incubator for the night..

And then... my cat ate it. Gee... I didn't think it would be strong enough to open the 'bator. It is true that it is almost all made of styrofoam, plus the motors and cabling.. The 'bator was on top of the dog kennel, so the cat had to jump on it, walk on the tiny little metal bars, reach the bator and open it while standing on a 2 mm metal bar. Ninja cat, I guess.

I was so so so sad when I saw that the next morning.
I've learned a valuable lesson.

I am starting a new incubation tomorrow, so they hatch on a friday and I have all weekend with them. The incubator will be in a CLOSED ferret cage, in my CLOSE bathroom.

I felt REALLY stupid.

He was the cute little thing:

 

[julieseawel]

Oh poor chicky! He was very cute! This is a learning experience for me too. I'm hatching some eggs just now. 4 have hatched successfully so far and I have 3 left to go. I did have some eggs that stopped developing along the way for some reason.....it's always sad when you lose one I lost 4 older chicks to a chicken hawk a couple months ago. Good luck on your next batch!

 

[Orca5094]

Omg, I'm so sorry for your loss. That is so sad and unfortunate, but at least you (and many others who read this maybe) learned something from the experience. Sounds like your new batch will be super secure and safe. I wish you luck with your new hatch!

 

[Aphrael]

You don't wan't to know.

Actually.. I might as well say it.. could help someone else.

Yes, it hatched. I spent the whole evening holding the little baby underneath a wool pijama, he was sleeping.. so cute. I kissed it about 50 million times.

And then.. put it in the incubator for the night..

And then... my cat ate it. Gee... I didn't think it would be strong enough to open the 'bator. It is true that it is almost all made of styrofoam, plus the motors and cabling.. The 'bator was on top of the dog kennel, so the cat had to jump on it, walk on the tiny little metal bars, reach the bator and open it while standing on a 2 mm metal bar. Ninja cat, I guess.

I was so so so sad when I saw that the next morning.
I've learned a valuable lesson.

I am starting a new incubation tomorrow, so they hatch on a friday and I have all weekend with them. The incubator will be in a CLOSED ferret cage, in my CLOSE bathroom.

I felt REALLY stupid.

He was the cute little thing:

Oh no! That is awful! Poor little baby. I'm so sorry you lost it like that.

 

[enola]

My entire first hatch of purebred Araucanas was eaten by my Min-pin. I forgot to push my desk chair under my desk so she jumped up in the chair and then onto the table the incubator was on. The eggs weren't hatched yet, so she broke open all the eggs........... I came home to the incubator in the floor and egg shells all over the floor. So, I know exactly how you feel.

 

[Sabz]

Ouf, glad your not saying I'm a mean and cruel person hehe.

At "least" (if I can say that) I was lucky to have only one chick. If the cat had eaten 16 of them, I would feel a lot worst!

Cats will always be cats! I wonder if my dog would have protected the chick.. unfortunately the dog was in my bedroom with the door closed. How did I manage so many fails in one night? lol