Final Candling before lockdown - Questions

[pattyjean73]

Ok the best I can tell (assuming nothing goes wrong from here on out) there are 11 eggs developing normally. Lockdown began tonight at midnight. When I candled this time 11 of 12 eggs were all very dark with only and air cell visible. Up until now I've been able to make out blood vessels which assured me there was life and development. Is this what they are supposed to look like on the 18th day?

Also, the 12th egg is only half dark... not full like all the others. It looked like there might have been some visible blood vessels but maybe it was string busted yolk? Not sure. I know that egg was developing on the 10th day but not sure whether to toss it now or just leave it in there. Slow developer purhaps? I am not too hopeful on that 12th egg.

 

[redroosta]

toss it, 11 good chicks are enough. besides that could not be a chick at all, but a bomb just waiting for something to set it off. Put it in a bag, zip it, then bag it again. get a hammer or a rock and crack it. if it blows up, great. if there is a small chick, boo hoo, it would probably die on hatch date anyway. Best of luck with your hatch!

 

[Bird Brain]

Quote:
If this egg IS in fact, rotten, it is more dangerous than a nuclear weapon. The stench is foul (pun intended) and will make you gag. I will never forget that smell.

Otherwise I am with you. I am on day 18 of my first hatch and I am nervous!

 

[Goose and Fig]

If the last egg isn't stinky- I'd leave it in there. It's only a few days. I just hatched some banties- most were all dark like your 11. I had 2 that looked a little small. They ended up hatching 3 days later- might have been in a cool spot in the bator (even though I rotate). All of the eggs had the same parents- some chicks were bigger than others for some reason.

 

[chubbydog811]

I agree with HappyMtn ...Leave it...Unless it is stinky, I would give it a chance. For the hundred and some eggs I have hatched, I have had a lot that look like that (not full in the egg on day 18). They have all hatched for me. Like already mentioned, they might have been in a cool spot...

 

[pattyjean73]

Thanks for the input. No I didn't notice any kind of odor. The bator has been locked down nearly 24 hours now so I'm afraid to open it. I'll leave the final egg in there and see what happens.

I'm nervous as all heck. The battery in my thermo/hygro died on me so I have NO idea what my temp and humidity levels are. Again, I'm afraid to open the bator to change the battery so I'm going to assume that the temp is still right. There has been very little flucuation for the first 19 days so I'm going on faith here. I took the plug out as instructed by the bator... i'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't affect the temp any.