First Time Egg Candler Scared!

[BYC910]

Any idea why these two didn't make it after lockdown? I know one of them had some yolk unabsorbed. Does the head placement look right or not ready?

 

[WalnutHill]

Any idea why these two didn't make it after lockdown? I know one of them had some yolk unabsorbed. Does the head placement look right or not ready?

How long were those in after the others hatched? They look really dry in the outer membranes, especially the first one. Both look like they were in a reasonable pipping position. How were the air cells last time you candled?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Any idea why these two didn't make it after lockdown? I know one of them had some yolk unabsorbed. Does the head placement look right or not ready?

I agree with walnut. that outer membrane looks like it would be harder to heck for them to get through. That top one looks especially "rubbery". The inner membrane looks good, so I don't think there was an issue there, but those outer membranes could be the culprit. (If the pic was taken at the time of eggtopsy and not much later.)

 

[sideWing]

How long were those in after the others hatched? They look really dry in the outer membranes, especially the first one. Both look like they were in a reasonable pipping position. How were the air cells last time you candled?

I agree with walnut. that outer membrane looks like it would be harder to heck for them to get through. That top one looks especially "rubbery". The inner membrane looks good, so I don't think there was an issue there, but those outer membranes could be the culprit. (If the pic was taken at the time of eggtopsy and not much later.)

The air cells looked good at lockdown. Maybe even a little big on one of them.

To be honest the pics were taken about 10 hours after I opened them. I opened the egg at the big end and put them back in for about 10 hours hoping one of them might break open. The membrane did look a little tough when I opened them, but I don't know what a healthy membrane looks like on the chicks that break it themselves.

I guess my thinking is that if they can't break through the membrane how are they going to get out of the shell? But maybe it's a space thing on the shell and they have some room to peck.

I was mostly wondering if the beaks/heads were in the correct position to pip the air cell. I'm trying to determine when they are failing if there is a pattern.

If the membrane is too tough or dry what can I adjust to help with that?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The air cells looked good at lockdown. Maybe even a little big on one of them.

To be honest the pics were taken about 10 hours after I opened them. I opened the egg at the big end and put them back in for about 10 hours hoping one of them might break open. The membrane did look a little tough when I opened them, but I don't know what a healthy membrane looks like on the chicks that break it themselves.

I guess my thinking is that if they can't break through the membrane how are they going to get out of the shell? But maybe it's a space thing on the shell and they have some room to peck.

I was mostly wondering if the beaks/heads were in the correct position to pip the air cell. I'm trying to determine when they are failing if there is a pattern.

If the membrane is too tough or dry what can I adjust to help with that?

If they were opened that long before the pic, it would explain why they look that way.

It would all depend on why the membrane is tough. In reality it could be the eggs themselves or it could be a humidity thing. With the pics being taken that long after they were exposed to air, I would retract my comments on the membranes. I don't understand what you mean by opening the big end and putting them back in hoping they might break open though.

 

[sideWing]

If they were opened that long before the pic, it would explain why they look that way.

It would all depend on why the membrane is tough. In reality it could be the eggs themselves or it could be a humidity thing. With the pics being taken that long after they were exposed to air, I would retract my comments on the membranes. I don't understand what you mean by opening the big end and putting them back in hoping they might break open though.

Opening the big end was my way of seeing what was going on inside. I could have given them 24 more hours but I needed to set some new eggs that got shipped in and some of them were already 6 days old. So instead of just throwing them out I opened the big end hoping that I might see movement. I did not see movement but thought I might leave them in for a few more hours and see if they pipped the membrane. So hoping they would break open the membrane.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Opening the big end was my way of seeing what was going on inside. I could have given them 24 more hours but I needed to set some new eggs that got shipped in and some of them were already 6 days old. So instead of just throwing them out I opened the big end hoping that I might see movement. I did not see movement but thought I might leave them in for a few more hours and see if they pipped the membrane. So hoping they would break open the membrane.

OK.

 

[WVduckchick]

Opening the big end was my way of seeing what was going on inside. I could have given them 24 more hours but I needed to set some new eggs that got shipped in and some of them were already 6 days old. So instead of just throwing them out I opened the big end hoping that I might see movement. I did not see movement but thought I might leave them in for a few more hours and see if they pipped the membrane. So hoping they would break open the membrane.

Did it look dry as soon as you opened it, or was it damp? If you had touched your finger in water, then touched the membrane and just kinda left your finger resting on the membrane, you probably could have felt if there was movement. Also dampening the membrane would have shown you any active veins or not. I opened one and thought it was dead. Sliced through the membrane and the darn thing started chirping. The very first chick I ever opened! It didn't make it, but whew, what an impression it made!

Good luck with the new hatch!

 

[sideWing]

Did it look dry as soon as you opened it, or was it damp? If you had touched your finger in water, then touched the membrane and just kinda left your finger resting on the membrane, you probably could have felt if there was movement. Also dampening the membrane would have shown you any active veins or not. I opened one and thought it was dead. Sliced through the membrane and the darn thing started chirping. The very first chick I ever opened! It didn't make it, but whew, what an impression it made!

Good luck with the new hatch!

They both looked dry. I didn't try "adding water". Did yours die because you opened it or for other reasons?

 

[WVduckchick]

They both looked dry. I didn't try "adding water". Did yours die because you opened it or for other reasons?

Long story shortened... I bought the bator from a fella with eggs already in it on day 12! I had no idea what I was doing!! It was day 24 when I opened it, I think. I'm sure he had the temp set too low, and I had the humidity too high, because I trusted the unit. Dumb rookie. So knowing what I know now, I think I drowned it.