First Time Raising Chicks!(Pics included) - Day 7: Movement!

[BackyardDove]

The embryos can be seen moving gently on their own if you hold the egg still (and if they are developing) once you get the right angle.

I would candle again in a few days, if some eggs are developing and others are duds the bad eggs can sometimes explode and contaminate the rest (smell them to see if they are bad), or they may crack and attract ants which is often a disaster.

The air sac is clear, you can tell as the light shines brighter through the sac. The air sac also should be stuck on the wide end of the egg and not moving around. If eggs are shipped, or otherwise roughly treated sometime the air sac detaches and floats around to the top of the egg no matter the position which is not a good thing. See photo below, these eggs look like they are at the 5-7 day mark, the last photo probably further along and the embryos should be seen moving:

Since it had already been a couple days since I first candled the eggs, I went ahead and candled them again tonight. This time, I candled them on their side like you recommended. Three of the eggs of both nests were moving and clearly viable, but the other three looked like they had never developed at all. I tossed those eggs and, just to make sure I hadn't killed any chicks, I cracked them and they hadn't developed. Now I have a new question. The three eggs from each nest that were alive looked similar to pictures of eggs that were at 12 days old, not 7 days old like they are now. I did store these eggs for a couple to a few days(depends on the egg) before putting them under the hens. Did the eggs grow some before being put under the hens, despite being stored? Oh, and those "blobs" I was talking about, those were the yolks. I completely forgot the inside of an egg isn't just a clear liquid, there's also a yolk in it

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.....My only concern for these eggs is the fertility. I properly stored them and all, but the hens went broody 2 weeks after the roosters last mated with them..... . I keep my roosters and hens separated, so what I do is I put the roosters in with the hens for a week, take them out once the week is up, leave the hens alone for 2 weeks, then repeat the process. .....

Whether it's one or a dozen matings, a hen will only lay fertile eggs for about (more or less) 5 days max from the date of last service.

Futhermone after one week of perfect storage hatachability starts falling off, fast.

After 21 days of perfect storage forget about hatching a chick from that egg.

I doubt that this is the news that you whish to hear but its my experance.

You're correct about chickens being different from other bird species. For instance, a turkey hen can lay a whole clutch of fertile eggs after only one maiting.

 

[BackyardDove]

Whether it's one or a dozen matings, a hen will only lay fertile eggs for about (more or less) 5 days max from the date of last service.

Futhermone after one week of perfect storage hatachability starts falling off, fast.

After 21 days of perfect storage forget about hatching a chick from that egg.

I doubt that this is the news that you whish to hear but its my experance.

You're correct about chickens being different from other bird species. For instance, a turkey hen can lay a whole clutch of fertile eggs after only one maiting.

Fortunately, three eggs from both nests are growing and are healthy. I'm not too sure how accurate it is to say a hen will not lay fertile eggs 5 days after the last mating, considering the all the eggs I put under her were at least 7 days since her last mating. Though I'm sure it varies from hen to hen and 5 days is the safest bet. I've decided that the next time I want to breed my hens, the roosters will stay in with them until they go broody to ensure fertility. My question is, do eggs still grow some while being stored? And, if so, how much to they grow?

 

[16 paws]

Hi there,

Just wanted to follow along, Hi Sonya, remember me from hatching with 2 broodys?

Backyard Dove I havent heard of them growing while being stored. I always thought they had to be kept at a certain temp to start growing.

My broody Layla is due to hatch some eggs this Sunday. I have had some bad hatches in the past so I am hoping this one goes smooth. I had always tried to let my broody stay in her favorite spot and not move her but that ended up in a lot of broken and missing eggs. I also had the eggs get soiled from a broken one and that may have harmed some of the eggs.

Good luck on your hatch and I will be following what happens.

I can also give you some advice if I know the answer. Sonya has good advice as I was on another thread with her.
Marie

 

[BackyardDove]

Hi there,

Just wanted to follow along, Hi Sonya, remember me from hatching with 2 broodys?

Backyard Dove I ha vent heard of them growing while being stored. I always thought they had to be kept at a certain temp to start growing.

My broody Layla is due to hatch some eggs this Sunday. I have had some bad hatches in the past so I am hoping this one goes smooth. I had always tried to let my broody stay in her favorite spot and not move her but that ended up in a lot of broken and missing eggs. I also had the eggs get soiled from a broken one and that may have harmed some of the eggs.

Good luck on your hatch and I will be following what happens.

I can also give you some advice if I know the answer. Sonya has good advice as I was on another thread with her.
Marie

Layla? That's one of my hen's name's

She has yet to go broody though. I thought that too, but I remember seeing somewhere that the egg grows a bit while stored. I don't know why else the eggs would look like they're days ahead of what they should be at in growth. How exactly did the eggs get broken/go missing? Was the hen just not careful or did she pick a bad spot to have her eggs?

 

[16 paws]

Here is a picture of Layla. She is a Blue Cochin. Excellent broody so far. Is really sitting tight.

She has 11 eggs, 4 Lavender Americanas, 3 Olive Eggers, and the rest are bantam Cochins from my flock. She had 12 eggs but one was pushed out and then disappeared. I think she ate it

Chickens!
I decided not to candle whatever happens, happens.

I also have a black and a white silkie, the black one is named Licorice and the white one is called Powder, and I have a white Sultan named Puff. She was susposed to be a silkie but somehow I ended up with a Sultan! That is what I love about having chickens, there is a surprise around every corner!

Marie

 

[16 paws]

Layla? That's one of my hen's name's

She has yet to go broody though. I thought that too, but I remember seeing somewhere that the egg grows a bit while stored. I don't know why else the eggs would look like they're days ahead of what they should be at in growth. How exactly did the eggs get broken/go missing? Was the hen just not careful or did she pick a bad spot to have her eggs?

Both, I have a Jersey Giant and I think she may of been clumsy and possibly broke some eggs. She is huge. As a matter of fact she is broody right now. I keep taking her eggs away. I have 4 broodys right now. She also picked the favorite nest box. I provided extra nest boxes but they all wanted to use hers. I still dont know how the eggs disappeared. I even found some out on the lawn about 20 feet away from the coop. I still dont know how they got out there!

 

[drumstick diva]

Layla is beautiful.

 

[BackyardDove]

Here is a picture of Layla. She is a Blue Cochin. Excellent broody so far. Is really sitting tight.

She has 11 eggs, 4 Lavender Americanas, 3 Olive Eggers, and the rest are bantam Cochins from my flock. She had 12 eggs but one was pushed out and then disappeared. I think she ate it

Chickens!
I decided not to candle whatever happens, happens.

I also have a black and a white silkie, the black one is named Licorice and the white one is called Powder, and I have a white Sultan named Puff. She was susposed to be a silkie but somehow I ended up with a Sultan! That is what I love about having chickens, there is a surprise around every corner!

Marie

Do you buy the eggs and have her sit on them or do you just use your other hen's eggs? I at first didn't want to candle, but I decided that candling is better since having an infertile egg explode under the broody, and contaminating the other eggs, isn't something I want. Plus, I think it's really cool to see the baby moving inside. Layla looks like a good mom! She doesn't look like she'd move for anything.

This is my Layla. She's a black Booted Bantam, sweetest little hen I've ever had.


Quote:

Hmm.. It's always possible she rejected them. I raise doves and whenever they reject an egg, usually they somehow manage to push the egg out of the nest and all the way to the opposite side of the aviary without breaking it! That's why I'm hesitant to breed/use bigger hens as broody's, though. I'm afraid they might get clumsy and break the eggs. I sometimes put Red Golden Pheasant eggs underneath my broody hens to give them something to raise, but Red Goldens only breed April through June so I can't afford to have a clumsy broody.

 

[16 paws]

Hi Backyard Dove,
This time I bought some eggs from a friend near by and I also have some from my flock of bantams. I wanted some blue and green eggs for color diversity. I have one Americana, "Crazy Daisy" but for some reason she just stops laying for months at a time. I dont get it. She lays a beautiful green egg when she does lay. Thats why we call her Crazy Daisy, she really is a nut! She thinks she is a little handyman. Whenever we go down to the coop to do a project she so wants to help.I can just picture her with a little tool belt on LOL

Your little Cochin Layla looks adorable. How old is she? I have never heard of that breed. I love Cochins, they seem to be very mild mannered and easy going.

It sounds like you raise other birds? Doves and pheasants? Are they just for pets?

Marie