hatching egg went cold

[Haych]

Hi,

Found your forum and thought i would join as it seems you lot may be able to help me out!

I had a broody orpington cross hen for the second year running so I decided to stick a clutch of 6 pekin eggs under her to see how she would do.

In fact she has done so well five out of the six eggs hatched, but one is slightly behind as a second broody hen didnt quite sit on them properly (they liked to share apparently) and when I candled this egg before it looked infertile, but I left it a little longer to see what happened.

Upon checking last week the egg was in fact fertile and a chick was growing (egg had darkened got heavy etc) so I was happy with that.

My issue is this; the second hen wasnt sticking to her duties so I decided for the sake of the babies to put them under the orp and let her do the work she was capable of, but the delayed sixth egg had not hatched, and today I found it away from the mum and extremely cold to the touch. Mum has took it back since and it is again warm, but will this chick survive?

Any help will be much appreciated.

Will add pics of my new babies to the other sections a little later on

 

[ScissorChick]

Welcome to BYC Haych!

It all depends on how long the egg was actually cold
I wouldn't just give up on it. Candle it and see if there is any sign of life. You could also

do a float test, just to be 100% sure on wether it's still good or not.


~ Scissor

 

[Haych]

Quote:
thank you for the warm welcome!

I will happily candle the egg, but I have never seen movement or the such, I only saw a mass of dark and the air sack. So I wouldnt know if the chick was alive or not.

And what happens on the float test?

 

[ScissorChick]

Yourwelcome

Check this out! It's very helpful!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=383525&p=1

 

[Haych]

well, Maggie (the mum) abandoned the egg again, and it was stone cold.

I did the water test and it floated with only the peak sticking out, but no movement. So I candled the egg after and the embryo side was runny and moving when I tiled the egg and I saw no signs of movement. As maggie will not take the egg back I know it will not be alive now. I am just trying to bring myself to throw it out.

Not a bad rate though, 5 out of 6 success rate.

Thanks for all the help on this one

 

[ScissorChick]

Aw, sorry

And yourwelcome. Glad I could somewhat help.

Not a bad rate at all!