Hatching experiment...update post #20

[BarkerChickens]

I finally agreed to let my hen hatch eggs, but the eggs are all in the fridge or are from after I gave them wazine. So, she has 5 fridge eggs (2-3 weeks old) and 6 wazine eggs. We'll see how many we can actually get.

To make it more interesting...this is hers and my first time hatching. (She just won't agree to waiting the 3-5 more weeks for good eggs and I won't agree to pay for hatching eggs

).

ORIGINAL POST:
I have a broody that we have decided we'll let hatch some eggs. The problem is that they were given Wazine about 1.5 weeks ago for a 24 hr period. I have read that those eggs, while fertile, won't hatch. Don't quite understand why, but my guess is that the chemicals transferred to the egg prohibit proper development. My other option is to grab eggs that have been refrigerated from prior to the Wazine. Which is a better choice? Or should I use both and cross my fingers? While I would love to order hatching eggs to solve my problem, we aren't really looking at adding more to the flock right now as much as we are just trying to please our obsessed broody (she's been difficult to break, so we're giving in

). We figure we can give he a few eggs and hope a couple make it.

Oh...we live in the desert of So California, so while it will be chilly at night, our coop is warm enough that I think the chicks would be ok with their mama. We won't really be cold during the day for another 6-8 weeks and the rain usually doesn't come until January, so I think we are ok.

 

[lauralou]

Hmmm... That's a tough decision.

If the eggs have been in the refrigerator for almost 2 weeks, I have to assume that their hatchability would diminish. But maybe not by too much. I've hatched refrigerated eggs before. I have no recollection of how long they'd been refrigerated though. Lots of folks have hatched grocery store eggs, and who knows how long those had been refrigerated. So it's worth a try.

Also, I've never heard that Wazine would cause eggs to be nonviable. If it's been a week and a half since you medicated, surely there can't be much chemical action going on anymore. If any.

I like the idea of experimenting. Maybe try half refrigerated, half fresh, possibly Wazined eggs. And mark them so you'll know the difference. I would certainly be interested in knowing how it turns out.

 

[BarkerChickens]

I like your half-and-half idea and see what happens! I am not hatching to add to our flock, just to appease our determined broody, so I will be happy if she get 2 chicks. How many do you think would be good to put under her given the viability issue? I have never hatched before, so it's a first for me too (she's only 8 mos old, but DETERMINED!!! She is a Java, which I have read are frequent brooders). I have read that regular eggs are probably about a 50-50 chance. So, maybe 6-8 (3-4 of each) to hope for 2 viable chicks?

Also, novice question. Can I mark them with permanent marker, or does the marker potentially contaminate the egg?

 

[silkiechicken]

Pencil is best because the solvents in the ink can soak though the shell and potentially be harmful, but doesn't mean it will prevent hatching.

The reason they say not to hatch eggs post wormer for a few weeks is because reside of the wormer can cause birth defects. Often they cull themselves out so don't hatch, but it's just a risk. You can try, but the rate of hatch might be lower. Same with fridge eggs. Rate of deformity and inability to hatch changes with the duration and temperature.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Hmm...the good (non-wormer) eggs in the fridge are about 2-3 weeks old. If a chick hatches from a wazine or refrigerator egg and is normal, is there the potential for it to to pass on genetic issue onto the chicks offspring in the future? I wish that we would have decided to hatch chicks BEFORE we dewormed them (especially since none of them ended having roundworm (dewormed because of skinny hen)!

).

 

[BarkerChickens]

Unless there is a genetic issue that can be passed on in the future, I think I am going to try to hatch both eggs and see what happens.

If the fridge eggs are 2-3 weeks old, how many should I put under her? In other words, what is the hatchability ratio of refrigerated eggs? If there is a 25% chance of hatching, that is much different than 50%. I don't want her to sit on eggs for nothing.

I've got my pencil ready for labeling.

 

[silkiechicken]

2-3 weeks old in a home refridgrator at 42 or so will probably put the hatch rate down towards 10%. Hatch rate of 3 week old eggs held in an egg refrigerator at about 50F and 100% humidity only had 50% hatch rate.

As for genetic issues of future offspring, unlikly if the chick actually develops and can hatch, as any mutation would need to occur at an important spot in the gametes of this chick to be. More likly than not, if there was a mutation in the gametes, there would be mutations elsewhere that mess the chick up long before it could get to hatch.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
I have 5 eggs from that fridge that I will give my broody. The rest will be from the Wazine eggs. Will 10 eggs be fine or is that a bit much to put under her? (She is a standard, mottled Java). Heck, if she can handle a couple more, I will give 12 if the hatchability is so low.

Alos, thank you so much for your assistance! I greatly appreciate you taking the time to answer my novice questions.

 

[silkiechicken]

No problem, I'm sure there are lots of view on the subject. Put as many under as you think she can cover, but I'd not push it, or a few eggs on the edge might get chilled if she moves the eggs around and doesn't get them all tucked in.

 

[lauralou]

And put the pencil marks on the ends of the eggs. If you write on the middle, she is likely to rub the marks off with her moist, hot belly.

My broody hens have generally hatched better than 90% of fresh, nonshipped eggs. I've only hatched shipped eggs twice, one hatch was 75%, the other was 73%, both under experienced broody hens. Just so you have a point of reference. If it can be done, your broody can probably do it.

Edited to add: I've never given a hen more than 10 eggs. And my broodies are pretty big girls.