Hatching pullet eggs and result question - UPDATE We have 2 chicks!

[bobbieschicks]

I think my EE Smokey (Bandit's hatchmate) wants to go broody and hatch her own eggs. I had put some of her eggs in with Bandit's & Snow White's eggs in the incubator - I'm thinking I probably could let her go broody and put everyone under her to hatch. Yesterday when I went to retrieve Snow's and Smokey's eggs from the nestbox - Smokey wouldn't let me take her egg-she wouldn't get off of it. I had to risk pecking to steal it from under her. She stayed on the nest for another hour before getting out. If she keeps trying to hatch I may just let her hatch a set so at least I have some green egg layers in the spring. I'm paranoid something will happen to her since Bandit is dead. I've gotten used to those beautiful green eggs

I haven't candled yet - I will candle tonight and hope to have some growing!

 

[bobbieschicks]

I candled the eggs - I can't tell on a few of them if there's anything even growing in there. But none were completely clear.

I guess I will leave them all until Sunday and candle again to decide if I toss or keep. That will be Day 14 - so I should see some clear development by then. The 3 White Leghorn eggs did not appear to be developing and those were the ones I figured would have the best chance.

So maybe none will hatch Oh well, at least we are trying.

 

[matlock585]

Some of the eggs I have set right now are olives and I can't see through them at all. BUT, I did discover that if I tilt the big end of the egg more toward the light I'm candling with I can see an air cell which equals a chick developing inside....

 

[bobbieschicks]

Some of the eggs I have set right now are olives and I can't see through them at all. BUT, I did discover that if I tilt the big end of the egg more toward the light I'm candling with I can see an air cell which equals a chick developing inside....

That's great! See that's why I'm not tossing anyone - it's so hard to see inside the green eggs sometimes. I am pretty sure the white eggs aren't developing properly because they are easy to see inside. But I can't tell with the green. It won't hurt to leave them in there - no one is stinking at least.

 

[matlock585]

I would most definitely follow the no egg is stinking train of thought. My pullet also died immediately after I set 4 of her eggs.

 

[bobbieschicks]

What is up with that!?! I miss my Bandit so much. It was fun watching her roam around the yard with the other chickens. She was a very sweet EE who had just started to let me pet her. And her eggs were the most beautiful color green.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I can't believe it's going to be February! I had a moment of panic on Sunday when my son asked if it was hatch day. This time I didn't put out a calendar like I usually do so I had to quickly do the math and decided it was best to write those dates down for stopping future panic sessions.

Lockdown is Thursday - where did the time go? We're heading out with the kids to Red Robins' after church on Sunday to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary - which is a good thing otherwise I suppose I would just sit and stare at the incubator and nonmoving eggs - LOL.

Praying for at least one or two to hatch

 

[bobbieschicks]

Smokey has gone broody on me - she's sitting on one of her own eggs. Tomorrow I'll try to put one of the White Leghorn eggs in there with her if she'll let me. Otherwise I'll let her give it a try - if she doesn't hatch anything by 21 days from today - then I will pull those two eggs out and try and break her from being broody.

Tomorrow is LOCKDOWN! It's been so long since I hatched any eggs I will have to get out my incubator manual and figure out what to do LOL! I know I need to turn off the turner and take it out, fill in both the wells and then DO NOT OPEN IT until the hatching is completely over. And I have learned to not panic on Day 22 when still nothing has happened. Hoping to have a few chicks that will lay green eggs

 

[bobbieschicks]

We candled the eggs on Thursday and saw nothing in the WL eggs. Several of the green eggs were mostly clear. Two eggs we couldn't see much inside so we put them all back in the bator. This morning I glanced into the bator and saw a cracked shell. I thought one had exploded. Then I saw the tiny chick in the corner. We have one chick from Bandits eggs! It looks light like a white leghorn. But I will look more closely when we pull it out tomorrow on hatch day
.

 

[bobbieschicks]

And we have a pop on the other egg we couldnt see inside from BAndit. Praying it lives so we increase the odds of a pullet

Edited: That's a "pip" not a pop! Smartphone should also be forced to have better grammer skills