Hatching Q on mailed eggs - Ayam Cemani

[EpicBlueAcres]

I think if I was not alone (if my mother was in town, she is the best hatching assistant) I would have gone in the morning after the first 2 hatched. It's best to have 2 people, get things done quicker & rotate watching shifts so they always have eyes on them.

Why can't chickens just lay see through shelled eggs

 

[Aphrael]

Now I'm confused...... Just float tested the last 2 eggs in the incubator that have not internal pipping, noise or rocking & rolling figuring the would have sink or floated high up (they had died or something). BUT they both floated as "viable eggs". Do I still keep them going in the incubator? I am now on day 24, the other hatched day 22 @ 4pm and 10pm and the other hatched with assistance today @ 4am.

It is my understanding that when you float test or "water candle" eggs that are due to hatch, you are not just looking for how high or low they float. At this point, that can be misleading, because it is the development of the air cell that determines where they float. So even a late death will float because the air cell is still there. Instead, when checking for live chicks via "water candling", you should have your water (@100 degrees F) in a container on a still, stable surface and gently float the egg into the water. Wait for a bit for the water disturbance from putting in the egg to settle. Any live embryo at this stage will create its own ripples and movement in the water, because they always have some motion, even if you can't see the egg moving yourself.

That's what I did this morning.....
One stopped development along the way I think body but lots of goo and fulk yolk sack.
The other was malpositioned feet where over the head

So I am wondering with any shipped eggs that have a saddle shape air sack should I go in and assist as soon as the first ones cone out or end of day 21 ?

So sorry they didn't make it.

It looks as if it never pipped internally? If that is the case, I don't think intervention would have made any difference no matter when you did it. They don't switch to breathing air until they have made that internal pip. They pip the membrane into the air cell and then their lungs inflate for the first time and they begin learning to breath. If they haven't made that transition, there really isn't much you can do to help them.

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

Thankyou so much for that information !!!!!
There where no ripples when I floated them and neither had done an internal pip. The one with the feet over the head was right at the edge of the air sack & I wonder if because of his position he couldn't get any more force to break through.
(Now I don't have to what if my self to death )

 

[Aphrael]

Thankyou so much for that information !!!!!
There where no ripples when I floated them and neither had done an internal pip. The one with the feet over the head was right at the edge of the air sack & I wonder if because of his position he couldn't get any more force to break through.
(Now I don't have to what if my self to death )

Glad I could help.

Forgot to add earlier - see through shells would be SO awesome. How great would it be if you could actually SEE the entire development and hatching process as it progressed?

 

[HugHess]

I am still wavering all over the fence on this debate...
I just had the second worst hatching ever (16 eggs set and only 5 made it out of their shell ) from eggs I p/u from the breeder.
The eggs were porous so I immediately mentioned my reservations to the breeder and was told that they s/b fine...
I had many early deaths (blood rings) before day seven (red flag) which aggravates me because, as a nurse's daughter, I take 'sterile' to a whole other level...
Of the 7 that went to lock down, the 1st to pip was at the wrong end (even though the egg was always either right side up in a turner or in a carton after lockdown...) I immediately assisted early on by finding the beak and later, after 27 hours of NO progress I helped by removing a little more than half it's shell. That chick is fine now.
Another was malpositioned and drowned, while the last one, that I wanted to 'go in' and get, but didn't because I listened to the outside voices instead of my gut, died in the shell sometime last night after I went to bed! Arghh.
This last dead chick had a really bad case of scissor beak and I wonder how much that could have had to do with it not externally pipping(?) IDK.
The first batch of shipped eggs I got came far, 5 states over, and I got five out of five that went into lock down...wonky air cells and all...
So, now I can't make up my mind as I have had both great and cruddy hatches from local and shipped eggs.
Se la vie I guess...as I still live and learn.
I AM leaning towards only setting non-porous eggs. Three of my worst hatches all came from porous eggs and that shows a pattern, to me anyways.
As far as shipped eggs go, I say keep an open mind...you might end up with one of your best hatch rates!

These are my 'babies' from a box that looked like an insane punter tried using it for 'try' outs...

My only shipped Isbar to hatch out of 14 porous eggs.

Lastly my batch of five from the sixteen set...ahhh, fuzzies! Who can't love a fuzz-butt!?

For everyone still waiting on their bated/broody eggs, I wish you a healthy, happy hatching...

 

[HugHess]

Now I'm confused...... Just float tested the last 2 eggs in the incubator that have not internal pipping, noise or rocking & rolling figuring the would have sink or floated high up (they had died or something). BUT they both floated as "viable eggs". Do I still keep them going in the incubator? I am now on day 24, the other hatched day 22 @ 4pm and 10pm and the other hatched with assistance today @ 4am.

Do you mean rocked in the water, or just floated?
Viable for me means they bounce or bob their shell in the water...
I just float tested my remaining eggs last night. The one with a cooler shell and floated w/o any signs of life was deceased...while the other bobbed and rocked in cup of warm water...just needed clarification so no one confuses floating for a sign of life.
Thanks.

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

For the float test mine just floated as in the pictures, no ripples. When reading the thread on float testing I didn't see where it said anything about ripples just floating height or sinking. A post farther up on here told be about the ripples and movement, makes much more sense now.
I fell better (well not really it's said so many problems) knowing other have had difficulties too , it's not me doing something wrong to kill these poor babies. Well I have many helpful tips from everyone through this hatch ordeal and am getting a better incubator (with the bells and whistles) to try any make things as much of a success in the future. Come February I will be a hatch oholic again

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

The 3 that did make it seem to be doing really well. I just can't say Thankyou enough to you all for your advice & support (knowing I wasn't alone & had a place to turn for advise) in helping these babies make it. Now on to the fub part.....picking names

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The 3 that did make it seem to be doing really well. I just can't say Thankyou enough to you all for your advice & support (knowing I wasn't alone & had a place to turn for advise) in helping these babies make it. Now on to the fub part.....picking names

They are adorable!! Any idea on the sexes yet?? Blackie, Midnight, Familiar......lol

 

[EpicBlueAcres]

They say you can't feather sex them and it's hard to do but the one is acting very bold and one very snuggly so I am hoping the bold is a roo & snuggly is a pullet. As long as I get one of each sex I will be over the moon.