How do EXPERIENCED hatchers live thru an incubation?! Temp issues NOW!

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
I'm with the others - I think it's too early to toss them out. Your temperatures haven't been far enough off for the whole batch to have died. I just candled mine again (since I PM'd you) and I believe all but the marans egg are still alive and my temperatures have been anywhere from 97-103 (not on purpose). Mine are on day 12 - I think 4 days is too early to give up on them.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Okay, well the good news is that we finally have stable temps. I have covered the cooler side of my bator and vented the hot side. Both sides are at 99 - 100. So, I feel better about how it is working. I guess it was just off.
I will leave all eggs alone until Saturday. Will not throw any out. I am hoping.
As the house warms up during the day, the temp goes up, and vise versa in the evening. The house temp is around 72* at night and up to 75* during the day. It is so nice right now!
Would love to go for a hike, but don't feel like I can leave the eggs alone!
Thanks all! I am less freaked. Will update.
Trying to sit on my hands.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Go for a hike. It will make you feel better. Is there another place you might put the incubator that's a little more stable in temps? Sometimes it's not possible, but if you can keep the room more stable, then the incubator will be more stable too.

 

[gckiddhouse]

Well, I am hoping that all of yesterday's drama was just a false alarm. I couldn't help myself! I candled them again this morning. There are 12 that have veining in them. I can see some of the embryos and not others. But the good news is that even if I can't see the embryos, there is more veining than yesterday. So tha is good, right??

I also have one jumbo Marans egg that may have 2 embryos. I should take a pic of it. The dark shell makes it hard to see, but there are 2 dark spots that look like embryos. Then there is a large dark mass. It may be a rotten egg, or maybe it really is twins. The egg is certainly big enough.

Thanks for all the support yesterday. I am hangin' in there! Sure appreciate my BYC friends that are always ready to lend a key stroke or two!!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Good news!

Now sit on those hands and let them get to work...

 

[gckiddhouse]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Good news!

Now sit on those hands and let them get to work...

Yes, Ma am!

 

[Mrs MIA]

OK... sad story, but it will help people understand that these babies can be more resilient that you'll ever think.

This morning is day 18 for a batch of eggs. I candle the day before lockdown, and transfer good eggs to cartons so that I can just move them over quickly to the hatcher and be done with it. I candled the eggs this morning, and pulled 9 eggs. Two of those eggs had developed, but try as hard as I could, I did not see ANY movement in them. One of the two was a suspected double-yolker... it was huge! I set the "duds" aside in a carton, and my husband called for my help so I put the good eggs back and left, leaving the duds sitting on the counter. Almost 3 hours later, these eggs are cold to the touch, and I bring them downstairs to toss. I'm thinking "Hm... let's see if this WAS a double yolker," and I crack the big egg open and dump out the contents into a bowl. You know where this is going, right? I saw absolutely NO movement, and the egg was over half clear. Not something that you would normally see on day 18. The chick is BREATHING.

Moral of the story... do NOT ever give up on your eggs until 2-3 days after their hatch date unless they are absolutely clear or stinking.


Now, someone make me feel better and tell me their chicks hatched, ok??

 

[gckiddhouse]

So sad, Mrs. AKBB! Thanks for sharing, though.

I have 18 that look promising. One with a possible blood ring and one dark egg that still looks clear.

So, maybe 15 or 16 that are doing well. Leaving them all in there! Temps doing better. I do look at them a lot!! I can't help myself! It is so cool to see the little swimmers!

 

[gckiddhouse]

Haven't heard from this bunch in a while! Any news??

We have 2 pips this morning!!

I put 15 developed eggs in at lock down. I dropped one and smashed the whole side of it.

I dripped candle wax on it, but it was a pretty good smash, so we will see if it comes out okay.

So eggsiting!!!

 

[tnchickenut]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Moral of the story... do NOT ever give up on your eggs until 2-3 days after their hatch date unless they are absolutely clear or stinking.

I have been trying to push that point forever! (ok, not FOREVER, but alot hehe) I try to keep tell people to never ever give up on a hatch. The power goes out for a long period of time in the winter... just keep going. They still may hatch... just subtract the time the power was off from their days. The tempature spikes (this happened to me to 112F (100% hatch)) just cool them down for a few minutes, make adjustments and keep going.
Eggs don't start to develope all at the exact same moment, so why do you think they would candle the same or hatch all the same. They don't. I have had chicks hatch 4 days early and 3 days late.

Point is... never ever ever ever ever give up. If you have any question in your mind about that egg, leave it. The only exception is if it is weeping and smells rotten.​