How to Determine of Week 3 Embryos are Alive?

[centrarchid]

My son recently combined eggs from two broody hens under one hen. The first hen's eggs were at least a week ahead of those that were taken from the other hen. He knew start date for incubation with first hen although have only a rough estimate for the other. First hen has hatched off and switched from incubation to chick brood mode causing son to move eggs to an incubator where he disabled turner so he can hand turn eggs and inspect for development by candling. Since in third week now we can only see that volume of eggs that are not air sack on large end is black. The problem is that occurs starting about two weeks into incubation cycle. We wondering if there is some way we can determine if a given egg is viable in the last week when we don't know when pipping and actual hatch are to occur? My son thinks he saw an egg rock, but that could be his sister's sheep bumping bookshelf supporting incubator. Don't ask about the sheep in the house.

 

[sdm111]

How's about candling at the edge of airsack to see the membrane againt the chick move with tje chick? Just a guess cause I've never done it. I'd imagine the chick area would be too dense to see. So more about the house sheep?

 

[Perris]

That's an unfortunate situation to be in; sorry I can't help other than by instinct, which says leave them alone, and remove chicks as they hatch.

My understanding is that turning gets less important as the days go by, and can be fatal in the last few days - don't want the chick to drown in the amniotic fluid. You'll know whether they are viable or not just a day or three later by leaving them alone. Curiosity killed the cat; what's the worst that could happen by leaving them alone?

Don't ask about the sheep in the house.

that's like putting a big red button with a sign 'Don't push' !

 

[centrarchid]

We will run them through the incubator for an extended time. Being able to distinguish living from not is more an academic interest at this point. There is no economic reason to discern bad eggs to my knowledge when they are so late in the incubation process. The resulting chicks not worth enough relative to the effort required.

We have a bottle-lamb, now weaned. She comes into house at every opportunity. She jumps up on couch and bed and will sleep there if allowed. We have a couple dogs that are exceptionally good at opening doors and the lamb hangs with them when they are trying doors. The dogs are working handles with their mouths.


The lamb is otherwise exceptionally people friendly even when spending majority of time is unfriendly flock. The same lamb is now part of my farm outreach team with the trained chickens. The lamb really gets a lot of interest. Weird stuff at our house.

 

[centrarchid]

One egg of questionable morals just blew up. Very rotten.

 

[MGG]

Can you try to post pics? What color are the eggs? If you can get decent pics I can tell you what is and isn't good. Even if it's just the air cell area. If they're light colored eggs you can candle the pointy end, there's a gap down there for the yolk that's see through.

 

[centrarchid]

Eggs are white. Pointy end is dark during window of interest.

 

[Tonyroo]

Eggs are white. Pointy end is dark during window of interest.

Use this as a guide for unknown egg development.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/