HUGE mistake first time incubating !

[NSChickenMamma]

My daughter got some Cochins last summer as chicks, so this year wanted to try to hatch some of her own. So we borrowed an incubator and set the very first eggs these hens have ever laid. I know we were being hopeful that these first eggs would be fertile. We also set a few others from our houdans and americanas too with fingers crossed

We set them on Feb 2

We tried candeling them before, but really didn't have a great light to see what was going on, so just left them all

Tonight (Day 16) I thought when I was turning them that I would try to candle them again. HUGE MISTAKE !!!

There were a few eggs that I didn't think had anything going on as they looked too black, so set them aside as I was going to have a second look at them. Then I thought, this close to the end, I'll just put them back in and leave them. While putting them back in the incubator, I dropped the very first egg our cochins have ever laid and it cracked. Egg ruined now !

Took it over to the sink to crack it down the drain and started to cry when I saw that chick in the egg moving its beak !!!

I feel sick to my stomach over this !!! Maybe I should have just taped the egg back up and put it back in the incubator !

Only thing that would make me feel better would be how to tell if it was male or female

 

[gapeach717]

The very very black look of the egg was normal at that point (day 16) the chick is almost completely formed and taking up so much room by then it's pitch black usually. I am so sorry. I would have cried my eyes out,

 

[NSChickenMamma]

We know the very black is good now !!

We thought the heat was too high and we hard boiled the eggs somehow and that air sack around the top was where the egg stopped being cooked.

If the egg hadn't slipped and dropped, I was going to put it back in anyway for the last 4-5 days

Rookie mistakes that won't happen again !

 

[rosemi78]

Oh I am so sorry!!! The only thing I can say is that I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. We may not always know what that reason is, but there still is one... Keep your head up. Soon you will have chicks hatching and hopefully that will help to make you feel better.

 

[gapeach717]

I am sorry honey. We all make rookie mistakes. I know that image will be hard to forget any time soon. But try not to beat yourself up too much! I am hatching three incubators worth of eggs on my first go ever at this. Trust me, we ALL make mistakes. Lots of luck on the rest of your hatch! Feel free to join us over on the February hatch a long thread to share the rest of your journey!

 

[Colourful]

My sympathies. You hear about it all the time, but it doesn't make it any less awful.

I have my first batch in too, started on feb 2nd. We'll be hatching buddies. And remember, lock-down is tomorrow. Humidity up, and don't turn the eggs any more. Leave them to hatch on their own and open the lid of the incubator as little as possible (if at all).

I hope you have many fluffy feeted cheepers.

 

[ChucktheChick]

So sorry..... I am so pathetic almost started to bawl when I read it..... I am sorry that happened. Did it die then on its own? I am so sorry and hope your hatch goes well!

 

[NSChickenMamma]

Died on its own. I didn't know how to piece the shell back together to save it

 

[ChucktheChick]

So sorry that happened. Keep us updated on the others though!

 

[NSChickenMamma]

Out of the 5 Cochin eggs that were set, 3 hatched to cute live little chickies !!!
Not too bad for the first 5 eggs these hens ever laid to have 4 out of 5 fertilized