I just lost my OEGB last night, could I still hatch her eggs?

[neferset]

Quote:
If the big end is light, you are seeing the air cell and the dark part is probably the developing chick. Are they in an incubator or being warmed by another heat source? I got lost and am getting the beginning of a migraine so I'm trying to read less but still be helpful. My apologies for that.

 

[Akane]

Very very bad to shake a developing egg particularly in the first week. Good way to kill them. Other than that odds are you could still hatch some. I had a broody get killed by a coon in the middle of the night and my husband found the mostly broken eggs in the morning. He figured they were dead and left them to go to work. Around late afternoon I go to check the chickens and find what happened with slightly under a dozen eggs left. They'd been sitting there well over 12hours including through the coldest part of the night/morning. That was a slightly warmer part of the year but we've had extra cool weather all year with practically no summer. I immediately wrapped the eggs in an electric blanket while I setup the incubator and got it to temp. Every last egg hatched about 10days later.

 

[dianneS]

They are being warmed by a heat lamp right now, still need to set up the incubator. The big end is dark, the little end is light when I candle them.

 

[dianneS]

Okay, the one that sounded watery had some very visible cracks in it and no air sac at all, so I took that one outside and cracked it open. It wasn't fertile at all. The rest have visible air sacs, but that is all I can see.

This hen was teeny tiny, but I'm pretty sure that the big roosters had their way with her?? I saw the feathers on the back of her head missing or messed up from time to time, so I'm assuming that the eggs are fertile. I can't imagine that the roosters wouldn't bother with her just because of her size??

 

[neferset]

No, your standard sized roosters would have definitely bothered with her regardless of her size. In fact, my avatar is proof that standard sized chicks with standard sized fathers can hatch out of bantam eggs, though it does boggle the mind, doesn't it?

I can typically see something on a white egg by about day 5 or so. Before that, it gets a little dicey and afterward, it gets easier for a while, then it just gets dark as the chick grows.

 

[neferset]

Quote:
The air cell should be at the big end, or are you seeing dark at the top of the egg near the air cell and clear down below? That's how it usually looks when I candle eggs that have been set in my turners or in cartons. Eggs that I have set on the side tend to be dark toward the side that is currently up, with a visible air cell at the big end.

 

[dianneS]

Okay, I'm somewhat relieved but still a little worried. I guess only time will tell now.

When I candled them very quickly, and didn't really take the time to look real close I saw what was on this page in the left had column just underneathe the photo of the store bought egg. https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-candling.html

I guess that's good because they say that one hatched!

I'm still concerned though because I hope that they didn't get too warm under the heat lamp. It was actually just a regular bulb, my heat bulb broke just when I needed it! But they weren't under the heat lamp for too long and they did take a while to warm up. They were only there until the bator was ready.

I put them in the bator last night, a little prematurely, but the temp was steady after about three hours of setting it up, so I took my chances and the temp has stayed steady since then!

I guess I'll candle them in a week or so and see if I can notice any progress. I hope at least one hatches, that would make me happy.

 

[dianneS]

My little OEGB eggs don't really have a "big end"? They are kind of like little footballs?

I'm having some temperature fluctuations in my bator. I was so eager to get them in there, that I didn't give it enough time to mantain a steady temp. The temp has only fluctuated a few degrees, so I'm still hoping that they will be okay.

I'm also using the dry incubation method since my house is humid enough!

I guess only time will tell. That's what I keep telling myself.

 

[neferset]

Ah, in that case, the side with the air cell is the big end.

I have to do that on some of mine, candle them before I set them so I know which is which.

I've got my fingers crossed for you. It's rough to lose an animal, but it helps when you have something like the eggs or babies left.

 

[vnploveschickens]

Good luck with the eggs. Please keep us updated.

I'm sorry for your loss.