Incubating and going crazy

[Claire3]

Hi there,

I'm very new to incubating. I started with 6 D'uccles and candled (too often) until day 7 when it was clear that only three were fertile. Culled three and had three left. My candling addiction was strong though and I candled EVERY day (I'm a bad girl)

I'm using a Brinsea mini eco, the adaptor blew and went off overnight at day 15. It's winter here and the eggs were sitting anywhere between 12 to 18 degrees celsius (50-60 F) for 12-18 hours until I got home from work and organised a new adaptor. I tossed the eggs in the outside bin until I had a 'I wonder if' moment and threw them under the incubator again (and crazy)

Well, two showed signs of life and one had the red ring of death the next day. But they won't make it I thought, too long in the cold.

AGAIN, last night the adaptor stopped heating the element and the egg temperature was sub optimal for around 6 hours (but only down to 35C/95F) I'm day 21 today and the two remaining are not doing anything, but I couldn't help myself and tried floating them in water to see if they would float and wiggle. Well they float and wiggle (a little wiggle), so I guess they are still going... But really what are the chances that these two eggs will produce healthy chicks after all this? I'm afraid they'll be too weak to crack the shell or deformed from all that time cold and my constant candling and floating experiments. I'm going crazy waiting. I wanted to pick up more eggs today but the breeder who sold me the D'uccles doesn't have any fertile eggs at the moment!

Any comments? do you think there is any chance they can hatch? Thanks for reading! I'll definitely post back if they hatch--as I'm sure it will be a miracle!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Just give them some extra time... many times have eggs been through more than that and hatched... usually temp drops just tend to result in delayed hatching time...

 

[Claire3]

Update one chick is now peeping but no pipping, the other is still impersonating an egg! I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight!

 

[Claire3]

So my peeping chick has just pipped (no zip yet)! My second egg is tap tap tapping (no peeping or pipping).

The little 'peep' sound is one of the most adorable things I've heard. I played a chicken soundtrack from youtube next to their incubator to give them some encouragement.

I hope these little guys make it!!! I really can't believe that they can after all that time cold--so I'm not counting them yet.

 

[Janeyrooster3]

Did your chicks make it

 

[Claire3]

YES they did!

It was about 8 hours between peeping to pip, and then 18 hours from pip to zip.

When these babies were zipping they were peeping like crazy and it only took about 20 minutes to get out once they made their mind up.

So we now have one baby Black and one (I think) Mille Fleur Belgium D'uccles!

So adorable! they are 1.5 days old now and they are happily exploring their brooder, eating, drinking and chirping and pecking (each other more than I'd like).

Lovely!

 

[ladyargentum]

YES they did!

It was about 8 hours between peeping to pip, and then 18 hours from pip to zip.

When these babies were zipping they were peeping like crazy and it only took about 20 minutes to get out once they made their mind up.

So we now have one baby Black and one (I think) Mille Fleur Belgium D'uccles!

So adorable! they are 1.5 days old now and they are happily exploring their brooder, eating, drinking and chirping and pecking (each other more than I'd like).

Lovely!

That's awesome

It's amazing what some can survive through. I have my first ever lot of eggs in an incubator atm and the more I read stories like this I think that should I be unsure about mine at any stage to just give them time before giving up.

So glad you have two healthy chicks