Incubating in my bra: An experiment.

[The Lazy L]

103 posts about 2 eggs between 2 boobs!

And NO pictures! Usually everyone would be screaming for pictures by now.

 

[enola]

You are braver than me, I can't force myself to examine the eggs to see why they didn't hatch. ..........

 

[Farmer Viola]

I eggtopsied Abe first. This is from the large end. Abe had begun to develop, but was a fairly early quitter I think. I didn't want to share what was under that yolk. It looked like a big glob of booger with a tiny bit of blood.



This is Bibi's eggtopsy. Just looking at the yolk it's clear Bibi got a lot further along than Abe did.


And here's Bibi. Nowhere near 21 days of development.
On day 8 (December 26) I saw blood pumping through a vein on this little guy. On day 10 I thought I might have seen some movement. But then I got sick, and was less attentive to the little guy than I would have otherwise have been. I don't think he got much further along than ten days.


I am sorry the little guys didn't make it. But I'm glad I learned something about candleing, the float test, and I wasn't too squeamish to do the eggtopsies.

I will return to this in a few days. Right now I gotta' let the girls breathe for a bit.

Sorry it didnt work out, thanks for posting eggtopsy pictures! I am glad you opened them up, if we can stomach it, it will help us learn more about the growth process and with better understanding, maybe improve future hatches. Always a learning experience!

 

[Aphrael]

You are braver than me, I can't force myself to examine the eggs to see why they didn't hatch. ..........

It is difficult for me to eggtopsy, but I force myself to do it. I want to learn everything I can about what might have gone wrong, so I can do better next time.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Maybe try handwarmers on the outside edge of the bra.

 

[TheChips]

Thats a shame it didnt work.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

You are braver than me, I can't force myself to examine the eggs to see why they didn't hatch. ..........

Sorry it didnt work out, thanks for posting eggtopsy pictures! I am glad you opened them up, if we can stomach it, it will help us learn more about the growth process and with better understanding, maybe improve future hatches. Always a learning experience!

It is difficult for me to eggtopsy, but I force myself to do it. I want to learn everything I can about what might have gone wrong, so I can do better next time.

I think having to dispatch predators has gotten me immune to eggtopsies, and autopsies of dead chicks. I wouldn't have been able to do either a year ago. Since I got my first flock, though...back in February of last year...I've had to dispatch coons, possums, and squirrels. And since I'm a firm believer of not wasting what you kill, have taught myself how to skin and clean all three. Then over the early summer, I had to kill and process three extra roos I had. So now it doesn't bother me to eggtopsy. When Miracle died suddenly last night (she was a chick I hatched for the NYD hatchalong...I had to assist her hatch because she internally pipped a vein), I autopsied her to find out why. Turns out she had blood clots in her tiny abdomen the size of dimes. She must have bled internally after hatching. She was only 3 days old. It bothers me to autopsy/eggtopsy only to the point of it had been (or was going to be) a cute little fuzzy butt, which makes me sad. Other than that, I have no problem...I guess I just have a strong stomach.

I think both are important for us to learn and understand the death of the embryo/chick, so that we may perhaps know why it happened, and so that...maybe...we can prevent it from happening in the future.

 

[Farmer Viola]

Other than that, I have no problem...I guess I just have a strong stomach.

I feel the same way... I actually dread it more before I do the eggtopsy, then when I get in there, it's fine. Once I have started opening it, I get excited to keep digging. I do often procrastinate the act, though.

slaughtering and butchering has definitely helped de-sensitize me to a lot of things. If I hadn't had experience butchering 60 meat birds in a row, for example, I might not have been able to cull a chick last month. It was hard, but it was required. I see it as the commitment I made when I got into chicken farming.

Try to remove yourself and your needs and emotions, focus only on the animal and dispatching properly, it without any hesitation or suffering.

Quote: Definitely, this, x100

 

[Emmasmom]

So sorry for your loss!

 

[FossilPeak]

I knew there was a good reason I joined this forum...boob chickens.