Incubating Questions

[The Sheriff]

1.) Do OEG Bantams take longer to hatch than other eggs? Mine are at the end of day 22 today and not even a pip. I broke lockdown tonight quickly to candle them and there is very little movement, almost none. I may just being seeing a little movement from handling the eggs and not the chick moving at all. I have three that are on Day 19 and I can see the chicks in those moving.

2.) So I know it is recommended to hold on till day 23 before calling it quits. If you still see slight movement then but they aren't piping, do you just let nature take it's course? I hope they do something tonight but I think it would take a lot more strength than I am seeing to crack a hole in the shell. Any words of wisdom greatly appreciated.

These were not shipped eggs. They were the first eggs of my little BB Red OEG couple Rocky and Adrienne. It is so cute. He makes a nest for her, (never in the coop), then sits with her while she lays her egg. Then they sing an egg song duet. This is her first egg in a nest he made for her in the goat feeder!

I was hoping for at least one to make it!

Thanks,

Mary

 

[Junkmanme]

Ole "Rocky" is QUITE the GENTLEMAN !!!

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

I'd just leave them and see what happens. That is very sweet

 

[Germaine_11.20]

If your incubator was running low then your hatch might be a little late. What temp was it at and what kind of incubator? Still or forced air?

 

[justmeandtheflock]

I can't answer your questions but that is soooo sweet

. What a lovely roo you have!

 

[crazy huhn]

Be patient, maybe your temperature was too low during incubation and you will just have a late hatch. Usually, if there is a chick in the egg, it will fill out most of the egg and you will not see much while candling after day 18, if at all. Make sure to get your temperature and humidity back to what it is supposed to be at point of hatch. Open the incubator during "lock down" is a big NO NO.

How old is your cute couple of rooster and hen? Sometimes, if they are too young (or of course too old), the eggs will not be fertile in the first place.

Edit to add: Sorry missed the part that you have set the first eggs of your pullet. Usually, breeders do not set pullet eggs before she is in full lay for at least 6 weeks, because it will take a while to get fertilized eggs for young pullets and cockerels need some practice as well.....

 

[The Sheriff]

Ok here's the answers. Rocky is about eight months old. He is a Black Breasted Red Old English game bird. I got him at a poultry exchange for $5.00 then spent $700.00 on vet bills because he had a raging bacterial infection. Adrienne is also a BB Red OEG and is about six months old. These five eggs were her first five eggs. I know they were all fertile because we have been candling. Maybe they just weren't strong enough to make it to hatch. My incubator was a still air, piece of cr@p, Little Giant with a computer fan installed and an automatic turner. There were a couple of days that the temp was mid 90's and then spikes to 105. Last week I bought a used Hobavator and moved the turner and eggs into that and the temp and humidity stabilized but not completely. I know I was not supposed to open the incubator after lockdown but we had a situation going on in their with a little bantam cochin who hatched earlier in the afternoon was pecking the other pips and opening the eggs.

Thank for all the advice. I am going to sit on my hands and see what happens and hope for the best. My new Brinsea arrives Tuesday and the LG was sold for $20 on Craigslist today, minus the computer fan and turner of course.!

Mary

Edited to say: Heehee all they do all day is practice!

 

[The Sheriff]

One of the Black Breasted Red OEG bantams from my Rocky & Adrienne pipped this morning! He's been chirping and working all day to get this far. I opened the two on that were on Day 23 today and they were shrinkwrapped. RIP babies. The other two in with this one show no signs of life. Not giving up hope for a couple of days though. Today is Day 20 for them.

 

[The Sheriff]

Well nothing happened much past the last picture I posted of the pip and zip last night. He stopped chirping or moving and the membrane dried out. We could see the thin inner membrane shrinking around him and no real signs of life. I read the post about when to help and when not to help and just decided he was going to die anyway so why not try? I read the instructions here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9316 and gathered my supplies and moved carefully ahead. I did have some bleeding but got it under control by touching it with a styptic pencil. I gave him lots of time to rest between sessions and about two hours later his head and body were out. Here he is resting on and egg shell pillow.

I wasn't sure if the yolk was absorbed so I wrapped him in a damp, warm washcloth and let him rest. He started moving and chirping again. I slept in my office again and kept an eye on him all night. I picked him up around 2:00 a.m. to check him and he made a big kick and the bottom half of the shell fell off. I was relieved to see the yolk gone. I put him back in the bator and we both slept.

He was dry and fluffy this morning, eating, drinking, weighing in at a whopping 6/10th os an ounce!

He is in the brooder with the tree cochins who hatched a couple of days ago. They are getting along quite well. He sleeps a lot and isn't quite steady on his feet but I am praying he makes it. I agonized over whether or not to help. I read every post about helping vs. not helping and just couldn't watch him die. He was the only survivor from Rocky and Adrienne's eggs. I opened the remaining two this morning. One was shrink wrapped with yolk broken and the other was dead with his head in the small end. I had not seen movement on either of those the last two times I candled. So, I helped. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do or maybe it was the right thing to do. I guess I'll find out in a few days.

BTW the little buff cochin who was hatched prematurely by the red cochin is doing great. He cries for me all the time and even broke out of the brooder between the bars and walked into my office, after falling to the floor! Later one of the biggger cochins as found out of the brooder and wandering in the dining room! I wrapped packing tape all around the bottom of the cage to prevent further escapes. I never dreamt they could slip through there. Here they are trying to figure out how to get up and over the packing tape.

So here I am again Sleepless in Citrus Heights, but two extra little bundles of fluff to show for it.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. It is kind of like a confessional for hatch helpers.

Mary

 

[crazy huhn]

Congratulations! Those are very cute. I am sure you will have a lot more cuties in the future with your new incubators.

Just one more advice: have several good and calibrated thermometers/hygrometers ready. The shrink wrapped chicks may be an indicator of incorrect humidity, the late hatch could be an indicator of an overall low incubation temperature.