Incubating Washed & Refrigerated Eggs

[aart]

It is the age and stress. With not refrigerated eggs storage adds to hatch--about an hour per day so 12 day old eggs will usually hatch half a day later. Refrigerating usually adds to that time.

Hmmm...even at perfect incubation temps?
Never heard of narrowing it down to hours.

 

[ronott1]

Hmmm...even at perfect incubation temps?
Never heard of narrowing it down to hours.

It was in a paper I read once. It was about different storage methods. I might have it somewhere. I did not find it but this is interesting

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Here's a pic of one of the refrigerator eggs hatching (blurry due to the humidity):

This one had a big pinkish glob stuck to its rear, but it looks like just the goop from inside the egg (and not "insides on the outside" - whew!), and it's drying up.

The hatch is progressing pretty well, but I did assist a chick in a dark brown egg because it clearly hadn't lost enough moisture and the chick was at risk of drowning (it was blowing bubbles, yikes)...it wasn't ready to do anything other than the external pip based on the active blood vessels, so I just tried to push back the membrane away from its beak, dab up the fluid around its head, and liberally oil up the membrane with coconut oil. After spending the night in its own incubator, I carefully freed its head (it was glued in this morning, as I had feared) and a little while later, it pushed out of the egg. I was, of course, worried about what I'd see when it came out, but other than a slightly enlarged belly, it seemed ok: active, vocal. I did need to bathe it to remove some of the gunk and oil, and it fluffed up pretty well in the incubator.

Hatching drama.

 

[ronott1]

Here's a pic of one of the refrigerator eggs hatching (blurry due to the humidity):
View attachment 1741719
This one had a big pinkish glob stuck to its rear, but it looks like just the goop from inside the egg (and not "insides on the outside" - whew!), and it's drying up.

The hatch is progressing pretty well, but I did assist a chick in a dark brown egg because it clearly hadn't lost enough moisture and the chick was at risk of drowning (it was blowing bubbles, yikes)...it wasn't ready to do anything other than the external pip based on the active blood vessels, so I just tried to push back the membrane away from its beak, dab up the fluid around its head, and liberally oil up the membrane with coconut oil. After spending the night in its own incubator, I carefully freed its head (it was glued in this morning, as I had feared) and a little while later, it pushed out of the egg. I was, of course, worried about what I'd see when it came out, but other than a slightly enlarged belly, it seemed ok: active, vocal. I did need to bathe it to remove some of the gunk and oil, and it fluffed up pretty well in the incubator.

Hatching drama.

Hatching can be a lot of work!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hatching can be a lot of work!

It sure can...but it's rewarding work! (at least I tell myself that when I'm up in the wee hours watching incubators to ensure temps are stable ).

 

[ronott1]

It sure can...but it's rewarding work! (at least I tell myself that when I'm up in the wee hours watching incubators to ensure temps are stable ).

It is rewarding and can lead to having a lot of chickens at your place

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

It is rewarding and can lead to having a lot of chickens at your place

Right...chickens, ducks, geese...

 

[ronott1]

Right...chickens, ducks, geese...

Lots of critters!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I must be working on my master's in chicken math! I just picked up blue Runner eggs today!

 

[ronott1]

I must be working on my master's in chicken math! I just picked up blue Runner eggs today!

If I had a place in the Country I would be with you on the chicken math!