Is my Banty Egg totally doomed?

[LostGosling]

My mom ordered guinea eggs through the mail. We ordered 12, but actually recieved 19 due to extras

On the evening of the eighth day of incubation, I slipped an egg from my prized Old English Game Hen under one of the broodies I was using thinking it would hatch the same time as the keets. I had actually figured that most of the guinea eggs wouldn't hatch because they got soiled a few times and left to chill for undetermined amouts of time (This happened before I slipped the banty egg in). So, four whole days before the hatch date, eggs began pipping left and right. Those hens hatched every egg except for two clears that I had tossed days ago and one that was dead in the shell. Total miracle all on it's own. Due to this early miracle hatch, my chicken egg was left all alone under the broody who was to leave the nest as soon as her new keets were strong enough. She sit on it for a few more days and I knew that I needed to get a plan before something happened. I had a Plymoth Rock hen who was broody, but she's a notorious egg crusher. I'm always cleaning yolk and shell out of her feathers.

I figured that my hen would stay on the egg until morning, thus giving me time to make a plan. I got up at 8:00 am this morning and went straight to the barn to check her. I looked in the cage to find "Clucky" and her brood scooted about 3 in away from my little egg. I picked it up to find that it was very much a cold little egg.

I don't know how long it takes for a 98 to 100 degree egg to cool like that, but she probably left it at day break. This leaves a possible 2 hr cooling time. I have it under the "Eggs-terminator" (My Plymoth Rock Hen) right now. I checked it after it had gotten back up to normal temperature, and I swear I heard and felt 4 little pecks from the egg.

I candled it as well, but I didn' see any movement (Can you even see chick movement at 20 days?). Do you think it will survive the chill and hatch anyway? It's supposed to hatch tommorrow!

 

[Saltysteele]

i've had a hen that left the nest for 3-4 hours return to sitting, and the eggs hatched fine. this was late in the incubation, probably 2-1/2 weeks or so (chicken eggs)

 

[LostGosling]

I hope mine's the same way.

Thank-you Saltysteele!

I'll post a pick on this thread if the little guy makes it.

 

[weimarmama]

I've had hens to leave eggs for a few hours, too, & they ended up hatching fine. Just in case, though, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you

 

[guinea fowl galore]

I hope everything goes well for you and little banty egg.
if it was me (and i didn't have incubators) I would have stuck the egg down my shirt

I've got egg crushers too, its not fun seeing an egg smashed to bits with a chick in there struggling to live.

 

[LostGosling]

Thank-you Weimermama and GFG!

I hated leaving it out there with that big old hen, but I've had terrible luck with my mini dome incubator. I was affraid that if the baby was still alive that the membranes might dry out (I lost the instruction manual and have a hard time getting the humidity right

). Eggs-terminator is a fairly determined brooder, though. I hope she at least stays on until morning so that I can monitor her.

 

[LostGosling]

Ok, I checked the hen this morning and the little egg was still in one piece

Not only was it okay, but I felt it shift 3 times while I checked it this morning. There is definately a live baby in there!

As long as nothing else goes wrong, I should have a baby tonight or by tomorrow morning!

 

[weimarmama]

That's great!

Remember, we love pictures of new chicks

 

[LostGosling]

No baby yet

It should be pipping out some time over night. I actually heard it peep earlier. If the little guy isn't hatched or at least pipping by noon tomorrow I may have to investigate further (If it's still shifting and pecking). I had to switch broodies because when I took my first hen off the nest for a break, she went dancing out the door to freedom without another thought to the chick.

The new broody is a lot lighter built, so I don't have to worry that this one will crush it at least. I caged the previous broody so that she wouldn't unintentionally crush the baby if she decided to try and reclaim her property. I'm a little worried that both broodies kept crouching above the egg instead of actually sitting on it. It's been 115 degrees all day and really humid, so they may have just been trying to cool it down if it got too hot. Ugh this egg is worrying me to death

I really hope that it's hatched in the morning and everything went okay.

 

[mistakingdeer]

i have 1st yr guineas that were laying eggs and scattering eggs everywhere! i started placing them in a nest where a good broody hen was laying! she took all the eggs in her nest! the heat here in NC has been in at he 90's so when she left her nest for a few min. i wasn't worried! (heat and humidity by nature is better then a incubator!) so now i have Guineas and chicks hatching together! even a little BBOEGB in the middle of the hatch!!