The last of our 3 broodies left her nest in the height of the severe storms 8 days ago. She took her one hatched chick (1 day old) with her. She refused to return to the coop, I think for fear of the storms returning! I placed her and her nest and her chick in our emergency dog crate pen - and she settled in for the night.
In the morning, she hopped right on out with her chick and wouldn't go sit on the nest again. After an hour, I took her three eggs indoors with the intent on using a heat pad during the day and placing the eggs back under her at night. Worked great! Then the heat wave rolled in - and I knew the egg would be fine outside in the high temps/high humidity for the day. Candling showed 1 dud, 1 early death and 1 very much alive, kicking, wiggling chick! Egg continued development despite the heat and was chuggin' right along. Cool front moved in, and she happily put the egg back under her every night, I'd take the egg for the day and put it in an improvised cookie-tin water heater/incubator - was going great!
Last night, a skunk must have visited the run where she and another broody and clutch are housed (both houses very secure), as I found a skunk smell in the yard and this Mom and chick in the far, far back corner of their dog crate (it's a XL clamshell kind) - the egg sitting with the other 'placebo' egg, uncovered. The egg was very very cold.
I dashed it indoors and quickly candled - blood vessels were bright red, but no chick movement. Got the heat pad warm and warmed the chick for a good 15min. Candled. No movement. Got the cookie-tin incubator going, put the egg in, left if for a couple hours. Candled again. Fewer red blood vessels. No movement.
Everytime I candle, there are fewer red blood vessels and still no movement from the chick. It's on either day 18 or 19 - nearly filled the shell and a great air sac.
Is it gone? Please say yes or no - I don't wish to keep hoping (keep thinking that the blood vessels would naturally be shrinking about this point to prepare for hatch!)....but the lack of movement is distressing. I fear it's gone, but keep expecting to see a wiggle or something when I candle. Nothing.
In the morning, she hopped right on out with her chick and wouldn't go sit on the nest again. After an hour, I took her three eggs indoors with the intent on using a heat pad during the day and placing the eggs back under her at night. Worked great! Then the heat wave rolled in - and I knew the egg would be fine outside in the high temps/high humidity for the day. Candling showed 1 dud, 1 early death and 1 very much alive, kicking, wiggling chick! Egg continued development despite the heat and was chuggin' right along. Cool front moved in, and she happily put the egg back under her every night, I'd take the egg for the day and put it in an improvised cookie-tin water heater/incubator - was going great!
Last night, a skunk must have visited the run where she and another broody and clutch are housed (both houses very secure), as I found a skunk smell in the yard and this Mom and chick in the far, far back corner of their dog crate (it's a XL clamshell kind) - the egg sitting with the other 'placebo' egg, uncovered. The egg was very very cold.
I dashed it indoors and quickly candled - blood vessels were bright red, but no chick movement. Got the heat pad warm and warmed the chick for a good 15min. Candled. No movement. Got the cookie-tin incubator going, put the egg in, left if for a couple hours. Candled again. Fewer red blood vessels. No movement.
Everytime I candle, there are fewer red blood vessels and still no movement from the chick. It's on either day 18 or 19 - nearly filled the shell and a great air sac.
Is it gone? Please say yes or no - I don't wish to keep hoping (keep thinking that the blood vessels would naturally be shrinking about this point to prepare for hatch!)....but the lack of movement is distressing. I fear it's gone, but keep expecting to see a wiggle or something when I candle. Nothing.
