Jersey Giant Hatching Question-Day 24--Lesson Learned

[kellim]

You are very welcome! Let us know when the babies get here!!!

 

[Calebs Acre]

Today is Day 23 and they are just sittin' there...no pips. I am starting to worry. My husband candles with a bright flashlight that has no real heat...think it's an LED? But, since they are brown eggs, he cannot see details. He has watched them grow and the eggs appear to be "full" just like our dewlap goose eggs were right before they hatched, but you can't see any moment and you can't hear any peeping. I don't know if this candling method would allow you to see movement even if there was any.

My temperature and humidity are both OK in the hatching incubator...how long should I wait before giving up? Or is there something else I can do?

I started out with 13 eggs, but right off the bat, 5 were clear. Now I am down another 2...with 6 remaining. I'd like to get at least ONE Jersey Giant!!!!! I've wanted some since I found out they existed!!!

Thanks for any advice/information.
Nancy

 

[Calebs Acre]

OK....Day 24....NOTHING....they look OK inside, but can't see if there is movement or not. Guess I'll have the "technical" end of things (husband) put a little hole in to see what in the world is happening, if anything, in one of the eggs. This will be upsetting to me.

More than a dozen eggs and NONE hatched. I feel like such a failure and I wanted to see my Jersey Giants!! How upsetting. I don't want to go back to EBay now. I KNOW this was because I bragged about my eBay eggs.

I just feel so helpless. I hate to "pull the plug".

 

[hangemhorns]

what do you have to lose by leaving them in there a day or two longer...i have been experimenting with mix eggs and i hatched 56 out of 66 in the last week....today i check my other 10 eggs and didn't see any movement went and started seeing what had happened and i had movement in 2 so disgusted i didn't leave them in there a little longer.....i did end up saving one but it was too late for the other....hang in there it's just gonna get better.....

 

[2manyhats]

I am new to hatching this year and have been very disappointed with my results. I have had tough hatches even with local eggs. I was ready to quit, but DH reminded me that my expectations may be too high. I did get some wonderful critters - just not as many as I'd like. I have learned a lot about different breeds. There do seem to be some eggs that require a little different techniques. I am not quitting on ebay eggs either because most of these breeds are not available to me here in central NY. I've hatched BB Orps, Buckeyes and Polish. Hang in there. ( Bators are full now.)

 

[goatkeepers]

I'm really sorry nothing has happened yet! Did DH poke a hole in the large end to see if there's movement? I'd put a pinprick hole in the air sack end to see what's going on. Hang in there! I know how hard it is. I have 9 BLRWs in the bator, due to hatch Thursday and I will be so upset if none make it!!

 

[Calebs Acre]

I will have hubby do the pin prick when he gets home in a few hours...we both work overnights...I am at home...he is in the city (NYC). He is VERY unemotional about these things and he has been assigned all of the scentific work..he loves to candle and set temps/humidity, etc. He's going to build an egg turner for me from electronic plans. I figure if he can keep NBC on the air (he's an On-Air Systems Engineer) he should be able to build an egg turner for my spare incubator. I just went ahead and bought a Genesis this morning and I have a Brower Top Hatch, plus the HovaBator with the fan..older model that I use for hatching.

Hats...where in Central NY? I travel quite often to Lake Placid along the Thruway. If you ever want some eggs, let me know. Maybe we can meet? I have some muscovy eggs and baby muscovies that I would love to spread to others. LOL.

I have no rooster and unless I get something like a silkie, or something that whisper crows, I probably won't have chicken eggs

I think that my luck ran out after hatching those two really hard to hatch dewlaps and then a call duck and a silkie...all with no losses at all. I guess I'll have to order some LIVE Jersey Giants!

Thanks to all who responded. If he pricks it with the pin, should he be able to see movement for sure?

 

[goatkeepers]

Well, several things can happen if he pricks it. I am kinda new to all this, so this is what I have gathered- someone might have to correct me.

A. You can see that the membrane is dried out
B. You can see that the chick pipped through the membrane and is either still alive or dead
C. You can see the chick moving
D. You can hear the chick

That's the scenarios I can think of... I have to go to work now but I'll keep you in my thoughts!! Maybe you'll get lucky and there are some that are still alive. I'll check in as soon as I get back this afternoon.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Thanks, Goatie. I'll be thinking of you when I go out to feed Dusty, my nubian this morning! LOL. I'll be anxious to see what Bob finds. Scared, too.

 

[Calebs Acre]

Well, this brown egg thing is quite different than the white ones...much harder to know what's happening. Evidently, Bob misinterpreted what he was seeing in the eggs. They were liquidy, not chicks...all of them. At least all of the fertile ones. I wish I would have known that earlier....what a waste of time and worry and electricity. Guess he needs a better way of candling brown eggs.

Thanks to everyone for the help. Next time, we'll know better. Total loss...13 eggs. Probably postal.