July 13, 2011 Hatch Day! STARTED!!!!

[RedHead]

Ack... I hate the waiting game lol Though I think Ham (Broody) is rather enjoying it. I keep checking on her and every time I do she seems to get a different treat. I've found today that she really likes bananas lol
Only 10-11 more days and we should have some fuzzy butts

 

[Christie Rhae]

I killed one! I am sick... in tears...just sick. I am so stupid...so so stupid.

I had half of my eggs on one side of the incubator because I thought there was nothing going on in them. I waited until 10 days to make extra sure. All I could see was what I thought was a blood ring. No veins, nothing. I debated just tossing these since it has been long enough but decided that I really should crack a few open just for my own knowledge, to see if they really had started to develop and died or if the yolk was just scrambled and rotting and that was the darkish area inside the egg. I cracked open one. It looked like it had developed to maybe the 4th day but it was already turning mucky. I then cracked open one more.....
and there on my paper plate was a 10 day old chick with big eyes and little tiny wings wiggling and trying to live. I....hate....myself. How could I be so stupid??? I worked so hard... shipped these eggs almost 4000 miles...read everything there is to read...bought the best incubator I could afford.. bought a great candling light...followed all the rules. They said that at 10 days you would know for sure. I saw no veins. I will never ever make such a stupid beginner mistake again. So so stupid...killing one of my precious little chicks.
I think I need some wine.....

 

[zebserema]

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sorry to hear that its awful to hear it better luck next time

 

[matlock585]

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I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. I don't open the ones I deem not worthy. It's straight to the garbage disposal and no looking to see what went wrong. I hate to toss one, but when I do, It's over and I never saw what was in it. We all have to make judgement calls. Don't open your eggs, just stand by your decision.
I just can't understand what makes people want to break them open and see what or when it went wrong, cause there is nothing you can do to an egg after you break it open to help it.
Just learn that the next time, if you see the same thing, give it more time.
I'm sorry you had to deal with that, but try to chalk it up to the learning curve.

 

[Christie Rhae]

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You know, I wasn't going to open them. I have a small batch that I took out a few days ago that were totally clear. One had even busted inside the incubator so I was trying to prevent that again. I did not crack them open cuz I really did not want to know if I had made any mistakes. Just made the decision and that was it.

I don't know why I did it, morbid curiosity I guess. I put the rest back into the incubator and I am not touching them again until lockdown when I take them out of the egg turner. sigh.... stupid christie

 

[Ksane]

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Don't beat yourself up. I feel so bad for you. My 1st hatch ever is due July 14th, I check for broken or leaking eggs every day but I don't know enough about what I'm looking at with the flashlight to risk tossing any. After reading your post I think I'll just sit tight and not toss any.

 

[Christie Rhae]

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Don't beat yourself up. I feel so bad for you. My 1st hatch ever is due July 14th, I check for broken or leaking eggs every day but I don't know enough about what I'm looking at with the flashlight to risk tossing any. After reading your post I think I'll just sit tight and not toss any.

Yup, I will never toss or crack again unless the egg is perfectly clear...or leaking. Any darkness and I will always leave them in. I have learned this a very hard way now.

 

[RedHead]

so sorry you had this happen. Don't beat yourself up, we all make mistakes. Shoot.. even mama hen's make mistakes, like humans. You're bound to have things like this happen when you take on the role of mama hen, as I'm sure everyone on BYC who has hatched babies has. Don't think about the losses, think about your lil' fuzzy butts that will be hatching out soon.

 

[asearcby79]

Candles eggs in incubator last night and 8 of 10 are good. Caught my hen off her eggs and she is sitting on 15!

 

[Christie Rhae]

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I am trying to think this way... If I had not cracked open that egg I would have thrown it and the other 7 away. So maybe, maybe I saved another chick by putting that group back into the incubator after I saw the live chick. Of course if I was not so inexperienced at candling I would never have taken those 9 eggs out of the incubator in the first place... well I now I have a little experience. sigh....