July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[chickenlittle21]

In the first picture it looks like the chick has drawn back and there's some liquid between it and the air cell. The fuzzy, shadowy bit at bottom left looks like this could be where the chick is pushing into the air cell. In this position the air cell seems very small, but that's just the angle. The air cell is the lightest bit at the tip of the egg, defined by a straight, diagonal, darker line between it (slightly lighter) and the non-air cell area, which contains the dark shape (the chick). It looks to me like your chick is about to break into the air cell. It looks good to me. I can't see the veins you're talking about, but there will be veins to see until the chick absorbs all the blood into its body.

The second picture shows the air cell a bit more clearly, but doesn't show much detail of the chick. The lightest part is the air cell.

I just took a picture of one of my goose eggs:

View attachment 2171022

That's my hand at the bottom and it's holding the flashlight. The light beam goes right into the air cell, in this case where it ought to be (as yours also is) at the broad end of the egg. If I had two hands, the other hand would be holding the rest of the egg. In this case the egg is balanced. I would not recommend doing it this way, but I haven't explained to DH that we are about to have four more goslings, so I had to do the pic myself.

It's easier to see what's going on inside if you occlude the whole of the air cell with the fleshy part of your flashlight hand, leaving only the tiniest bit of light at the border. This is the way I candle eggs--learned via trial and error. If you give it a go, you may like it better, or not.

So *gulp* what does that mean? Is that good?

 

[CindyinSD]

So *gulp* what does that mean? Is that good?

It's good. As far as I can see, it looks just like it ought to look.

 

[chickenlittle21]

It's good. As far as I can see, it looks just like it ought to look.

On day 18?

 

[CindyinSD]

On day 18?

Yes, day 18 sounds about right. My gosling has a ways to go yet, but your chick looks just about ready to hatch.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Yes, day 18 sounds about right. My gosling has a ways to go yet, but your chick looks just about ready to hatch.

Thanks! I was worried there was something wrong with the chick and my mom was worried that the egg was rotten (I don't know where she got that idea from).

 

[CindyinSD]

Thanks! I was worried there was something wrong with the chick and my mom was worried that the egg was rotten (I don't know where she got that idea from).

I don't know either. Maybe she's worried that you've set your heart on this and that you'll feel devastated if the chick doesn't hatch. Sometimes they don't, even at this point. I had to discard one just yesterday. The gosling was fully formed, absorbing the yolk. It had broken through the shell, but not in the usual way. I could see its little head and bill. They make a swallowing motion as they absorb the yolk, and it was doing that. I rubbed a little coconut oil on the membrane to keep it moist and left it to finish, but when I came back, it was dead. Things like this happen, and the hens often don't do any better than we humans do.

If you hold your flashlight and egg the way I described to you, you'll be able to see inside better. You'll likely see the chick moving, unless it's asleep. Get your mom to help you. Show her what I wrote--maybe she can understand it better. I'm not sure it's a very good description, but hopefully she can follow it.

Like I said, the egg looks normal to me, but it's not an easy thing to photograph, and the picture isn't very clear.

 

[FortCluck]

October??

...you know they make helps programs for that...right?

**runs**

I’ve sold each and every chick though. It keeps me healthy working with the chickens.

 

[FortCluck]

The hatchaholics are winning

I need to figure out what I’m even hatching. I need to start looking for quail eggs too because I think my quail is old enough and I haven’t heard a male crow yet!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

You started it now its there It would be better if she had a chick in her hand

I made some minor adjustments for you. lol

 

[FortCluck]

I made some minor adjustments for you. lol

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eeeekkkkk this is the best thing ever!!! I am not good with pics and stuff