Late hatcher

[Thebossbaby]

Ok, so, how about I break one open, and if there is a chick inside I leave the other? If I end up throwing away both, can mama raise just 2 chicks? Or will they freeze?

 

[Thebossbaby]

Wait, I found a way to candle them 3/4 egg is black, dead or alive?

 

[Chicken_Guru]

I honestly dunno. Put your ear close to it, and if you hear a pulsing/peeping sound, then it's not dead.

 

[Thebossbaby]

This I what was inside

 

[Chicken_Guru]

No picture showed up.

 

[Thebossbaby]

 

[Thebossbaby]

I just posted it. U can make out a chick, but it looks like it was dead before, did it die during the process?

 

[Anansi]

It died during development, however there really isn't a way to tell why. Sometimes it can be temperature related, sometimes the embryo isn't viable after a certain point in development due to a random, unexplained glitch in their genetics, and if it is a large number of eggs from a specific pair of chickens, it could be a genetic abnormality with that pair. In this case, I would say either temperature or glitch, considering that other eggs have hatched.

All species have the chance that a glitch in genetics will render an embryo incompatible with life, it does not mean that all subsequent embryos from that animal, or mated pair, will have the same problem, so there is no reason for you to stop letting them continue to mate just because one or two eggs didn't hatch. If you see a pattern of eggs not hatching from that pair, then split them up and allow them to mate with a different bird and see what happens. It could be just one that has the issue, and that one could be removed from the mating stock. What you would do with the bird is up to you. If you have a flock that no longer produces, that would be a good place for it, if not, it's up to you to decide what to do with the bird.

For now, just do a wait and see approach, don't worry too much unless there is a pattern.

 

[Thebossbaby]

ok, I guess ill crack the other one this afternoon. if it hasn't hatched by then

 

[Anansi]

Candle it first to see if it has unzipped, and then peep at it, and gently tap on the shell. If you hear something or see a crack in the shell when candling, let it be. If not, then check for posts on how to assist in hatching before doing anything else.