Mamma gave up on eggs too early!

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

I am still waiting to see if my lone egg will hatch. I wish I had an incubator but I they one they sell at tractor supply is a big one and I don't plan on doing this again. Using a heating pad I have struggled to have the temp right so who knows. I don't understand how a hen can keep a temp at a steady temp though....

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I am still waiting to see if my lone egg will hatch. I wish I had an incubator but I they one they sell at tractor supply is a big one and I don't plan on doing this again. Using a heating pad I have struggled to have the temp right so who knows. I don't understand how a hen can keep a temp at a steady temp though....

I hope everything goes well! keep us updated on how the chick is doing. sending some good luck your way (but not all of it because i need some too)

 

[The Golden Egg5]

i think i will do a final candle tonight and put them on lock down tonight. does that sound ok??or should i put them on lock down tomorrow?

 

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

I candled my egg and it looks so small to me in there but when I look at photos for embryos at 14 or 15 days they look the same. I have not seen any movement so I am worried. I can see outlines of little feathers. Its a brown egg and the chick will be black so its hard to see. I am just so doubtful that I will somehow luck out and get this baby hatched safely. Not sure if the daddy is my late rooster or one from down the road. I took my hen to see her other sister hens two days after I lost my rooster and duck thought she may like to be back with those hens and those three roosters (barred rock and easter egger) but after half a day when I went to check on her she jumped up on the golf cart and climbed on my lap so I took her back home...

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I candled my egg and it looks so small to me in there but when I look at photos for embryos at 14 or 15 days they look the same. I have not seen any movement so I am worried. I can see outlines of little feathers. Its a brown egg and the chick will be black so its hard to see. I am just so doubtful that I will somehow luck out and get this baby hatched safely. Not sure if the daddy is my late rooster or one from down the road. I took my hen to see her other sister hens two days after I lost my rooster and duck thought she may like to be back with those hens and those three roosters (barred rock and easter egger) but after half a day when I went to check on her she jumped up on the golf cart and climbed on my lap so I took her back home...

So sorry about the loss of your rooster and duck! That hen sounds so sweet good luck to the baby in the egg! I hope she hatches our ok!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

ha ! I went to check my remaining eggs 3 and one had hatched and died and the hens had gave the nest up. eggs were stone cold but I have learned a chick aint dead til its warm and dead so under the boobs they went . I set i=them for a couple hrs and candled and sure enough, I see movement. LOL So I got my bator up and running at they and happily steaming away. So far 16 of 19 have hatched good. One dead and last 2 in the bator.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

ha ! I went to check my remaining eggs 3 and one had hatched and died and the hens had gave the nest up. eggs were stone cold but I have learned a chick aint dead til its warm and dead so under the boobs they went . I set i=them for a couple hrs and candled and sure enough, I see movement. LOL So I got my bator up and running at they and happily steaming away. So far 16 of 19 have hatched good. One dead and last 2 in the bator.

Congrats!! Seems like a busy day for you!! I wish mine was busy with hatching chicks because I want to see this little one so bad!! I think I’m going to start lockdown tomorrow. Embryo is still too small for lockdown in my opinion.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

you can stop turning safely after day 16 or so . I wouldnt worry about that but you need to go by air size to figure if its time to up the humidity and they can drown if its done too early. Some people dont increase humidity til the chick pips internally. when you candle you want the low side of the air cell facing up. also , the chick you think is dead, did you open it ? There is a water test you can do. I dont care for it but lots of people do. Just float the egg in warm water and see if the water moves, ripples or not.

 

[WVduckchick]

I am still waiting to see if my lone egg will hatch. I wish I had an incubator but I they one they sell at tractor supply is a big one and I don't plan on doing this again. Using a heating pad I have struggled to have the temp right so who knows. I don't understand how a hen can keep a temp at a steady temp though....

It's more about the average temp, the hen gets on and off the eggs throughout the days. It takes longer for the internal temp to change, so slight changes here and there are fine.

i think i will do a final candle tonight and put them on lock down tonight. does that sound ok??or should i put them on lock down tomorrow?

Look for the air cell to draw down, meaning it will shift and elongate from where it was, and you will see it start to creep up into the fat end of the egg. That's when they are really getting into position.
Or as granny just said, you can wait until it internally pips. Give or take a day or so isn't going to cause much problem.

Good luck!

 

[The Golden Egg5]

you can stop turning safely after day 16 or so . I wouldnt worry about that but you need to go by air size to figure if its time to up the humidity and they can drown if its done too early. Some people dont increase humidity til the chick pips internally. when you candle you want the low side of the air cell facing up. also , the chick you think is dead, did you open it ? There is a water test you can do. I dont care for it but lots of people do. Just float the egg in warm water and see if the water moves, ripples or not.

The air cell is pretty big. I will upload some pictures later so you can see as well. The embryo isn’t as big as a 17 day old, which is what I originally thought it was. I will probably do what you said and increase humidity when she internally pips. I’m just a little afraid of candling too much.
I didn’t open it because I’m afraid of it being alive. I will tomorrow if there no signs of life.