Need help hearing heart beats in eggs, not working

[chickboss]

Tried to use a stethascope to hear the heart beats in my Call eggs this a.m. All I am picking up is like this background noise, that doesn't sound like a heartbeat at all. I figured the heart beats would be fast, but I am picking up no distinction between the eggs that I just candled yesterday and know are good opposed to those that I am 99% sure are not viable. I don't really know what I am listening for. The eggs I am pretty sure are gone are Black Call eggs. They have been very hard to candle, but as of a few days ago one developed a shadow, and the others none, so I at least know I should be seeing something. We are on day 20. Any help would be great because I am afraid the Black Call egg with the shadow may be more of an egg gone bad thing, and I don't want to comprimise the two Butterscotch that I know are good by leaving it in there and risking explosion, but I don't want to toss it when it could be a little duckling. Errrr! LOL. Thanks!

 

[katharinad]

Its not a fast beat, and it is not very loud either. You need to find the right spot on the egg. It is usually more to one side and closer to the pointy part of the egg (lower half). Make sure to have anything that makes a sound in the incubator turned off. That includes the turner, since it makes a humming sound in the stethoscope covering up anything. It may take you a few minutes to figure it out, but it does work. It gets more fun as they go along, because you can hear movement the week prior to hatching. Another thing turn the bars that go to the ear pieces downwards so the opening of the ear pieces points directly into your ear channel and not against the skin. That is most of the time the culprit when not hearing things with the stethoscope.
Katharina

 

[chickboss]

Okay, Thanks, I'll give it another go!

 

[katharinad]

Just thought you may want to get the stethoscope first going on your own body. Hold it to your wrist and adjust the hear pieces until you hear a clear beat. That way you have figured out the first part, before you go nuts on the eggs. I had fun yesterday with my eggs that are due next week. I hear scratching sounds then they move around. At least it sounds like it to me. I've seen a post of one lady who spend over 400 dollars on a machine that will let your hear the heartbeat in eggs. She bought the machine for her chicken eggs. I thought it must be nice to have extra money laying around.

Katharina

 

[chickboss]

$400.00!!!!!!!! Wow! Those must be some seriously valuable eggs to go to that expense!!! No kidding about they extra molla, would be nice.

You know, I haven't had a chance to check them again yet, but I swore I did hear some scratching! Figured it was just me, but now, maybe it was my little ducks. Awww.

Thanks for the extra tip!! Will do! And, I'm totally jealous about the flea thing. We get those and epic amounts of ticks......Ugggh!

 

[katharinad]

Oh here is that machine.

Don't know if it is worse the expense or if it really works well at all. $4 or stethoscope or over $400 for machine? A no brainer for me.

Katharina

 

[chickboss]

LOL, no kidding! Though, if it did work, I'd pay $50.00 for it just to see all the little sensors light up, I am such a kid.....