I set a total of 28 Serama eggs. All where mailed approx half way across the US. I lost approx half the eggs to detached air cells but set those eggs anyway. two eggs had cracked shells. These eggs where shipped in two separated boxes 6 days apart and where set 6 days apart. so here is where I am at.
First 14 eggs arrived one cracked I think it was 7 had detached air cells. Set them in new home made incubator and had temperature issues for the first 7 days. at that point I candled them and removed all but 2. All the rest where either non starters or quite before 3 days of development. Most where removed due to clear blood rings.
The second batch was started 6 days after the first in a second home made incubator. No temperature issues with this one. temp was kept at 99.6 to 100.2 for 5 days and has settle on a steady 99.6 for the last two days. Humidity has been higher than I wanted and has gone over 50% for a couple of days at least. (Forced air in both bators) I candled the second batch today at day 7. of 13 eggs set there are 7 remaining and of those only one shows real good sign of veins. the others simply did not show signs of being clear or blood rings so I kept them. Keep in mind my ability to candle is not that well honed.
I opened all eggs and found at least two I think where not fertile. so those are obvious. the other 5 showed signs of a couple of days development and then quit.
Also keep in mind the number one way I knew to remove an egg was a blood ring, and for me they whee very obvious blood rings. i know this means bacteria.
So my question is. Am i getting early quitters primarily because of Bacteria? and if so what can I do about it, if anything. These eggs where not washed and where sent to me by an experienced breeder so there should be no out of the norm conditions for them.
I realize these basics.
if eggs quit before day 18 the likely causes are. Infertility, general egg quality, genetics, bacterial or temperature issues. the first batch may have suffered temp issues and I believe this is reflected in the higher egg survival of the second batch.
of specific interest is a single late quitter from the second batch. I still have one egg from the first batch in the bator that I honestly think quit sometime after the first week. It looks like there is a fairly good sized embryo in it but it is much smaller than the other egg of the same age that is nearly completely dark. one or the other of these eggs is bad. But i don't know which. If I am correct this egg failed after being candled the first time and then placed in the temperature consistent incubator.
I now have all the remaining egg in the more stable incubator, and of course now the other bator has settled in to a nice steady 99.6 degrees.
Okay that is my run down and my diagnosis, but I am very interested in learning as much as I can from every experience so if anyone would like to add their thought and ideas please feel free.
So far I am seeing the biggest problems are. Damage due to the mail, infertility and Bacteria. one egg i just am not sure but suspect it just got infected later than the others but bacteria eventually won. In the end I think I may have real hope for only two out of 28 eggs. 7 are questionable at best.
First 14 eggs arrived one cracked I think it was 7 had detached air cells. Set them in new home made incubator and had temperature issues for the first 7 days. at that point I candled them and removed all but 2. All the rest where either non starters or quite before 3 days of development. Most where removed due to clear blood rings.
The second batch was started 6 days after the first in a second home made incubator. No temperature issues with this one. temp was kept at 99.6 to 100.2 for 5 days and has settle on a steady 99.6 for the last two days. Humidity has been higher than I wanted and has gone over 50% for a couple of days at least. (Forced air in both bators) I candled the second batch today at day 7. of 13 eggs set there are 7 remaining and of those only one shows real good sign of veins. the others simply did not show signs of being clear or blood rings so I kept them. Keep in mind my ability to candle is not that well honed.
I opened all eggs and found at least two I think where not fertile. so those are obvious. the other 5 showed signs of a couple of days development and then quit.
Also keep in mind the number one way I knew to remove an egg was a blood ring, and for me they whee very obvious blood rings. i know this means bacteria.
So my question is. Am i getting early quitters primarily because of Bacteria? and if so what can I do about it, if anything. These eggs where not washed and where sent to me by an experienced breeder so there should be no out of the norm conditions for them.
I realize these basics.
if eggs quit before day 18 the likely causes are. Infertility, general egg quality, genetics, bacterial or temperature issues. the first batch may have suffered temp issues and I believe this is reflected in the higher egg survival of the second batch.
of specific interest is a single late quitter from the second batch. I still have one egg from the first batch in the bator that I honestly think quit sometime after the first week. It looks like there is a fairly good sized embryo in it but it is much smaller than the other egg of the same age that is nearly completely dark. one or the other of these eggs is bad. But i don't know which. If I am correct this egg failed after being candled the first time and then placed in the temperature consistent incubator.
I now have all the remaining egg in the more stable incubator, and of course now the other bator has settled in to a nice steady 99.6 degrees.
Okay that is my run down and my diagnosis, but I am very interested in learning as much as I can from every experience so if anyone would like to add their thought and ideas please feel free.
So far I am seeing the biggest problems are. Damage due to the mail, infertility and Bacteria. one egg i just am not sure but suspect it just got infected later than the others but bacteria eventually won. In the end I think I may have real hope for only two out of 28 eggs. 7 are questionable at best.
