October Hatch-a-long 2022🎃🐣🍁

[3KillerBs]

I have made arrangements with my SIL down the road, who has both a normal generator and a solar generator, to plug in my incubator if the power fails.

I'm 150 miles inland but Ian is currently forcast to run right over us at tropical storm force.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Sounds similar. I think Silkies are one of the few breeds that use buff to create Porcelain instead of gold based partridge. I do not know why this is the case though. I have a few project eggs in the incubator from a breeder that are Porcelain/Buff roo over Porcelain and buff hens. Hope to get some Porcelain or at least some carriers out of them.

Pretty sure this quote goes on another thread...but none the less - YOU HAVE PORCELAIN EGGS!!! OMGeeze!
I can't believe none of these 15 eggs included a porcelain!!!

Hopefully folks who are new to incubating can find this information useful. If you are at all uncertain if your eggs are developing or not, it is always ok to let them stay a bit longer

This is amazingly helpful!!!

I have made arrangements with my SIL down the road, who has both a normal generator and a solar generator, to plug in my incubator if the power fails.

I'm 150 miles inland but Ian is currently forcast to run right over us at tropical storm force.

Praying for all yall over there!!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Fingers crossed for your 10 that are looking good, I hope they all do well!

And thank you and everyone else who posts development photos anywhere on the forum. Mine are all well past the initial stage, of course, but when I was doing my day 7 and day 10 candlings with just the flashlight on my phone, posts and photos like those made my life much, much easier.

My little broken egg is still showing signs of life, though not exactly like the others. I know I shouldn't be candling as we approach day 19, I should just be leaving him to it, but I'm just worried something is going to go wrong and he'll need help. Would it be okay to leave him until the start of day 20 and then check for internal pipping?

Thanks and glad to be able to help.
Agree with @3KillerBs that it is probably best to let your little damaged egg be at this point. Don’t change anything. Hopefully it will make it.

 

[Marten]

I think it would be best to not touch it at all -- because any movement might risk breaking a fragile blood vessel or otherwise doing damage.

Thanks and glad to be able to help.
Agree with @3KillerBs that it is probably best to let your little damaged egg be at this point. Don’t change anything. Hopefully it will make it.

Thank you both very much for the insight, and I know that you're both right--my anxiety just calms a bit when I check and see there's still movement, but that's for my benefit and not for his. Is there any concern with the fact that the cracks (and therefore wax) go over the air sac? My worry is that, if he does make it to internal pipping, the spot he tries to externally pip might have wax on it. Wax is obviously much more breakable than eggshell, but would the softness of it potentially cause any problems?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

This could make the start of a good article.

Thanks!
I have many photos archived. I especially try to take photos of abnormal looking development. I think I just might write up an article.

I have made arrangements with my SIL down the road, who has both a normal generator and a solar generator, to plug in my incubator if the power fails.

I'm 150 miles inland but Ian is currently forcast to run right over us at tropical storm force.

Great you have someone that can keep the eggs warm if needed. Also hoping Ian does not cause any more damage. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Pretty sure this quote goes on another thread...but none the less - YOU HAVE PORCELAIN EGGS!!! OMGeeze!
I can't believe none of these 15 eggs included a porcelain!!!

Unfortunately only have 2 left.
3 of the failed eggs were from the project pen.
Will have to wait and see if they hatch.
I have in the past had both lavender Ameraucana and lavender Silkie eggs fail miserably. I have read they may be some inherent weakness associated with this color. Lavender is a dilute of black and recessive, not sure what the connection may be, if any. I will have to do some research.
Hoping the porcelain colored birds (also lavender based) have a bit more vigor.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thank you both very much for the insight, and I know that you're both right--my anxiety just calms a bit when I check and see there's still movement, but that's for my benefit and not for his. Is there any concern with the fact that the cracks (and therefore wax) go over the air sac? My worry is that, if he does make it to internal pipping, the spot he tries to externally pip might have wax on it. Wax is obviously much more breakable than eggshell, but would the softness of it potentially cause any problems?

I am, myself, a very hands on hatcher, though recently have been trying to not be.

I do though make small safety holes in my Silkie eggs if they have internally pipped and it has been around 12 hours. This requires a bit of pressure on the egg to achieve.
I would not worry about the wax. Any pressure you apply to the damaged egg, may crush it as it no longer has the strength and integrity that an intact shell has.
Hope this makes sense. I know you are worried.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Unfortunately only have 2 left.
3 of the failed eggs were from the project pen.
Will have to wait and see if they hatch.
I have in the past had both lavender Ameraucana and lavender Silkie eggs fail miserably. I have read they may be some inherent weakness associated with this color. Lavender is a dilute of black and recessive, not sure what the connection may be, if any. I will have to do some research.
Hoping the porcelain colored birds (also lavender based) have a bit more vigor.

U understand all that so much better than I do! So please let me know what ya learn in terms I can understand lol.
I was wondering why the eggs I got would have lavender in with black!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

U understand all that so much better than I do! So please let me know what ya learn in terms I can understand lol.
I was wondering why the eggs I got would have lavender in with black!

Most serious breeders use black birds to strengthen their lavender (also known as self blue) breeding program. This is why you will often see eggs from lavender pens described as “chicks will hatch out lavender or black, split to lavender”. This means that in addition to the chicks that hatch out lavender, you may also get some chicks that hatch out black, though that carry the gene for lavender. These are called “splits”. To complicate things even more, depending on how many “splits” are used in a pen, you may get some normal black chicks that DO NOT carry the gene. In this case, they will be described as “chicks will hatch out lavender, black or black split to lavender”. No way to know by looking at them without test breeding if the black chicks carry the lavender gene or not.
Since lavender has become such a popular color, the large hatcheries have been producing large numbers of lavender birds without taking this into consideration, resulting in poorer quality birds that often exhibit the shredded feathers associated with lavender colored birds. Serious breeders use high quality black colored birds to help prevent this.
Here is a visual chart you may have seen other places that may help explain the genetics.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Most serious breeders use black birds to strengthen their lavender (also known as self blue) breeding program. This is why you will often see eggs from lavender pens described as “chicks will hatch out lavender or black, split to lavender”. This means that in addition to the chicks that hatch out lavender, you may also get some chicks that hatch out black, though that carry the gene for lavender. These are called “splits”. To complicate things even more, depending on how many “splits” are used in a pen, you may get some normal black chicks that DO NOT carry the gene. In this case, they will be described as “chicks will hatch out lavender, black or black split to lavender”. No way to know by looking at them without test breeding if the black chicks carry the lavender gene or not.
Since lavender has become such a popular color, the large hatcheries have been producing large numbers of lavender birds without taking this into consideration, resulting in poorer quality birds that often exhibit the shredded feathers associated with lavender colored birds. Serious breeders use high quality black colored birds to help prevent this.
Here is a visual chart you may have seen other places that may help explain the genetics.

View attachment 3276123

This is why I was wondering if I needed to keep the black silkie I had mentioned before...for test purposes and or for lavender breeding.