Ok, so if you were following my last thread with the eggs from my neighbor, this is the continuation of that, but a new start. Ok, let me start with today, and where the last thread left off.
So, the one chick had partially zipped and then died. Then the second zipped, and I helped it a little and sadly, it was dead too and looked all wrong. Head was at a weird angle and the intestines were not all inside.
So, I thought enough to candle the remaining eggs and see whats up. 'Ugh' does not begin to explain what I felt.
Of the remaining 2 eggs that should have been about to hatch both had died sometime ago. Then I candled the younger eggs and saw that none of them were at the same stage in developement, all had perished, and roughly half of them were "yolkers" (not even fertile).
Some had blood rings, some were 'floaters'. It was sad, and disheartening.
So I opened the bator up, tossed all the eggs, and cried a little. Then through some miracle....I 'fall' into more eggs!
Ok, so I'm sitting here cleaning out the bator, ready to pack it away for awhile or something when the phone rings. A family from town that we know from 4H calls to talk about something completely different and in the course of talking I hear a rooster crow in the background!
So, I ask if they let their roos run with the gals and of course they do. I ask if they might have some fertile eggs I could buy to try out my bator, and they say "We're about to go collect some right now! Come on out and you can just HAVE them!"
I get there in record time and I am handed two dozen still warm eggs. All colors and sizes, but ALL FRESHLY LAID (which after the neighbors weird eggs, I needed!) and their chickens were georgious! So, I head home careful to avoid pot holes and bumps with my precious cargo.
This time, I mark each egg (with pencil) with a number and I log everything about it. I let them come to room temp naturally before I set them (lucky I had already disinfected the bator!) and there they sit now. I set them at 5pm, so I am expecting hatching around 5pm on August 2nd...is that right?! MAN! Thats a ways away! Ugh!
So, I'm starting all over again, but doing it this time with fresh eggs that we are SURE are no farther along than today...lol
I'm happy about the new ones, but sort of mourning the others.
Oh yes, and I DID take pics and will post pics weekly here!
So, the one chick had partially zipped and then died. Then the second zipped, and I helped it a little and sadly, it was dead too and looked all wrong. Head was at a weird angle and the intestines were not all inside.
Of the remaining 2 eggs that should have been about to hatch both had died sometime ago. Then I candled the younger eggs and saw that none of them were at the same stage in developement, all had perished, and roughly half of them were "yolkers" (not even fertile).
Some had blood rings, some were 'floaters'. It was sad, and disheartening.
So I opened the bator up, tossed all the eggs, and cried a little. Then through some miracle....I 'fall' into more eggs!
Ok, so I'm sitting here cleaning out the bator, ready to pack it away for awhile or something when the phone rings. A family from town that we know from 4H calls to talk about something completely different and in the course of talking I hear a rooster crow in the background!
So, I ask if they let their roos run with the gals and of course they do. I ask if they might have some fertile eggs I could buy to try out my bator, and they say "We're about to go collect some right now! Come on out and you can just HAVE them!"
I get there in record time and I am handed two dozen still warm eggs. All colors and sizes, but ALL FRESHLY LAID (which after the neighbors weird eggs, I needed!) and their chickens were georgious! So, I head home careful to avoid pot holes and bumps with my precious cargo.
This time, I mark each egg (with pencil) with a number and I log everything about it. I let them come to room temp naturally before I set them (lucky I had already disinfected the bator!) and there they sit now. I set them at 5pm, so I am expecting hatching around 5pm on August 2nd...is that right?! MAN! Thats a ways away! Ugh!
So, I'm starting all over again, but doing it this time with fresh eggs that we are SURE are no farther along than today...lol
Oh yes, and I DID take pics and will post pics weekly here!
