Our late hen's brood - an experiment

[TXChookstead]

One of our lovely Australorp ladies, Lila, passed away last weekend. It turns out that she laid the most beautiful eggs of the bunch, only realized after she was gone.

My daughter thought we ought to hatch every egg of hers that we still had, in her honor. I usually keep a fresh dozen + on hand in case someone needs them for hatching, and happened to have more than that plus some in the refrigerator -- so there were quite a few.

I picked through all the eggs to find hers, ranging from a few days before she died to as far back as 24. (There are also some that aren't hers, just to fill the incubator, but she holds the majority.) We set them Monday after letting the refrigerated ones come to room temperature, and I have numbered and charted each egg.

I realize viability wanes, and the refrigerator can do a number, too, but am curious to see how this hatch will result!

RIP, sweet Lila... May you leave a legacy of beautiful chicks!

 

[SueT]

Once a BYC member did this and titled the thread, ‘hatching from beyond the grave’
I think her refrigerator eggs quit, but many people do have success with refrigerated eggs.
Good luck, I will be following and rooting for your eggs from beyond the grave!

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Sorry for your loss. Rest in Peace Lila
I'll be watching this thread, I wish you the best of luck and hope you end up with lots of Mini-Lilas

 

[SilverBirds]

So sorry for your loss. Besy if luck with the hatch!

 

[sourland]

Good luck for a successful hatch. Hopefully you will be able to raise several of her daughters.

 

[TXChookstead]

Update after first candling...

We have life in 15 out of 22. Those that aren't gestating were all 19 days or older when set, though one was 9 days old.

The oldest one that is alive is 17 days, with a couple of 16 days following. (Obviously, only one of those collected that day is Lila's.) I wish I'd have notated which had been refrigerated! Guessing that certainly anything over 2 weeks had been, so that means that at least 3 or 4 of the refrigerated ones are OK!

 

[TXChookstead]

Update after second candling...

Fourteen eggs are still going strong, with what looks like one quitter. I left it in as I wasn't 100% on that; will check again before lockdown. That one was 14 days old when set.

So, the oldest ones developing continue to be the 16 and 17 day old eggs.

Keep growing, little ones!

 

[TXChookstead]

See question on temps at the bottom, but keep reading...

Saw the first pip when I checked on the incubator this morning! Go #4! This one was 11 days old when set, and unrefrigerated.

We are at the tail end of day 19. I bought a glass thermometer made in Germany (for human temps) on Saturday. No way to ice water test it, but I figure it is likely quite accurate. It showed that the incubator was running 100.2 at egg level. That would probably explain why babies have been hatching 1 day early. Next hatch, I plan to lower it 1/2 degree.

My second 'bator (also NR 360) runs at 100 even, according to the thermometer.

Does anyone think I should back both of those down now? (The second is about 4 days into a new batch.)

BTW, that last questionable egg did quit, so I removed it over the weekend.

The chicks' father just crowed outside, and the little one chirped in response.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

See question on temps at the bottom, but keep reading...

Saw the first pip when I checked on the incubator this morning! Go #4! This one was 11 days old when set, and unrefrigerated.

We are at the tail end of day 19. I bought a glass thermometer made in Germany (for human temps) on Saturday. No way to ice water test it, but I figure it is likely quite accurate. It showed that the incubator was running 100.2 at egg level. That would probably explain why babies have been hatching 1 day early. Next hatch, I plan to lower it 1/2 degree.

My second 'bator (also NR 360) runs at 100 even, according to the thermometer.

Does anyone think I should back both of those down now? (The second is about 4 days into a new batch.)

BTW, that last questionable egg did quit, so I removed it over the weekend.

The chicks' father just crowed outside, and the little one chirped in response.

Congratulations!

 

[TXChookstead]

Little #4 is saying hello!