Peafowl eggs and candling reposted here

[Garden Peas]

Gruber, do you have any eggs which seem viable? I'm so sorry you are having a difficult time with them.
It sounds like some of them may have died part way through incubation. I don't think the temperature being off that little bit would necessarily do that, though next time, you might set it a bit higher.
But sometimes bacteria can contaminate the eggs and kill the chicks before they finish developing, and there are many other things which can interfere auth successful development of the embryos.
Do not feel badly about your effort - peas can be difficult to hatch, and many people have difficulty. We have all had eggs not hatch, and it is a learning process.

 

[KsKingBee]

That could have definitely slowed them down, but there should still be movement if they are alive. I am a very nosy soul and I will candle almost daily, so I don't put a lot of stock in the belief that you shouldn't open the bator more than a couple of times, I know some people think they should be left alone, but I watch the hens get off and walk around once or twice a day. When my hen was sitting on those late eggs it was in the 60's - 70's while she was doing that and the fertile ones hatched. I can usually spot a deceased embryo immediately there are changes. A strong candler is a must have and at this stage I would look around the edge of the air cell for movement, usually a more advanced embryo pretty much fills that egg and the whole thing looks dark except a little bit here and there along he edge of the air cell. I think I read that they were due to hatch Sunday, today, if they were under temp. it could ad a few days, I've heard of hatching at 31 days but no later than that.
Good luck to you and your eggs @Gruber12

I agree, too much is put onto not opening the incubator. Loosing humidity could be a concern but if you are careful about how long the incubator is open and an eye on the water level you should be alright. I did have an egg this year that never pipped even though the chick was still moving until day 33. I made a hole in the egg at day 29 and kept tape on it and checked it twice a day. I even used a Q-tip and kept the membrane moist. Yeah, it seems that sometimes no matter how hard you try you just can't save them all.

 

[Garden Peas]

I agree, too much is put onto not opening the incubator. Loosing humidity could be a concern but if you are careful about how long the incubator is open and an eye on the water level you should be alright. I did have an egg this year that never pipped even though the chick was still moving until day 33. I made a hole in the egg at day 29 and kept tape on it and checked it twice a day. I even used a Q-tip and kept the membrane moist. Yeah, it seems that sometimes no matter how hard you try you just can't save them all.

Well, I have to agree with you both... I do tend to peek in quite a bit more often than is generally advised. But I have to say that particularly with my original H3llbator, and our dry conditions, I not only lost moisture, but also temperature, and the darned thing would "notice" that it was cool, and then crank up (and spike) the heat... and the pea eggs were enough taller than chicken eggs that I think it exposed some to too much heat while it was trying to get back to what it thought was the desired heat level.

So when I was doing all those trips in there, I sprayed water, tried to minimize heat loss with the way I lifted the lid, and watched my thermometers and hygrometers like an obsessed person after I got back out. Sometimes doing all that helped.

With my newer incubator, getting in frequently is much less problematic as it doesn't overheat or spike the temp, it recovers quickly, and it moves enough air in an efficient fashion to recover the humidity quickly, and I still spray water when I think I need to. I also use supplemental water containers to create more surface area for evaporation.

But for someone who is unsure of the process and unaware or not sensitive to the possible effects of the temperature and humidity changes, I can understand why the folks giving advice would just say, "stay out of the bator" as much as possible. Sometimes I think it is hard for folks to take in all the things we tell them at first, and there are so many details... and it is nearly impossible to remember all those details when you are nervous and scared and in a state over hatching your first eggs

And then there were the folks whose philosophy was, if it doesn't hatch on its own, it doesn't deserve to live. I respect those who make that choice, but I'm a full interventionist myself

 

[DylansMom]

Well, I have to agree with you both... I do tend to peek in quite a bit more often than is generally advised. But I have to say that particularly with my original H3llbator, and our dry conditions, I not only lost moisture, but also temperature, and the darned thing would "notice" that it was cool, and then crank up (and spike) the heat... and the pea eggs were enough taller than chicken eggs that I think it exposed some to too much heat while it was trying to get back to what it thought was the desired heat level.

So when I was doing all those trips in there, I sprayed water, tried to minimize heat loss with the way I lifted the lid, and watched my thermometers and hygrometers like an obsessed person after I got back out. Sometimes doing all that helped.

With my newer incubator, getting in frequently is much less problematic as it doesn't overheat or spike the temp, it recovers quickly, and it moves enough air in an efficient fashion to recover the humidity quickly, and I still spray water when I think I need to. I also use supplemental water containers to create more surface area for evaporation.

But for someone who is unsure of the process and unaware or not sensitive to the possible effects of the temperature and humidity changes, I can understand why the folks giving advice would just say, "stay out of the bator" as much as possible. Sometimes I think it is hard for folks to take in all the things we tell them at first, and there are so many details... and it is nearly impossible to remember all those details when you are nervous and scared and in a state over hatching your first eggs

And then there were the folks whose philosophy was, if it doesn't hatch on its own, it doesn't deserve to live. I respect those who make that choice, but I'm a full interventionist myself

I had one this past season that had some problems hatching and like you I am right there rolling up my sleeves to help. I was picking away at the shell on this little guy for a long time, and I knew he was ready and needed to come out, but he didn't have the strength left. DH walks in and sits down and starts talking to me about dinner or something else and then he sees this half hatched egg I'm holding and says "What's wrong with that one?", I say "He needs help getting out" and I turn the egg a little over the open palm of my other hand and out falls the little chick. I thought DH was going to puke, he about ran out of the room, with me yelling "What's wrong?" after him.

You'd never know the man grew up on a farm.

 

[Garden Peas]

I had one this past season that had some problems hatching and like you I am right there rolling up my sleeves to help. I was picking away at the shell on this little guy for a long time, and I knew he was ready and needed to come out, but he didn't have the strength left. DH walks in and sits down and starts talking to me about dinner or something else and then he sees this half hatched egg I'm holding and says "What's wrong with that one?", I say "He needs help getting out" and I turn the egg a little over the open palm of my other hand and out falls the little chick. I thought DH was going to puke, he about ran out of the room, with me yelling "What's wrong?" after him.

You'd never know the man grew up on a farm.

Don't feel bad, my ex passed out in the delivery room with our second.

Have I ever posted my photo of my pea on the half-shell?



He grew up to be a big strong pea

 

[DylansMom]

Don't feel bad, my ex passed out in the delivery room with our second.

Have I ever posted my photo of my pea on the half-shell?



He grew up to be a big strong pea

That's too funny, DH got to watch my C-section and I know it was traumatic for him. He won't talk about it much even 9 years later. I have had many Peas on the half shell, I think it was the big sticky glob of membrane that plopped out after the actual chick that sent him running.

 

[Gruber12]

first one isnt best photo but its 90% dark with the air trap

 

[DylansMom]

first one isnt best photo but its 90% dark with the air trap

Personally I would say that first one looks the most like an egg that is close to hatching should look. Second to the last one looks like it may be a clear that never started to develop, The last one looks like a quitter. @Garden Peas what do you think? @casportpony how about you? @Gruber12 in that first 90% dark one, can you see any movement in the dark space right along the edge of the air cell?

 

[Gruber12]

not that i noticed but i was fumbling with a phone and torch

 

[DylansMom]

not that i noticed but i was fumbling with a phone and torch

I would keep checking that one, that is how mine generally look during the last couple days before hatch. If you pull it out to check it try to make sure you put it back in with the same side up, same reason you shut off the auto turner, you want it to get oriented correctly for hatching.