problems with my hen's eggs...

[shelleyd2008]

My OEG hen's eggs have always had unusual air sacs. The worst one was like a V shape. Usually they are down the whole side of the egg.

She was brooding on a total of 15 eggs. I took 5 away around day 7 because they kept getting bumped out. Out of those, 3 developed, with one live hatch, one dead pip, and one quitter around day 14 or 15.

The other day I took the remaining eggs away, on day 23. 4 of the 10 were rotten, and the other 6 were at various stages of development. One was pipped already when I brought them in. That chick zipped halfway around the shell and died.

Last night another one pipped, and it hatched just fine, but now it seems like it can't see? Neither one of its eyes look like they are developed right. One is open too much and the other is not hardly at all.

Of the 4 remaining eggs, there was another dead pip, 2 quitters that had absorbed the yolk and everything, but never pipped. There were 2 that were not even close to being developed (on day 24). They seemed like they were around day 16 in developing. One was alive, but died when I decided to open the shell and check the remaining eggs, and the other had died, but was alive when I had brought them in the night before.

What is going on?? I know that it has been a bit chilly here lately, but not that cold! She is the only hen that has eggs with so much trouble. I have no problem hatching eggs from my other hens.

 

[Karlachix]

How sad! I'm sorry to hear that.

I don't have any suggestions on what might have caused the issues. Just wanted to offer a bit of sympathy.

 

[lotzahenz]

Are those eggs all from the same hen? Or random hens? Sounds like a development problem maybe? My last hatchery order from Ideal had a crossed beak, one-eyed chick in it. Was that way the day it arrived.

Did you go to the auction tonight? Anything good there? I still haven't made it, but am making plans to go for sure next Friday night. Think I can sell two week old baby chicks? I have a few goats that need new homes too I think! I'd bring horses, but they wouldn't bring the price I'd pay for diesel. Anyone need any horses at all? I have way too many.

Tammy

 

[Katy]

If the eggs are all from her and not just eggs she's setting on, it sounds like there's something genetic going on.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
No these eggs are all from the same hen. I have a total of 3 live chicks out of at least 20 of her eggs that I've found. The other two are fine. I did have one of her chicks hatch a few weeks ago that had a really curled foot. It cried all the time, and then died at almost a day old.
Most of her eggs have been brooded by her or another hen, but even the eggs of hers that I have had in the bator have looked like that.

As far as the auction goes, I didn't go last week, because of Halloween. We went tonight, and it wasn't even going, so I don't know what is going on. I was told that it went all year 'round, but the gates were locked, and we had met quite a few people that were leaving when we were going over there.
As far as your chicks go, I would hold onto them until the spring, then take them to Liberty. They have a consignment auction twice a year, and the birds do a lot better there. I took some 6-7 week old chicks to Sano a few weeks ago, got 60 cents each for them. I would have been better off letting the hawks get them, would have saved the gas!

 

[lotzahenz]

Good thing I didn't make the drive! I'd have been out a lot of gas.

It sounds like genetics on that hen's eggs. She is missing something or they just don't form correctly. Wish I knew more about chicken genetics. It would show up in all the eggs if it was a incubating problem. A shame, but at least you can still eat the eggs?

G' Night.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah, it is just her eggs that do this. She is also the only standard sized hen that I have. I don't know if that has anything to do with it.