So I was going to send out eggs that had gone through a things (independent controlled variables) but couldn't send them out to people since I couldn't remember the exact date they were laid, so I put them all in the fridge...
Well, some of these boogers had been in the fridge for 2-4 weeks (some up to 8 weeks!!!)
Mind you, these eggs consisted of eggs that just never sold (not dirty or anything), eggs that were super dirty up the yin yang (they were so poopy encrusted and mud covered) that I had to wash them with soap and than dip them in chlorox bleach!). Mainly, most of them were dirty and yucky. Stuff I just put in the fridge to feed to the birds or give as an offering to the wildlife around here so the animals stay away from my birds LOL So the point is, these eggs were pretty much doomed... or so I thought!!!
Now, I couldn't help myself and just rolled another 48 eggs into the 'bator (after I was told not too LOL)
So 3-4 days later, the BF says the eggs need to leave; he got Light Sussex eggs...
So I moved them from the new incubator into an older incubator... AFTER leaving them out on the second broken incubator (which I found out was broken) and forgetting to plug in the switch (meh!).
The old incubator is just a styrofoam box, probably 10+ years old.
Now this incubator is fluctuating, I mean, anywhere from 76 up to 156 degrees. Mainly, it stuck around 108 degrees - I watched that sucker like a hawk!
I'm freaking out, because day 5-7, the eggs, I believe are fried (both thermometers stated 120 something up to 150 something).
Depressed and sad (well not really depressed but bummed out) I pulled the plug and left them there (they're in the basement where they are cool at 50 degrees).
Well, I went to go get them, wanting to blow them out and keep their shell, thinking that since they were in the fridge for so long, NOTHING could possibly have survived...
SURPRISE!
75% of the eggs had embryos in them, all similar in size (except the bantams).
I was amazed to crack the eggs opened and find so many with something in it!
I'm going to crack open the other last 20 something eggs, but all the ones I have broken reproduced life!
Despite being covered in poo/mud to the 10th degree, cleaned with soap and chlorox and placed in the refrigerator for anywhere between 2-4 (possible 8) weeks!
Heck, I get better fertility rate from the ones in the fridge than shipped eggs! (Of course, we know that can be risky)
I have pictures of the embryos, there was really only one embryo that was super smaller than everyone else, but everyone was developing at a similar rate!
Is this amazing or what? And to think we think eggs are so fragile.... WOW!
Well, some of these boogers had been in the fridge for 2-4 weeks (some up to 8 weeks!!!)
Mind you, these eggs consisted of eggs that just never sold (not dirty or anything), eggs that were super dirty up the yin yang (they were so poopy encrusted and mud covered) that I had to wash them with soap and than dip them in chlorox bleach!). Mainly, most of them were dirty and yucky. Stuff I just put in the fridge to feed to the birds or give as an offering to the wildlife around here so the animals stay away from my birds LOL So the point is, these eggs were pretty much doomed... or so I thought!!!
Now, I couldn't help myself and just rolled another 48 eggs into the 'bator (after I was told not too LOL)
So 3-4 days later, the BF says the eggs need to leave; he got Light Sussex eggs...
So I moved them from the new incubator into an older incubator... AFTER leaving them out on the second broken incubator (which I found out was broken) and forgetting to plug in the switch (meh!).
The old incubator is just a styrofoam box, probably 10+ years old.
Now this incubator is fluctuating, I mean, anywhere from 76 up to 156 degrees. Mainly, it stuck around 108 degrees - I watched that sucker like a hawk!
I'm freaking out, because day 5-7, the eggs, I believe are fried (both thermometers stated 120 something up to 150 something).
Depressed and sad (well not really depressed but bummed out) I pulled the plug and left them there (they're in the basement where they are cool at 50 degrees).
Well, I went to go get them, wanting to blow them out and keep their shell, thinking that since they were in the fridge for so long, NOTHING could possibly have survived...
SURPRISE!
75% of the eggs had embryos in them, all similar in size (except the bantams).
I was amazed to crack the eggs opened and find so many with something in it!
I'm going to crack open the other last 20 something eggs, but all the ones I have broken reproduced life!
Despite being covered in poo/mud to the 10th degree, cleaned with soap and chlorox and placed in the refrigerator for anywhere between 2-4 (possible 8) weeks!
Heck, I get better fertility rate from the ones in the fridge than shipped eggs! (Of course, we know that can be risky)
I have pictures of the embryos, there was really only one embryo that was super smaller than everyone else, but everyone was developing at a similar rate!
Is this amazing or what? And to think we think eggs are so fragile.... WOW!
