Ron, I love that pic of the chick in the tree!
So this morning I smelled a funky smell coming from my turkey incubator. I candled each egg, smelling it until I came across the culprit. This was an egg I was a bit iffy about when I candled at 14 days anyway, as it looked like it might have quit. I put it back in, giving it the benefit of the doubt but wasn't surprised this morning when I realized it was the egg that was smelling. So I am down one for the CDM hatch. I've never had a rotten egg before and this is the second in 5 days - one a duck egg and one a turkey egg. But the thing they had in common? They were both incubated under my broody duck. This is her first time brooding and she started with 4 duck eggs. I had started the turkey eggs in the incubator but then needed incubator space so I moved the turkey eggs under the duck to clear space. The duck kept moving her nest a few inches a day and every time, she left a turkey egg behind. So, when I cleared space in the incubator again, I started moving turkey eggs back into the incubator, one at a time. There are still some under the duck. So - this egg was at one time under the same duck, who, last Saturday kicked a stinky egg out of her nest and I later exploded it after sealing it in a plastic bag. (At least that experience aided in detecting the stinky egg this morning - that smell is unmistakable.)
Anyway, so, having never had a rotten egg before and now having two, both of which were incubated under the same duck, I'm thinking the commonality is not a coincidence. Do you think she introduced bacteria, maybe through her feet, while moving around on the eggs?
I feel like I need to get the rest of the turkey eggs moved up here pronto. The duck's eggs are due to hatch this weekend, so I always knew I was going to have to move the turkeys back to the incubator at some point. I don't usually candle under broodies but last night I was out all evening so didn't do my final coop check until after dark. Since I had a flashlight in my hand anyway, I decided to candle the last two duck eggs. One I could clearly see the air cell and the rest was dark. The other was solid dark. I was worried about it at first but it doesn't smell bad. I'm guessing that duckling has already pipped the air cell though I was a little surprised I couldn't see any distinction between light and dark on it. A little worried, I must admit but again, it didn't smell bad, so I gave it the benefit of the doubt and put it back under her.
You may remember I had some stress last weekend with hatching poults. The condensed version is: I had 4 eggs under a broody chicken hen who was also sitting on 3 chicken eggs. The chicks hatched on Friday and midway through Saturday, she left the nest, leaving behind the 4 turkey eggs, once of which was pipped. I raced them up to my incubator and all 4 hatched. After hatch, I gave them back to the hen who happily accepted them to raise. Lucky me. Anyway, the last to hatch didn't do so until Saturday night so wasn't introduced to the hen until Sunday morning. I checked on them every hour or two and mid-afternoon, went out to check yet again, and found that last little one lying stiff and cold about 6' from the hen, who had the rest under her for a nap. I think it was weak enough it couldn't keep up with her and she probably called to it but it didn't come. When I picked it up, it was already in rigor, so, feeling sad, I held it in one hand, while I refilled a waterer with the other. Then I looked down and - the poult's eyes were open! I quickly stuffed it in my bra, and ran up to the house to turn my hatcher on to warm up. While it warmed up, I left the little one (oh, so cold!) in my clothing, while preparing the evening meal for my family. Occasionally I felt it move. Once the hatcher was up to temp, I laid it in there and that is where it spent the night. By morning it was yelling for Mama. Amazing. Monday was a return to winter weather. We had snow, cold, biting winds and freezing rain. The high for the day was about 33, I think. Nevertheless, I gave the poult back to Mama Hen, but since it was so cold, I kept her confined to a dog kennel for the day. That way, none of them could get so far from her they couldn't make it back under. I checked on them multiple times that day and never saw that poult again - figured it was being kept warm under her. Well, I am pleased to report that a few days later, I can't tell that one from the others any more. Not only did it survive the freezing experience, but all four are eating well, and running around like crazy, looking happy and healthy.
I'm so sorry! I had that happen last CdM Hatch - Death by Misadventure. So sad. I try very hard to leave enough space around the EcoGlow so nobody gets stuck there. I used to think the brooder walls would give them a sense of security but the poults were always getting stuck there. I lost a poult die exactly that way, and a chick from this Easter hatch did the same thing despite my care. They are SO close to the warmth but can't get out of the space they shoved themselves. I think turkey poults are more prone to dying from stupid things like that. 
