My eggs are dead. I looked at the temperature (still using the thermometer that you point at the eggs) and it said 104. I got worried and turned it way down, then candled them. The temperature was not accurate enough. The temperature was not at 104, it was 120. Feeling so stupid right now.
9 of my 26 eggs have hatched. They all started pipping on Day 22 and all of them made it out last night, except one. I thought they were done hatching since it's already Day 23 but there's one in there right now. Poor thing has blood on the membrane, I hope it makes it out ok. Still alive and breathing.Stay strong little pipper!!
For some reason 8 of the chicks came from my Ameraucana pullet eggs, only ONE Easter Egger hatched. I had 13 EE eggs & 13 Ameraucanas eggs in there. The one that is in the bator still is also from the same EE hen, she's my favorite though. I'm so glad to have at least one egg hatch from her.
Darn, I don't think those things are very accurate. Are you using the gauge to point directly at the eggs or are you pointing it through the plexiglass? It could be that it's giving you a reading for the surface of the bator window and not the eggs inside. Sorry to hear about your eggs!
edited for ridiculous typos
2 chicks in this picture!!
Things are going to happen. Upsetting things have happened to a lot of us that are on this thread. Here is my own personal philosophy and maybe it can help you get through today. When I'm really sad I give myself one day to feel everything I feel about it....maybe eat a Twinkie, which is on the no list of foods....and then tomorrow is a new day and I put it behind me. Failure is only true failure if you fail to learn from it. There can be great success at the end of mistakes. Learn from this experience. Ask yourself what went wrong. Were the eggs too dark and you couldn't see in and you didn't really know what to look for? Next time you will be able to interpret what you see so much better and each time will be better than the last. Dark eggs are hard and sometimes you can't see in and you just have to wait until well past the time of hatch to give up on them. You learned not to open an egg if you're not sure if there is a baby. You are going to learn to trust your hen. She has instincts that we aren't equipped with. Your broodies will mess up sometimes too. They do their best and they try their hardest, just like you have done. It's going to be okay and there will be a new time to try again and you are going to get the hang of it. You didn't mean to harm it. Don't beat yourself up too much.
frosthazard (and Wholewheat too if you see this...)
I have some questions regarding the Ameraucana vs. EE differentiation....Is that even a word?)
I understand that an EE is a mixed breed that has some Ameraucana in it. I have 5 EE's in lockdown and can't wait to see babies....Friday, I hope!Anyway, the man I bought the eggs from, spelled them "Americana" on his CraigsList ad. So, I just assumed they must be the feed store version which are actually Easter Eggers rather than a spelling error. All the eggs are bluish-green and the parents all had slate legs (which is true for Ameraucanas, but still). Anyway, it doesn't matter to me whether they are true Ameraucanas or EE's. I just want some pretty new egg colors-! However, I have a friend at church that was bregging about how beautiful her "Ameraucana" turned out and she wanted to enter it at the fair...........However, she bought it at the feedstore where they sell them as "Americanas", so I told her they weren't true "Ameraucanas". She didn't want to hear that, of course! (I happen to know that one of the pullets that she got out of the same box lays pink eggs! So, my question boils down to: 1.How can someone tell a true "Ameraucana" from an Easter Egger (like a judge)? and 2.Are EE's an accepted "breed" that can be entered at the fair?
Thanks guys!By the way, have any more eggs hatched from the 3/5 setting?
