Setting Feb 16, want to join in>Hatch-Along

[mammat]

We have 9 other silkies. One porcelain,2 black/splash,2 whites, a paint,2 partridge, and I think another buff. Six are pipped right now

 

[Jmurph]

Guys, I really messed up. I am so upset. I candled my eggs quick to set them properly and pulled out one of my maran eggs I was unsure of.. It looked like it had a weird air sac and I couldnt see veins and the dark spot just didn't look right to me. I thought it was a day 13 or so quitter like my Lavender Orpington... It definitely was not. I can post a picture of the egg-topsy if you all are interested but it's pretty sad. I am really kicking myself right now.. I should have just left it! 5 eggs left.

I am sorry for your loss. I have 3 Marans that I am unsure of. I left them...just "in case". One of mine has a weird air sac too, kind of like a little "U" that goes down. Is that what you saw? I would love any input on this. Can you elaborate on your egg-topsy? I am new to this and trying to absorb any info that I can, so I can do better next time. I am not sure about this time yet, but having the information sure helps. I don't know where I would be without BYC...Oh yeah, I'd have to take a trip to the library like we used to when I was a kid.

On another note, When do I start heating my brooder box? I am expecting Friday, but who knows? The ducks have all started pipping, but no zipping yet. Their "due date" is Thursday. The brooders are all set up, just need to know when to turn the light on. They are relatively large tubs from Walmart.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Guys, I really messed up. I am so upset. I candled my eggs quick to set them properly and pulled out one of my maran eggs I was unsure of.. It looked like it had a weird air sac and I couldnt see veins and the dark spot just didn't look right to me. I thought it was a day 13 or so quitter like my Lavender Orpington... It definitely was not. I can post a picture of the egg-topsy if you all are interested but it's pretty sad. I am really kicking myself right now.. I should have just left it! 5 eggs left.

Don't worry, it was an honest mistake I'm kicking myself too, dropped a perfectly good buckeye from standing height when changing over to lockdown and shattered it, killed it instantly. Definitely kicking myself for it! But I can't sit around and cry about one egg, the rest of my biddies need a cheerleader!

 

[heyheypaula]

We have 9 other silkies. One porcelain,2 black/splash,2 whites, a paint,2 partridge, and I think another buff.  Six are pipped right now

Yeah! That's so great I can't wait for my silkies!

Thank you all for being so nice, I'm still really bummed. An egg-topsy is when you crack your egg in a little sandwich bag so you can inspect it and see what possibly went wrong. I knew as soon as I cracked the egg a little it felt wrong. I wish I just left it! He/she would have been such a beautiful little chick! It did not appear to have any abnormalities and looked right on track for day 18.

 

[heyheypaula]

I am sorry for your loss. I have 3 Marans that I am unsure of. I left them...just "in case". One of mine has a weird air sac too, kind of like a little "U" that goes down. Is that what you saw? I would love any input on this. Can you elaborate on your egg-topsy? I am new to this and trying to absorb any info that I can, so I can do better next time. I am not sure about this time yet, but having the information sure helps. I don't know where I would be without BYC...Oh yeah, I'd have to take a trip to the library like we used to when I was a kid.

On another note, When do I start heating my brooder box? I am expecting Friday, but who knows? The ducks have all started pipping, but no zipping yet. Their "due date" is Thursday. The brooders are all set up, just need to know when to turn the light on. They are relatively large tubs from Walmart.

The egg I culled had a long u-shaped egg sac lengthwise across the egg and I couldn't see veins where as the day before I could. Leave it!! You never know!
As for the brooder box, you probably don't have to turn the light on until you see them hatch. They need to stay in the incubator until they fluff up from what I understand and that can take a few hours. The good thing about heat lamps is that they work pretty fast! That's just my two cents anyway.

 

[hokankai]

For the future, I don't perform an eggtopsy on a late term egg that way. What I do is I start at the aircell and slowly peel the white membrane away until I can see the inner membrane. Then you can check for movement just in case, and if there is, the membrane hasn't been breached and the chick can be saved by putting it upright in a cup with a moist paper towel covering it. It's more time consuming and hands on, but it allows you to catch chicks that are still alive.

 

[mammat]

Ok now I have 2 hatched ,7 pipped and 2 nothing yet. I am going to be up all night. My first pipper was at 6 am this morning and has made no progress but is screaming its head off!

 

[mammat]

Midnight and everybody has pipped

 

[mammat]

Well one additional chick this am. Everybody is still pipped

 

[jengro65]

Well one additional chick this am. Everybody is still pipped

I'm so jealous Did yours eggs start to pip on day 20? I've only incubated eggs one other time (a year ago) and I foolishly didn't keep a log of all the details. I do remember being shocked at hearing chirping in the middle of the night yet could see no chicks