Staggered Hatch Advice

[Sunnyducks]

Hoping you knowledgeable people may have some advice for me, but I realise you may think I'm a lost cause - had been looking out for a particular breed of hen for a while, then I found someone who had eggs. Was invited along, she fetched the eggs, didn't want anything for them, then explained they 'may' have been under a broody hen, that they could be anything from 5 days to newly laid, and 'some' should be the breed I was after. I know, I should have said no, but I was too timid. So now I have a problem, as from candling them I can see they must indeed have been under a broody hen as they are at different stages including a couple of eggs with wriggling embryos. I wish I'd had the courage to walk away, because I don't know how to deal with the problem I now have on my hands. Trouble is that I'm not good at standing up for myself! Thank you in advance.

 

[Sunnyducks]

Apologies, @AmyLynn2374
@BaileyMChicks

I apologise, I didn't see your post when I started a new thread! I'm really interested, as I have a very similar problem except I have 22 eggs, and 4 possible breeds, all indistinguishable except I clearly have at least one bantam among them. Best of luck with your hatch, @BaileyMChicks

 

[BaileyMChicks]

Apologies, @AmyLynn2374
@BaileyMChicks

I apologise, I didn't see your post when I started a new thread! I'm really interested, as I have a very similar problem except I have 22 eggs, and 4 possible breeds, all indistinguishable except I clearly have at least one bantam among them. Best of luck with your hatch, @BaileyMChicks

It's fine! I hope your hatch goes good as well. I really don't like staggered hatches either, but I wasn't going to let the embryos die. I just hope it goes ok. I worry alot as well, so this is actually quite stressful lol.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hoping you knowledgeable people may have some advice for me, but I realise you may think I'm a lost cause - had been looking out for a particular breed of hen for a while, then I found someone who had eggs. Was invited along, she fetched the eggs, didn't want anything for them, then explained they 'may' have been under a broody hen, that they could be anything from 5 days to newly laid, and 'some' should be the breed I was after. I know, I should have said no, but I was too timid. So now I have a problem, as from candling them I can see they must indeed have been under a broody hen as they are at different stages including a couple of eggs with wriggling embryos. I wish I'd had the courage to walk away, because I don't know how to deal with the problem I now have on my hands. Trouble is that I'm not good at standing up for myself! Thank you in advance.

If they are all within 5 days, I wouldn't stress too much. I'd keep an eye on the air cells. You aren't going to know the incubation time, so it's harder to judge their growth, but as long as they aren't growing too big too fast, I would just wait until you get the first internal pip and then up the humidity. I would turn for 2 weeks and then stop turning. (Eggs don't need to be turned after 2 weeks, so if you turn for two weeks you know that they are all getting sufficient turning and if the oldest aren't more than 5 days, that puts you right at lockdown time.)
I will share the link to the candling thread in case you haven't seen it. It may help you determine roughly how much incubation they have had. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

 

[Sunnyducks]

If they are all within 5 days, I wouldn't stress too much. I'd keep an eye on the air cells. You aren't going to know the incubation time, so it's harder to judge their growth, but as long as they aren't growing too big too fast, I would just wait until you get the first internal pip and then up the humidity. I would turn for 2 weeks and then stop turning. (Eggs don't need to be turned after 2 weeks, so if you turn for two weeks you know that they are all getting sufficient turning and if the oldest aren't more than 5 days, that puts you right at lockdown time.)
I will share the link to the candling thread in case you haven't seen it. It may help you determine roughly how much incubation they have had. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

@AmyLynn2374 Thank you so much, I now feel much more optimistic of getting at least a few hatch after your excellent advice. I candled them last evening - I've looked at the candling images in the link you sent me, and I can say for sure that last night there were at least 2 on 6 days which would add up. Others all seem to be fertilised and progressing bar a couple. So it seems that someone has indeed been sitting on them. I didn't see movement but I was anxious for them not to get cold, but I'll have another go this evening and mark the air cells so I can keep track. I really value your advice, thank you.

Just one thing - in the images of the candling thread, one is entitled "three day quitter." Would that be because later on it was seen not to have progressed beyond day three? I'm guessing that would be it. Sorry for the dumb question.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374 Thank you so much, I now feel much more optimistic of getting at least a few hatch after your excellent advice. I candled them last evening - I've looked at the candling images in the link you sent me, and I can say for sure that last night there were at least 2 on 6 days which would add up. Others all seem to be fertilised and progressing bar a couple. So it seems that someone has indeed been sitting on them. I didn't see movement but I was anxious for them not to get cold, but I'll have another go this evening and mark the air cells so I can keep track. I really value your advice, thank you.

Just one thing - in the images of the candling thread, one is entitled "three day quitter." Would that be because later on it was seen not to have progressed beyond day three? I'm guessing that would be it. Sorry for the dumb question.

Yes. Not dumb. Between just the experience and doing eggtopsies, you start recognizing the different stages of development. Also if you are a candler, (some people only candle 7/14/18 or less,) you see the change on a more regular basis. You see the veins starting to recede and the visual changes to the egg that points to a quitter so you have a better idea of when it quit.