Test Incubation: Due to hatch 12/19 (including eggtopsies **graphic pictures**)

[Hope Hughes]

I am always afraid to do an eggtopsy! Im always afraid to make a mistake amd it be alive!​

 

[apryl29]

I've never seen anyone do this kind of thing before (not that I've seen many threads about hatching). This is very interesting. When people say their eggs didn't hatch I always wonder what happened.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I've never seen anyone do this kind of thing before (not that I've seen many threads about hatching). This is very interesting. When people say their eggs didn't hatch I always wonder what happened.

It is usually a variety of things that happen, especially if some (or most) of the eggs are successful in hatching. I don't know why those two better formed chicks didn't continue growing, but something happened.

 

[lazy gardener]

Mine's Kettle corn.

 

[iluvsedward]

I always do eggtopsies but I hand turn my eggs and with none of my eggtopsies have I ever seen embryos at the top near the air cell. it almost seems like you said they were stuck. do you think this could be low humidity or possibly because you use an automatic turner? I never liked them because I feel it is unnatural for them to be upright, although it eliminates opening the incubator, I feel like opening the bator is natural as well since a momma hen would stand up to turn her eggs or get food and water... just wondering about this

 

[Redhead Rae]

I always do eggtopsies but I hand turn my eggs and with none of my eggtopsies have I ever seen embryos at the top near the air cell. it almost seems like you said they were stuck. do you think this could be low humidity or possibly because you use an automatic turner? I never liked them because I feel it is unnatural for them to be upright, although it eliminates opening the incubator, I feel like opening the bator is natural as well since a momma hen would stand up to turn her eggs or get food and water... just wondering about this

These are in an automatic turner. I have a 17 month old milk drinker (code for human toddler) and a full time WFH job and have a hard time getting outside to gather eggs, never mind turning incubated eggs 3-4 times a day.

 

[iluvsedward]

These are in an automatic turner. I have a 17 month old milk drinker (code for human toddler) and a full time WFH job and have a hard time getting outside to gather eggs, never mind turning incubated eggs 3-4 times a day.

I gotcha, makes sense. I wonder if anyone has ever done a test to see if one gets better hatch rates than the other

 

[aart]

I have a 17 month old milk drinker

 

[Redhead Rae]

I gotcha, makes sense. I wonder if anyone has ever done a test to see if one gets better hatch rates than the other

I dunno. You would have to do a lot of tests to prove it one way or the other and I think that I would have a tendency to forget to hand turn if I was running it. I know some people like the Brinsea Mini/maxi with auto turner because it is one of the few autoturners that keeps them on their sides.

 

[rjohns39]

Rae, I never did eggtopsies until my last hatch. I had eggs on day 25 with no movement, etc. So into the compost bin they went. Those that hatched between day 20 & 22 had already gone to the brooder. A half hour later we hear chirping from the compost bin. So back in the bator she went... And she's running around the pasture today.