The incubating & Hatching Eggs Forum is one nightmare after another

[Doug Hodges]

Doug I totally understand - I find this forum terrifying, but mostly because this is my first time incubating. I'm sure that once I have a successful hatch I'll be able to read these threads with a little more detachment. Also, our incubator is at the school and I'm in charge of it. I have an awful feeling we're going to get no chicks. We're already down to 11 eggs out of 24, I've never seen movement when candling, yesterday was day 22 with no pips. I can go in to the classroom in 45 minutes when the teacher arrives at 7 to see if we have any action today, but I didn't even see any rocking yesterday. I think I may have seen tiny movement but the window on the bator is cheap plastic and anytime i look out of the corner of my eye it makes it look like something's moving. I also thought I heard pecking at the shell yesterday at 7am but I came in several times throughout the day and even at 3pm not a single pip.

If we don't get even one chick I'm going to have 22 miserable little kindergarteners on my hands...

Yikes. Well what happened?

 

[CAjerseychick]

Hey Doug, can totally relate-- at this point, I am not going to even look for the clutch I know is out in the berry bushes-- I am hoping that someone will sit on them and hatch out chicks the old fashioned way and then I will deal with the new babies if they happen....
(we started off with a clutch of 14 eggs, 2 broodies now down to 11 but not sure they are viable as I have moved eggs twice d/t various broody issues)....EEKKK it is nerve wracking....

 

[Frizzll Farm]

I have a question, I am hatching some Easter eggers for the first time, I am on day 5. I tried candling some of my eggs before I put them in but the green eggs I had a very hard time seeing anything through the shell. Is this normal? Will I be able to see through the shell at all before any hatch? I would like to candle them at 9 days and take out any that haven't started developing. But I'm worried that I wont be able to tell! I do know what I should be looking for. I just want to make sure that I can see through the dark shell!

 

[Sphinx]

I have a question, I am hatching some Easter eggers for the first time, I am on day 5. I tried candling some of my eggs before I put them in but the green eggs I had a very hard time seeing anything through the shell. Is this normal? Will I be able to see through the shell at all before any hatch? I would like to candle them at 9 days and take out any that haven't started developing. But I'm worried that I wont be able to tell! I do know what I should be looking for. I just want to make sure that I can see through the dark shell!

It can be very normal, or it could be that your flashlight isn't any good. I have a hard time seeing into some of my very dark green/olive eggs, and one of my EE laid very thick shelled eggs.

Make sure you have a very bright LCD flashlight. Try candling a white egg and see what you can see.

Having said that, there's some eggs I've just never been able to see through. I just stick them in the bator, and as long as nothing start weeping or smelling funny, I leave it in.


There is a learning curve, but with a good incubator and good eggs, incubating really can be fun and easy. I promise!

 

[Frizzll Farm]

It can be very normal, or it could be that your flashlight isn't any good. I have a hard time seeing into some of my very dark green/olive eggs, and one of my EE laid very thick shelled eggs.

Make sure you have a very bright LCD flashlight. Try candling a white egg and see what you can see.

Having said that, there's some eggs I've just never been able to see through. I just stick them in the bator, and as long as nothing start weeping or smelling funny, I leave it in.


There is a learning curve, but with a good incubator and good eggs, incubating really can be fun and easy. I promise!

thank you so much for your reply! I have Columbian and barred rock crossed with my EE rooster, I can see the yolk good in them. I will just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best!