To live or not to live

[Nbullinger]

If you're worried about bacteria then you're probably right and it might good advice.

I'm not worried about it..

The eggs (early quitters) come from my own flock and get removed from the bator upon quitting (at day 7-10 candling).. then get cooked. More developed, late stage quiiters (closer to ballut) have been used as snake food.

Any chicks that hatch and don't make it for whatever reason get fed to the barn cats.

I don't mean to dismiss you at all though. Thank you for looking out for me and for other forum members!

One note as to part of the reason/explanation for that practice being done started the year I had 3 (42 egg) incubators running full time with ongoing weekly hatches, for the whole year long. I don't compost anymore in my current location (beyond shavings) partly due to rats, racoons, & other wildlife but also because I have "mini" pigs, guinea pigs, dogs and chickens.. between them they eat everything we have except coffee grounds and tea bags.

The only animals that have been sick once, when I had no hatching eggs to feed out, were my dogs from eating the composting (actually rotting underneath) grass as teenage puppies (only the two unruly and inquisitive young ones, not the 2 older dogs).. they were puking, drooling, and generally seemed to be "tripping". It's possible there were magic mushrooms in it as they do grow in our area. Hubby no longer dumps grass (in large amounts that might rot) in the dogs' section of the pasture where they have unsupervised access.



I'm not sure how technical or interested you may be. if the eggs are from your own flock, etc.. but check out my favorite hatching resource in the link that follows. Possible causes of embryonic failure according to what day they quit starts on page 51 and continues with other live chick specific things.. (some semi graphic embryo images, scientific not horror)

https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf

That's a small clutch, I hope they all hatch to!

Thank you for this!

We’re on day 20 and had our first pips last night! 3 of 4 are moving and chirping now