Warm water trick to assess eggs works! UPDATE!! SUCCESS!!!

[zowieyellowflame]

Good. But guess what? He is ok anyway!!! All fluffy this morning!

 

[enola]

I had several serious crisis' this hatching season, none of them concerning my chickens or my hatching addiction.

Any way, a couple of times I got my hatching dates messed up, which resulted in eggs that should have been hatching sharing the hatcher with eggs that should still be turned. (I turn by hand) In my absent minded hurrying to take care of everything before I leave to go to work, the eggs that were at the hatching stage still got turned......

Then I was forced to open the hatcher when the chicks were hatching, to prevent them from knocking the eggs around while they fumbled around getting dried off......

I still got 95% hatch rates. So, while I don't move eggs around purposely when they should be laying still, I don't think I have done any great damage by accidentally turning eggs.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

And now it has worked again! From the eggs I put in the water, I kept 3 under the hen and 2 have hatched. The final egg I gave up on and decided to let the hen move on to caring for babies and to be free from sitting. (3.5 weeks)
That egg I brought in and candled. There is an air space, looks to me like 18 days. So I felt silly but I put it in a bowl of water. Water was moving so I walked away for a few seconds and came back when it was still. There, see, it is dead. Completely still, floating egg..... then very noticable jerk. then another. Then I dried it off and ran to the basement. My husband asked what I was doing with the heat mat, light bulb, bin and lamp. I said "it is alive! I am going to incubate it!" He said uhhh.... why not just use the incubator?
Right! So there it is in the incubator with the other eggs but I put it in a little dish to keep it separate.
I am sure that a live chick could not move in the water for whatever reason, so there is no guarantee that one that you think is dead, is dead, but certainly, without a doubt when you see movement and jerks, you can atleast be certain that one is alive when it is alive.

 

[ginbart]

Boy I hope it hatchs for you. I will keep watching.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

I hope so too! And geez, I thought gardening was thrilling! I am new to raising chickens (aside from when I was a kid)
Hatching eggs and owning chicks is way more fun!

 

[zowieyellowflame]

That chick in the final live egg has entered the air space, or starting to atleast. Should see something or hear something soon! I keep thinking I hear chirps, I must be going crazy.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

There are peeps!!!!!!!! It is alive!!!!!!!

 

[Critter Crazed]

YAY! I'm so happy for you!
I hope the chicky hatches!

 

[Peeper]

What a little fighter!

 

[zowieyellowflame]

Little scratching sounds...... woo hoo, so exciting!!!! Gives me shivers.