Weird Egg Date Problem

[peepinglaura]

I think that somehow a more developed egg must have gotten into the incubator. The eggs are from mixed clutches, and are all supposed to be on day 7. They're all showing beautiful spider web veining, etc., all that I'd expect to see. But one egg looks like there's a chick with significant development. There's a large, dark, odd shape which is, I think, showing movement. If I continue developing it in the bator, and it is a more developed embryo, my humidity will be off at day 18, since I can't yet raise it. I am barely managing my first time without the curve ball. What the heck should I do?

Thanks for any advice,

Laura

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Leave it alone. Its possible that it was partially developed when they went into the incubator, but with the lack of experience you probably can't be sure.

I say leave it alone and dont adjust anything because then you would risk loosing all the other eggs, for this one, that may not even hatch to begin with.

The other thing that I would watch closely is the smell of the egg. What you think may be an over developed embryo, may be bacteria. If you start smelling something funny coming from that particular egg, throw it out. If it is bacteria, and you leave it in there, then you also risk loosing all the other eggs due to a bacteria explosion.

 

[peepinglaura]

I wondered if it could be bacteria. I'm reluctant to cull it because I culled a viable chick and still shudder (ok, cry) when I think about it. It's so weird, watching these lives develop and occasionally wane in front of me. No wonder there are so many worried posts about the incubation process. It's just such a huge feeling of responsibility!

Thanks again for your input, Cajun. You've helped me on a few posts.

Laura

 

[the_eagle69]

i would just keep an eye on it if it is a fast developing chick then humidity wont be a issue for it.

 

[peepinglaura]

Oh, really? That's good to know. I don't yet really get why humidity has to increase right before a hatch. I guess I'll learn as I go.

Laura

 

[Judy]

I would love to hear the answer to that, too. My only hatching experience has been with a broody. Surely the humidity did not increase for the last few days before the chick hatched!

 

[the_eagle69]

It helps soften the eggs shell to aid the chick in breaking out also keeps the chick from sticking as it pips the egg. As for the broody hatching eggs we must think that she knows what she is doing and very few have perefect hatches. our job as bator operators is to make the most perefect enviroment posable for production hatching.