What do you do when this happens?

[rainee63]

One more question tho - do you start them at day 21 on the incubator even if you're not sure when they were laid? I got a little confused cuz the nest was so large and I assumed the hen had been setting on them for a day or two. Or 3. But the candling shows them all about the same as far as growth. So I guess they started developing when I set them? Or is every batch different? I guess it's hard to tell.

 

[aart]

If you don't know if she was sitting on them day and night, then it's pretty hard to say what day of incubation they are on.
Did you candle them before putting them in the incubator to see if there was any development at all.....did you see any veining??

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

 

[rainee63]

If you don't know if she was sitting on them day and night, then it's pretty hard to say what day of incubation they are on.
Did you candle them before putting them in the incubator to see if there was any development at all.....did you see any veining??

No veining til a couple days ago. The first time I candled them it mostly a slight shadow. And no air sac. Now the shadow is darker and I can see the veins and little embryos. And they move away from the light. So I decided to go by the day I set them. Seems like it matches up with the candling charts I've seen.

 

[rainee63]

The other times I hatched eggs in my incubator I got them from an outside source so I just set them at 21 days. But these I wasn't sure about. I guess I'll keep checking on them as we go. I just wanna get the humidity right on those last few days.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Be prepared for them to hatch a bit early since they spent time under a hen.

 

[aart]

No veining til a couple days ago. The first time I candled them it mostly a slight shadow. And no air sac. Now the shadow is darker and I can see the veins and little embryos. And they move away from the light. So I decided to go by the day I set them. Seems like it matches up with the candling charts I've seen.

Sounds good...but no air cell?

so I just set them at 21 days

What does this mean....what bator do you have??

 

[rainee63]

I have a mini brinsea. It sets the days and everything. And yeah, the first time I candled I didn't really see the air space. Air cell. Whatever ya call it. Or maybe I just wasn't doing it quite right. I really thought at first that they had gotten cold and were not viable. But I think I just got ahead of myself, thinking the hen had been sitting longer than she really had. If that makes sense.

 

[rainee63]

At first they looked like this... I can explain better with pictures. Lol
That's a day 2 egg. (It's confusing cuz my incubator counts backwards.)

 

[aart]

The air cell should be visible from the moment the egg leaves the chickens vent,
might take some practice identifying it.