What went wrong and why?

[mom2fantastic4]

Looking for knowledge, oh great BYC wise ones!!

We set BO eggs on the morning 6th of February in a homemade incubator (miss prissy style)

. Allowing it to run for almost a week before the first set of eggs arrived. We had 14 eggs, 9 proved fertile, 3 made it to day 18. We kept our temps at 100 and humidity at 50+%, the temps did swing.

So this morning, day 23 still nothing from the eggs, I’m thinking none of these 3 are going to hatch so lets open one up and see what went wrong. Well…. my dear little chicky was ALIVE!!!

It was almost fully developed but its belly was clear with no feathers and looking like it was lacking another few days. The yoke was a yellow-green color. Needless to say it died when I so rudely evicted it from its shell. We counted days and counted again and came up with the same. I have included a link to my site with a pic.
http://www.hollandhideaway.com/chickens.htm

I know I jumped the gun a little with the day 23 but this guy looks like he needed another few days. So questions:

Question 1: Is it possible that the time it takes for the bator to heat back up to temp causes a delay in the onset of embryonic growth thereby delaying a hatch?

Question 2: Is the yoke supposed to be a greenish yellow?

Question 3: Does this little guy look normal? If no, why?

Thanks so much for your input!

 

[cherub78]

I am NOT an expert (I am just starting my first incubation ever), but I am only counting today being day 22. Still, it should have been enough- but have read others say to wait until day 25. The others will surely help you with answers.
Sorry it didn't go well.
Sharon

 

[98 gt]

if the temperature was low, he developement of the chick is slowed down.. i have a feeling the thermometer was reading anok temp, but the tempof the eggs was a few degrees lower. didyou use a water wiggler??

 

[Laskaland]

Well, the baby looks normal, but is about a week out yet. The yolk is fine and the membrane looks fine. Poor baby!
I am going to say that the temp may not have been at 100. I find my temps really vary even between sections of the incubator.
I'm sorry you didn't have a better hatch!!!
HUGS

 

[lilbreeches]

Quote:
I totally agree on this. Looks like at least another 5 to 7 days was needed for this little guy. Do you just have one thermo in your bator? maybe it was off.

sorry

 

[mom2fantastic4]

Thanks for the replies! We had 2 liquid thermometers and a digital with probe in a water wiggler. If any thing temps ran high, not low according to the 3, we did have a few low swings tho. The thermometers could very well have been off, this is a possibility.

Yes, poor chick. I felt really, really bad but as DH said “you’ve moaned and mourned now move on with a lesson learned.”

I do still have the other 2 eggs so we will see what happens in a few days.

I wanted to ask your unbiased opinions before I mentioned DH is a biologist. His thought is that it took a day, two, or even three for internal temps to reach optimal for growth. And this being my main question of the post, could it have taken a day or more for the internal temps to affect initial start of growth.

Again, thanks for your time and posts, they are greatly appreciated!

 

[98 gt]

very easily could have, similar to boiling water (but lower temps) takes time and energy to raise the internal temperatures of the eggs...
btw, do we "pass" his test??

 

[mom2fantastic4]

Quote:

I believe so!

He says he tried giving me the temp advise when we set them...I don't recall this figment of his imagination!

LOL

 

[98 gt]

My wife never admits when I'm right either...

 

[Gumdrops]

Quote:
No we have taken a silent oath. never, never admit it.