Edited to Add: My entire findings/hatch results are on post #97...
I am suffering a terrible migraine, but wanted to post before too much time passed and I forgot to update...
5 out of the 8 chicks hatched.
Only 1
washed egg hatched...a Silke/Showgirl. The other 3 washed eggs (1 White Orp, 2 Silkie/Showgirls), the chicks died in the eggs at a late stage...day 19 or even later (one had peirced the inner membrane, but no more progress than that).
All 4 of the
unwashed eggs hatched. 1 White Orp, 3 Silkie/Showgirls. The original White Orp was born w/ guts outside of the body, so we had to cull it.
That was hard. It was the first one to pip and zip...
I will say that for my own experiment, working with a cheapo bator and my own flock's fertile eggs, I PERSONALLY will not wash my eggs again. If I was getting 90% hatch on my own eggs before without washing them, I don't need to mess with what works.
I feel the rest of ya'll should continue doing what works for you. If it isn't working, then you should question the methods you use and change what you can. And above all...enjoy the process.
How were your hatch results, Blacksheep?
Meagan
