Why you SHOULD count your chickens before they hatch.

[CluckyCharms]

Some of you may remember and some of you may not, but I had *several* eggs that looked like duds/deadies amongst my active and obviously developing eggs. I didn't have the heart to remove them from the incubator (except the two that were clearly rotten, they stunk to high heaven and were tossed). However, three other ones I placed aside because they were Silkies and I was just too upset to take them out (knowing that if I did, it would be official that all of my Silkies had perished in their eggs). They hadn't started stinking yet, or weeping so I figured there was no harm in keeping them in there (and I prayed for a miracle in the meantime).

Just a bit ago, I candled my frizzle project eggs to check on their progress. 8 are still doing very well. It then came the time that I absolutely dreaded. I knew I needed to throw them away (the Silkie deadies/duds). I decided I would candle them one last time (for whatever reason my hopes were still sluggishly elevated).

I say this with tears in my eyes *gulp* ....


I HAVE A SILKIE that's still alive in its egg.

One little Silkie baby hasn't given up on me...one little Silkie out of 6.

I feel awful that we just bought a Silkie on Friday because I thought all of mine "failed to thrive". One little egger in the "Dead" section of my incubator (I have a deadies/dud section) is definitely not a deadie! It popped right up against the shell and started bobbing about almost the second the flashlight hit it. For some weird reason I can't see ANY veining at all...very strange, but there is obviously a chickie in there and it danced for me tonight several times.

I even had my husband look to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. If it makes it all the way through, and hatches, I'm naming it Dancer.



PLEASE don't give up on your eggs if they don't look like they are progressing. PLEASE don't crack them open for an eggtopsy unless they stink like rotten yuckiness. Please give them a chance - little buggers surprise you when you least expect it. This dancing chick has what appears to be a blood ring in the egg (but no signs of veins) - but it was there on day 5 as well, which is what caused me to put it in the "deadies" section. It's not a blood ring...looks like one but is not. Please give your eggs a chance by counting your chickens before they hatch.


The two others out of the three I am fairly certain are duds...will stay in there unless they start stinking.

 

[Texasmja]

Some of you may remember and some of you may not, but I had *several* eggs that looked like duds/deadies amongst my active and obviously developing eggs. I didn't have the heart to remove them from the incubator (except the two that were clearly rotten, they stunk to high heaven and were tossed). However, three other ones I placed aside because they were Silkies and I was just too upset to take them out (knowing that if I did, it would be official that all of my Silkies had perished in their eggs). They hadn't started stinking yet, or weeping so I figured there was no harm in keeping them in there (and I prayed for a miracle in the meantime).

Just a bit ago, I candled my frizzle project eggs to check on their progress. 8 are still doing very well. It then came the time that I absolutely dreaded. I knew I needed to throw them away (the Silkie deadies/duds). I decided I would candle them one last time (for whatever reason my hopes were still sluggishly elevated).

I say this with tears in my eyes *gulp* ....


I HAVE A SILKIE that's still alive in its egg.

One little Silkie baby hasn't given up on me...one little Silkie out of 6.

I feel awful that we just bought a Silkie on Friday because I thought all of mine "failed to thrive". One little egger in the "Dead" section of my incubator (I have a deadies/dud section) is definitely not a deadie! It popped right up against the shell and started bobbing about almost the second the flashlight hit it. For some weird reason I can't see ANY veining at all...very strange, but there is obviously a chickie in there and it danced for me tonight several times.

I even had my husband look to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. If it makes it all the way through, and hatches, I'm naming it Dancer.



PLEASE don't give up on your eggs if they don't look like they are progressing. PLEASE don't crack them open for an eggtopsy unless they stink like rotten yuckiness. Please give them a chance - little buggers surprise you when you least expect it. This dancing chick has what appears to be a blood ring in the egg (but no signs of veins) - but it was there on day 5 as well, which is what caused me to put it in the "deadies" section. It's not a blood ring...looks like one but is not. Please give your eggs a chance by counting your chickens before they hatch.


The two others out of the three I am fairly certain are duds...will stay in there unless they start stinking.

That is so awesome! I am happy for you and Dancer!

 

[FeatheredFreind]

I bought 24 silkie eggs and today is day 10. 15 look good but 9 look clear. I was just thinking about removing the 9. Any opinions?

 

[hokankai]

I'd take them out. Clears are definite no-growers for me.

 

[CluckyCharms]

If they're crystal clear I would toss them too, especially on day 10. The only reason I kept these three was because they looked "weird" ...didn't look alive and didn't look like deadies or duds (clear) either. I'm glad I listened to my heart instead of my brain...because one is alive and I would have killed it.


In any case, can anyone explain to me why this 1 Silkie that is still alive...has no veins?? Okay...well no visible veins. This is day 12 now for those ones, and when I candled it before throwing it out (I was literally candling it over the garbage can in the bathroom)...there was life. It went back in the incubator along with the other 2 weirdos.

I can see *obvious* bright red veining going on all over the place in ALL of the eggs in my first clutch (All day 12) except this one egg. There's a chick in there, because it was dancing and bobbing and swimming around all over the place. I candled again tonight and had the same result - that is definitely a chick. Even through the flashlight I could make out an obvious head and body and pointy area (beak forming I would imagine). Why no veins?? None at all?

 

[hokankai]

maybe they are very fine? otherwise I'd worry about the development of the chick. they have to be in there...otherwise it wouldn't be alive.

oh, and I don't call "weird" eggs clears. Only definite clear eggs are tossed at the first week (and I crack mine all open...no accidental deaths). Dark eggs are kept until the 2nd week or so or until there are obvious signs of life.

 

[CluckyCharms]

maybe they are very fine? otherwise I'd worry about the development of the chick. they have to be in there...otherwise it wouldn't be alive.

Exactly, I fully believe they're in there somewhere (they have to be) it's just super strange that I can't see them - not even a branch of one. The chick is the same size as the other chicks I have in eggs, too. Granted, it's the only silkie, but the rest are bantams and all the embryos are about the same size and have the same motions in the egg. The only thing I can think of is that the membranes where the blood vessels branch out - were somehow damaged or 'repositioned' in shipment, and the blood vessels are simply in an area I cannot see with the flashlight. =/

 

[hokankai]

Do you have any pictures? Maybe it's the flashlight?