Out of another fully-loaded incubator, there are only five viable eggs. Ironically, two of them were the green eggs. This would be the first time I've had viable eggs from my Easter Egger hens. There were another five "maybe" eggs, so I kept those in there anyhow and will check them in another few days.
And to make things worse, I had a slight temperature malfunction; as in the temperature got up to 105 for possibly two hours. After I tossed the bag eggs and put the "good" and "maybe" eggs back into the incubator, I had to tweak the thermostat to get the temperature back up, but I guess I tweaked it just a little too much. So hopefully I didn't cook the few remaining live eggs.
I also candled the eight turkey eggs and six of them were dead. It looked like something had happened at one point, but then turned. When I candled them it looked like a big, dark blob. Not like a yolk blob because there wasn't a defined border, it was like "swampy" looking stuff. So I took them outside and cracked them and there was a dark icky goo inside. The two that I'm hoping were OK had clearly visible blood veins and a little dark blob attached to it. Whether or not they are still alive, I don't know. I'll candle them again in a week and see if there is any growth.
I'm not sure if I'm going to bother hatching out any more of our own eggs. I know I want more hens, so I guess I'll have to resort to buying fertile eggs from somebody local. Which I suppose isn't that bad. It would be nice to have some new chicken DNA around the homestead anyhow.
Mama Pea and Susan had also recently
How are your hatching rates?
Ours is great. We ignore the chickens and ducks and they show up with babies. It's very scientific. In fact Two ducks had many ducklings. One abandoned hers so now we have one mama duck with 23 babies. She's doing a great job. Far better than me!
ReplyDeleteWell, darn, CR. I think you should just write 2012 off as a BAAAD hatch year. So frustrating. We're still waiting for our new chicks (ordered from a hatchery) to arrive. They ask you to specify dates you'd prefer to receive the chicks ordered and already three of our dates have come and gone so I wonder if the hatchery is having trouble incubating this year, too??? (Now wouldn't that be darn depressing if it was your business?)
ReplyDeleteI had 4 out of 7 chicken eggs hatch from an early March group of eggs, I think that is good for so early in the year. I just got 6 out of 7 guineas and the 7th was fully developed but had a birth defect - so things are going well for me. I just love my Brinsea incubator, maybe that is the difference.
ReplyDeleteHome hatching for us last year (via a mama hen) was only about 33%. But then our rooster at the time didn't have very good aim. :o I've read several articles about the generational effect of GMOs. Apparently sterility and miscarriage become increasing more common, especially by about the 4th generation. Haven't heard anything good about those chemtrails either. Sorry you're not getting better results!
ReplyDeleteWe havent' hatched for a couple years. I'm sorry things aren't working out for your hatches. It has to be something cosmic, because that's the only way to explain it when you're doing everything right!
ReplyDeleteI have never tried hatching my own but have been thinking about letting one of my hens set... Hope some of the eggs you have left hatch out.
ReplyDeleteDonna, congrats on your hatchings! I've only had a small handful of broody hens, each only hatching out two or three chicks. Twenty-three ducklings! Now THAT's a handful!
ReplyDeleteMama Pea, yeah, I guess you're right, at least I don't depend on a good hatching as a means of income!
Chai Chai, I wonder if it's the incubator or the eggs. I haven't had a problem with this incubator before.
Leigh, I'd be happy with 33% out of a broody, I just need a BROODY!
MamaTea, well, something isn't going right, and I have a feeling it IS me.
Candy C., A broody hen is a wonderful thing! Well, that is if you want chicks. If you want eggs, not so much a good thing :)