Will hoey

[Madchook]

As in the duds from candling / non hatchers? Am I weird? (don't answer that ) I have been, it is absolutely fascinating. Dh has photographed a couple (he is a photographer) and the detail you can see in the development is amazing. The most striking thing is how they develop an adult-sized eye really early and kind of catch up with it.

[tom123]

Yes but they STINK!!!!!!!

 

It is very interesting to see how far they have come along etc.

 

[Raina]

Nope!

I would love to but I'm too Squeamish and don't like dead things

 

I've had phobias of dead things since my cat died

[abwsco]

We did with two last year but hadn't candled as they were under my broody so didn't know if they were fertile or not. I made DH do it and they were unfertile.

[Redwing]

I used to but found it a bit distressing I have to say

 

I do have a powerful candler though that clearly shows at what stage the egg was lost so I can see without opening them

[Griffin]

I don't do it always, it's rather unpleasant. I was glad to open one of the blue buff columbian brahma bantam eggs that was under my broody Silkie last year. Through candling I knew it had pipped internally so I was curious to know why it had then died. It turned out the poor little chick had a twisted beak which made it utterly useless as a tool to break the shell. It also had an eye missing. It was never meant to be.

[Madchook]

I do find it a bit sad, but it doesn't distress me as such, it is just the laws of nature I guess. I have never had a prob with dissections etc so I suppose it is just my biologist mind (and obv I am not in the slightest bit squeamish ). When I took the chicks from my Mum's school hatch, there were three unhatched ones, all of which were cofirmed fertile a week prior so I opened them as they had gone overdue and candled as dead. One had gone rancid - luckily didn't penetrate the airsac before I realised!) but the other two had died ready-to-go by the looks. They hadn't pipped at all though - the membranes were really dry which made me think it must have been a humidity issue - but the the rest of the hatch went ok so who knows...(but this is it, I would like to know!) I will probably 'get over it' as I do more hatching, but at the moment I am in awe of the incredible journey that takes place in an egg in just 21 days...not morbid at all, it is wonder!

What I have learnt though - don't post the pics on facebook in your album titled 'chicks'

[Raina]

What I have learnt though - don't post the pics on facebook in your album titled 'chicks'

 

 

[Lewis]

Yep

 

I'm with you on the interesting/Biology side, kind of like a dissection - helps you learn with the next ones.

I'm not squeamish either, but it is a bit sad

 

*wants to see photos*

[Madchook]

I think they might be removed if I out them on here - I don't think it would be deemed 'family friendly'

When I did my degree (at an Ag college) we used you get the stillborn piglets to dissect, that was a little harder as they looked perfect, and very baby like.

[Raina]

Awww

 

I remember when i went to high school, We were in Science class and the teacher bought out jars with dead puppies,kittens,piglets and some other animals.

 

 

I was quite amazed at how well preserved they were as some of them were over 15 years old when i saw them (i was i think 12 at the time)

 

 

EDIT:

 

This is my 1000th post

[craftyhunnypie]

Yes - we always do - just to try and assess what may have gone wrong or how developed they actually were. I can't always look, it depends how horrid it is to my hubby.

Funny really, as I used to work in Pathology - but these days I'm so squeamish.

I understand truly these days - the fear of dead things. (shiver).

 

Emma.x

[Egluntyne]

I think they might be removed if I out them on here - I don't think it would be deemed 'family friendly'

.

 

You are probably right. However, if you are prepared to pm anyone who asks with links to the pictures, that would be OK.

 

If they ask, they presumably understand that the pictures might be a little disconcerting.

[Charlottechicken]

I've only hatched one lot of chicks and had one of those fail to hatch. I candled it first and then gently removed some of the shell without disturbing the membrane. It had not gone much further than fertilisation. I would do it again and am squeamish, but like to know what has possibly gone wrong, to learn from it.

[Raina]

Me & my nephew cracked open the egg that i took out the bator the other day (We stored it in the fridge)

 

and it looked just like a whisked egg