Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[lotz2612]

Hi

 

My eggs have been in the bator for 33days now. Under our hens they usually hatch out after 4weeks (28days) so on day 25 i stopped the rotator ie 3 days before hatching like you are supposed to. We have had a little bit of movement, but no hatching yet, so i want to candle them tonight when I get home and find out whats going on inside.

 

I have never done this before so how do I do it and whats the best technique?

[Redwing]

I take it you dont have a candler?

 

You'll need a torch and a poo roll tube, put the torch against one end of the tube and place the egg blunt side against the other end - do this in the dark to make it easier

 

If you have a small LED torch with an end smaller than a 10p you can place that directly against the blunt side of the egg

 

They may have developed and died at the end it happens.

 

To check for life you can place them in a basin of warm water, if they are alive they will bob

 

If they are on day 33 they arent going to hatch though - could you have got the dates wrong?

[Roobaloo]

Go to google.co.uk and do a search for candelling hen eggs and there's several sites that have pictures for you to compare.

 

If there is anything in the egg, you should be able to see it at this stage. If they formed, you should be able to see the shape of the chick quite clearly...Though, if this is day 33 then it's unlikely there will be any life...the movement you've seen could've been caused by the reaction inside the egg that cause an egg to explode, such as gas caused by bacteria.

 

Eggs aren't the same as live birth in that, for example, a pregnant woman can be weeks past her due date because she provides everything the baby requires. An egg is a completely packaged, sealed case...the chick only has a set amount of nutrition in order to develop and hatch. If the embryo isn't strong enough with the 'supplies' it was given, the chick will die in the shell.

 

[Redwing]

Go to google.co.uk and do a search for candelling hen eggs and there's several sites that have pictures for you to compare.

 

If there is anything in the egg, you should be able to see it at this stage. If they formed, you should be able to see the shape of the chick quite clearly...Though, if this is day 33 then it's unlikely there will be any life...the movement you've seen could've been caused by the reaction inside the egg that cause an egg to explode, such as gas caused by bacteria.

 

Eggs aren't the same as live birth in that, for example, a pregnant woman can be weeks past her due date because she provides everything the baby requires. An egg is a completely packaged, sealed case...the chick only has a set amount of nutrition in order to develop and hatch. If the embryo isn't strong enough with the 'supplies' it was given, the chick will die in the shell.

 

 

Thats an excellent post especially the last paragraph - it sums it up brilliantly

[lotz2612]

Thanks. Lots of people have told me they arnt going to hatch...but i still dont want to believe it!

 

What should I see if there is something alive in there?...or if there isnt

[Redwing]

Most of the area will be dark and you should see some movement

 

You could try making a small hole by chipping a bit of shell off and peeling away the membrane - you must do this at the blunt end of the egg, if anything is alive you will see it moving

 

trying the water bob test as described above will also help

 

I think its time to be brave and decisive, if you leave the eggs in there much longer they will start to smell

[The Dogmother]

I think its time to be brave and decisive, if you leave the eggs in there much longer they will start to smell

 

... or explode!

[Egluntyne]

The eggs in question have been disposed of.

 

The OP has embarked on hatching again **here**.