The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Floopy on September 06, 2013, 09:47:52 pm
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Hello! I'm totally new to this forum, and to hatching chicks, but I wonder if somebody here might be able to help me through my confusion...
I've currently got a bunch of chicken eggs in the incubator. It's day 8 just now, and as far as I can tell the incubator's been doing what it should. When I candled the eggs, there was one that has a largish black mass in it - larger and denser than what I would have expected, going by what ye olde internet tells me, and I'm worried that this is something I should... umm... worry about. It may be my imagination, but it also feels quite a bit heavier than the other ones.
Here's an attempt at taking a photo of it, apologies for the poor quality.
Alien? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60780117@N05/9689809604/#)
Anybody got any ideas?
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That looks to be 'perfick'to me and you're eggs look to be on track. Good luck. :fc:
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Yep looks ok, it just looks like a thicker shell
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I can't really see the mass - isn't that just the air sac (normal) inside a thicker shell like the others have said? Even if something odd is happening, you'll do no harm to keep an eye on it. In a few more days it'll be very obvious which ones are developing normally and which ones aren't.
Good luck with the hatching - make sure you've got some heat set up 'cos it's late in the season to hatch so you'll need to take the transition to the outside world gently without a mum to hide under.
H
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Thanks all, that's reassuring! It just looks so very different from the other one (didn't start with very many, and there were some empties...)
I realise it's a bit late in the year, and now the weather's taken a turn for the extra-chilly, but I'll try and keep them cozy! :)
Carmen
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Am in same position floops. I've got a bantam sitting on two eggs. I just couldn't resist....... even though it's getting colder now. Hopefully mine will look like yours when I candle them tonight.
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Good luck! At least you've got someone to do the turning for you... :-D
C
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My 'black mass' is chirping! I'm so excited!! I might have to spend the next 24h staring at the incubator, sorry.
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:thumbsup:
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That's exciting!
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Oooh I remember that excited feeling :excited: . Let chicky do it's own thing and try not to help even if you really really want to ;D . Just keep the humidity going and watch with wonder.....
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I had a batch like that and only one had that black mass. It turned out to be the only viable egg in the set and hatched into a lovely strong chick. The rest had succumbed to the shaking about they got in the post despite perfect packing.
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:excited: looking forward to seeing some piccies of little hatchling. Keep us posted :thumbsup:
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Well, say hello to Thing One: IMG_7765 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/60780117@N05/9816822064/#)
I'm glad to say I read the 'Helping eggs to hatch' article on darkbrowneggs a few days ago (in preparation), so I wasn't tempted to interfere... ;D http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/#/helping-eggs-to-hatch/4555348326 (http://www.darkbrowneggs.info/#/helping-eggs-to-hatch/4555348326)
There's another one in the incubator now (out of the original six -- the other four went the same way as yours, Julie). It looked good up until a few days ago, hoping it'll be ok!
(Part of me is also hoping it'll wait another wee while until my son comes home from school...)
C
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It's so exciting isn't it
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Totally is!! I'm surprised my head hasn't exploded yet...
C
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Cute - looks a nice big chick. :thumbsup:
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Congratulations!
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Looks enormous & glad he made it out on his own! Fingers crossed for the other little one!
H
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Thanks All! It is pretty chunky, I can't believe it actually came out of that tiny shell...
Not sure about the other one, though, it doesn't seem to be budging (day 22 nearing its end now...) Anybody got any advice on how long to wait before I give up? And what to do about my lonely chick?
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I gave ours a soft toy chicken teddy to hide under and called it Dummy mummy. I threaded some string through the head with a bodkin and hung it up in a corner close enough to the heat source to be cosy but not too hot. I visited it regularly, made mother hen noises to it and encouraged it to eat by pecking the food with my finger.
If you can find someone with a recent hatch you could get it some pals to keep it company maybe? Some people do the dummy hen thing with a mop head but any oddlings I've ever had seemed to find it scary ....still worth a try though.
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I gave this one a massive pompom I had lying about, but it just uses it to stand on whilst shouting at me for entertainment... ::) Might be able to get another chick soon, just waiting to hear back!
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Haha, sounds about right, you will be it's preferred mummy I'm afraid. It's so endearing when you pop in a hand and it climbs into your curled fingers for a snuggle. Our hand reared singletons are still tame and come running for a pick-up when they see my hubby. I raised them, but he is king of the poultry, they follow him everywhere :roflanim: