The tiny serama; a Hatching adventure

[fluffycrow]

I do NOT want to meet an expired ostrich egg…

Me and you both

 

[Canadian Wind]

Oh, I know! I only threw out smelly eggs and I smelled them everywhere for two days. DO NOT want that stuff anywhere near me or my countertop

This WAS a duck egg, and it exploded in the middle of the night. Woke me up and I looked *everywhere* to find the source of the stink! Thought a skunk had sprayed just outside (had *that* happen once, too). But no, outside air was nice and sweet. Then I saw the mess on the counter. And the walls...

 

[tlcmurphy]

This WAS a duck egg, and it exploded in the middle of the night. Woke me up and I looked *everywhere* to find the source of the stink! Thought a skunk had sprayed just outside (had *that* happen once, too). But no, outside air was nice and sweet. Then I saw the mess on the counter. And the walls...

Ceiling?

 

[fluffycrow]

This WAS a duck egg, and it exploded in the middle of the night. Woke me up and I looked *everywhere* to find the source of the stink! Thought a skunk had sprayed just outside (had *that* happen once, too). But no, outside air was nice and sweet. Then I saw the mess on the counter. And the walls...

Was it at least a mallard-derived egg? I'm dead thinking how this would play out if it happened here

 

[Canadian Wind]

Ceiling?

I don't think so... I still have PTSD about it and blocked most of it out!!! I now check my eggs constantly.

Was it at least a mallard-derived egg? I'm dead thinking how this would play out if it happened here

Honestly, I don't know. Since the quackers are housed with the scovies, I'd just gathered a bunch of eggs. Tried to make a homemade incubator, but couldn't keep the temps steady. Poor duckies, all those little lives!

 

[fluffycrow]

I don't think so... I still have PTSD about it and blocked most of it out!!! I now check my eggs constantly.

I bet!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Maybe that's why WoDia does small hatches? It's more natural for a bantam to have a clutch of six rather than say a clutch of 24

Yeah, even my Cochin bantams seem to have a hard time covering more than about 6-7 eggs without one sticking out part of the time and not being warmed properly and they're significantly fluffier than many other bantam breeds.

I'm not really worried about the eggs not receiving constant heat, as much as I am concerned that the bright light shunned right into the embryo causing damage. Broodies select quite dim lighted spaces to brood, so I don't know how resistant the embryo is to bright light

Interesting, I hadn't really thought of that. I never have issues despite shining light in my eggs rather frequently, though.

I'll see if I can find it, but I once read a study about lighting in the incubator that actually found the opposite if I remember right, that there was an increase in vigor in the embryos as a result of such lighting. Someone had sent it to me years ago thinking it proved me wrong about the negative impacts of continuous lighting in the brooder when it actually had nothing to do with brooder lighting, so that was fun.

Thank you pipd. I just reaaaally don't want this to go wrong. But this probably holds true for every person hatching, so I'll stop whinging

it truly is interesting to see how different breed care is! How cool to see the person you got your first silkied cochins from raising serama as well! Is it a sign? I this so

I definitely understand that anxiety Vent as much as you need to!

Haha, maybe it is a sign! She had them back when I bought the Cochins from her as well. She was working on pure white Seramas if I remember right. Pretty little things

No, 10 days is too long not to turn. You can not turn eggs for the first 4 or 5 days but after that you need to start turning.

Agree, turning is not overly important for the first hand full of days and the last I want to say 6-7 days, but days 5-ish to 14-ish not turning has been shown to have an impact on embryonic viability. I don't remember the exact days, I'll have to see if I can find my source for that info again as well.

This WAS a duck egg, and it exploded in the middle of the night. Woke me up and I looked *everywhere* to find the source of the stink! Thought a skunk had sprayed just outside (had *that* happen once, too). But no, outside air was nice and sweet. Then I saw the mess on the counter. And the walls...

Yikes I've never had an egg do that inside, but back when I had Guineas I had a few of those outside. The Guineas loved burying their eggs in their bedding. Then I'd clean their coop out and not notice some of the eggs, which would go to the dirty bedding pile. Midsummer, when things really warmed up, you'd occasionally hear a BANG out there, like a gunshot. The smell around the bedding pile for days afterward was... indescribable.

 

[TwoCrows]

Agree, turning is not overly important for the first hand full of days and the last I want to say 6-7 days, but days 5-ish to 14-ish not turning has been shown to have an impact on embryonic viability. I don't remember the exact days, I'll have to see if I can find my source for that info again as well.

I am pretty obsessed about turning eggs. I start turning eggs on day 1 if I have collected them from my flock. Shipped eggs I wait until day 4. Turning is so important to keep the yolk centered so the embryo has room to move and grow, turning also refreshes the food source they have consumed around them. Not turning enough leads to deformities and malnutrition of hatchlings.

 

[fluffycrow]

Yeah, even my Cochin bantams seem to have a hard time covering more than about 6-7 eggs without one sticking out part of the time and not being warmed properly and they're significantly fluffier than many other bantam breeds.




Interesting, I hadn't really thought of that. I never have issues despite shining light in my eggs rather frequently, though.

I'll see if I can find it, but I once read a study about lighting in the incubator that actually found the opposite if I remember right, that there was an increase in vigor in the embryos as a result of such lighting. Someone had sent it to me years ago thinking it proved me wrong about the negative impacts of continuous lighting in the brooder when it actually had nothing to do with brooder lighting, so that was fun.




I definitely understand that anxiety Vent as much as you need to!

Haha, maybe it is a sign! She had them back when I bought the Cochins from her as well. She was working on pure white Seramas if I remember right. Pretty little things




Agree, turning is not overly important for the first hand full of days and the last I want to say 6-7 days, but days 5-ish to 14-ish not turning has been shown to have an impact on embryonic viability. I don't remember the exact days, I'll have to see if I can find my source for that info again as well.




Yikes I've never had an egg do that inside, but back when I had Guineas I had a few of those outside. The Guineas loved burying their eggs in their bedding. Then I'd clean their coop out and not notice some of the eggs, which would go to the dirty bedding pile. Midsummer, when things really warmed up, you'd occasionally hear a BANG out there, like a gunshot. The smell around the bedding pile for days afterward was... indescribable.

Interesting! I'd love to read that study if you can find it, but you've convinced me that candling on the important dates (7D, 14D, 18/17/16D) doesn't hurt the embryo! I guess I'll turn on the turner on day 4 or so, to be on the safe side of either case



ok now I DEFINITELY don't want Guineas

 

[fluffycrow]

I am pretty obsessed about turning eggs. I start turning eggs on day 1 if I have collected them from my flock. Shipped eggs I wait until day 4. Turning is so important to keep the yolk centered so the embryo has room to move and grow, turning also refreshes the food source they have consumed around them. Not turning enough leads to deformities and malnutrition of hatchlings.

OK, so turning is a yes. I've seen a growing trend of peeps saying that they don't turn (mostly on social media platforms though, so you know how that is). I can't comment because I'm very inexperienced. I trust you a lot more than I trust the peeps saying not to turn however, so turning it is!