Need some chicken help

[Lammie]

I am trying to incubate some eggs in the classroom. I have been keeping the temp and humidity right. They are supposed to hatch around the 23rd. Last night, the school had a power outage. I got in this morning and the incubator was off. The temp read 80 degrees. I suspect they had been that way for several hours. I started them again and got the temp back where it should be.

Can these eggs be saved?

 

[Gale Seddon]

I don't know, Lammie, but here's a chicken bulletin board where you might be able to ask this question (or look at some of the threads under "Incubation/Raising Chicks"):

http://www.the-coop.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi

Hope they'll be okay!

 

[Rustler9]

They may still hatch but will be delayed because of the temperature drop. Keep them at the right degree of temperature and keep the moisture where it should be. They may still hatch but may be a day or two late in hatching. Good luck.

 

[Gate Opener]

I would still try. Maybe they will be okay. I know sometimes our hens will get off of the nest for a while and then come back. Never several hours though. The 23 is not that far away. Do you have room to put in some new eggs now? Looks like you could just add them in if you have space. I havent ever used an incubator so I am guessing.

 

[Lammie]

I candled them today and I think that they are all duds anyway. I knew that trying to hatch the things in class would be dicey, but you see people doing it all the time. It has always been a pretty hit and miss proposition for us. The Japanese baties we had were the best bet for incubation. That and the silkie/sultan crosses seemed to always be really easy to incubate. I have neither of those now.

I guess I will leave then in a while and if all else fails, we will get a lesson in rotten eggs. Outdoors.

 

[MillIronQH]

I don't know how old your kids are but I think I'd bypass the rotten egg lesson. If they are anywhere near normal they will learn that one on their own soon enough.Z

 

[randiliana]

I have never had any luck hatching eggs out after a power outage. Not saying it can't be done, and I would keep trying anyways. By now if you candle them you should be able to easily see if they have developed. There should be a fairly large dark spot in the egg(probably about 1/3 of the egg). You should be able to see the chick move as well by this point. Use a really bright lite, with something that will concentrate that light into a small circle and do it in a dark room.

 

[Lammie]

You would think that kids would know about rotten eggs, but I don't think these kids are allowed to experience that kind of thing at home. My son was 16 before he did it. And it was in the house.

I candled some last night that I have a silkie fostering and they look good. I also have some that hatched last night and I am thinking of just taking them to the school today and letting them stay there the rest of the week. Kind of a before and after thing.

You are right. On the eggs that are about to hatch, you can see the peep right in there. I found a website that had pics of good and bad eggs and it was very helpful.

Thanks everyone.