Re: What should my eggs look like right before they hatch. Should they be plump or have dimples or both? np

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Posted by CD on October 04, 1999 at 23:30:42:

In Reply to: Re: What should my eggs look like right before they hatch. Should they be plump or have dimples or both? np posted by Dave on October 04, 1999 at 16:25:35:

In my experience, normally the eggs will begin to dimple even if only a little just before hatching. Occasionally a clutch will not dimple and when the eggs pip the inner fluid will freely flow out of the shell. This is caused by slightly high moisture levels keeping the internal pressure of the egg high enough to prevent dimpling.
If the moisture level gets too high it will be fatal to the developing embryos, and can cause some of the things mentioned in Dave's post. The eggs being two weeks overdue, and getting bulges in the shell are two signs of too much moisture. Pipping means the neonates are slitting the shell in order to hatch. This is done from the inside out of course, so if the shell is splitting, but there is no fluid leaking out then the inner membrane is intact, therefore the egg is not pipping.
I had one clutch of cal kings become too moist this season. This resulted in several things happening. The clutch was extremely overdue, and 6 out of nine hatchlings were full term but dead in the shell. At 74 or 75 days I slit the shells and found three of the neonates to be alive. I left them alone and the last one emerged five days later. All three were very weak and two died within two days of leaving the egg. I relate this information to give you an idea of the results of moisture levels that are too high in case this is the problem with your eggs and you encounter the same results.

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Thanks Dave 10/05/99 (2)
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: In my experience, normally the eggs will begin to dimple even if only a little just before hatching. Occasionally a clutch will not dimple and when the eggs pip the inner fluid will freely flow out of the shell. This is caused by slightly high moisture levels keeping the internal pressure of the egg high enough to prevent dimpling. : If the moisture level gets too high it will be fatal to the developing embryos, and can cause some of the things mentioned in Dave's post. The eggs being two weeks overdue, and getting bulges in the shell are two signs of too much moisture. Pipping means the neonates are slitting the shell in order to hatch. This is done from the inside out of course, so if the shell is splitting, but there is no fluid leaking out then the inner membrane is intact, therefore the egg is not pipping. : I had one clutch of cal kings become too moist this season. This resulted in several things happening. The clutch was extremely overdue, and 6 out of nine hatchlings were full term but dead in the shell. At 74 or 75 days I slit the shells and found three of the neonates to be alive. I left them alone and the last one emerged five days later. All three were very weak and two died within two days of leaving the egg. I relate this information to give you an idea of the results of moisture levels that are too high in case this is the problem with your eggs and you encounter the same results.

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