Are these eggs dead?

[Hasrat1]

So all of my lovebird eggs look like this (some don’t even show the read part only completely dark) does that mean all of them are dead? I’ve tried to leave them alone only checking once in awhile

 

[Emma&pico]

Hi @Zara what do you think

 

[SunnySandi]

I think it would help to know the age of the eggs. But a general rule in reptiles is “incubate until there’s no debate.” I’m not sure about birds though.

 

[OrangIsld]

I think it would help to know the age of the eggs. But a general rule in reptiles is “incubate until there’s no debate.” I’m not sure about birds though.

its pretty much the same with birds to my knowledge

 

[Hasrat1]

I think it would help to know the age of the eggs. But a general rule in reptiles is “incubate until there’s no debate.” I’m not sure about birds though.

The first egg is due to hatch from the 13-17th September +\- and the rest 2-3 days after eachother

 

[WillowQ]

To me, that looks dead. I think there should be a very large embryo in there, and there isn’t. Also the air cell is big and I think the egg may be old and dried out.

it’s not long until they’re “full term” so you can easily keep them. You might want to open the eggs that don’t hatch to try to see when the problem happened.

 

[Hasrat1]

To me, that looks dead. I think there should be a very large embryo in there, and there isn’t. Also the air cell is big and I think the egg may be old and dried out.

it’s not long until they’re “full term” so you can easily keep them. You might want to open the eggs that don’t hatch to try to see when the problem happened.

Ah ok, should i just take them immediately or should I wait cause all the eggs look like that some are just very dark (meaning I can’t see what’s inside just the air sack which is just as big)

 

[WillowQ]

If there’s no breakage I think I’d leave them the full time. I’m thinking the very dark ones may contain a live baby nearly ready to hatch. Could this egg be much younger? (In that case it would still seem dried out).

 

[Icey]

@BrianB , @Zara

 

[Hasrat1]

If there’s no breakage I think I’d leave them the full time. I’m thinking the very dark ones may contain a live baby nearly ready to hatch. Could this egg be much younger? (In that case it would still seem dried out).

I haven’t marked them so I’m not sure but I was planning on waiting til at least October (or when the mom is sick of them) the other eggs look exactly the same as this one except the fact that the red part on this egg is dark so no light goes through

 

[Icey]

I tagged a couple of people who can best advise you

 

[WillowQ]

I haven’t marked them so I’m not sure but I was planning on waiting til at least October (or when the mom is sick of them) the other eggs look exactly the same as this one except the fact that the red part on this egg is dark so no light goes through

I’m pretty sure this egg you candled stopped growing at some early point; but the others sound like they’re coming along nicely. When there’s a large baby in there most of the egg looks dark. Eventually he pierces the air cell and then pips that end of the egg.

it’s hard to know what would stop an egg from developing early. If there was a hole or crack in the shell, that could be blamed.

here is a page from brinsea on candling chicken eggs. Shows photos.

https://www.brinsea.com/brochures/EggCandling.pdf

 

[Hasrat1]

I’m pretty sure this egg you candled stopped growing at some early point; but the others sound like they’re coming along nicely. When there’s a large baby in there most of the egg looks dark. Eventually he pierces the air cell and then pips that end of the egg.

it’s hard to know what would stop an egg from developing early. If there was a hole or crack in the shell, that could be blamed.

here is a page from brinsea on candling chicken eggs. Shows photos.

https://www.brinsea.com/brochures/EggCandling.pdf

The thing is I can’t see any fetus or any blood vessels the air sack is just as large as the one in the pic

 

[WillowQ]

Can you compare what you see to the egg development photos in the brinsea article?

If the eggs are nearly ready to hatch I think what you’ll see is most of the egg filled with a completely dark mass which is the embryo. And the air sac is going to be large towards the end of incubation.

the chicken egg in the last photo of the series is at day 19 post incubation. The text reads: “Day 19 – almost fully developed embryo – dark mass with larger yet air cell.” And the egg is almost completely dark (with the chick) with a large air cell at the wide end.

 

[WillowQ]

It is possible that the fetus can die at a late date but that’s not so likely. If you have a solidly f dark egg with a slightly big air cell then you likely have a live baby chick in there blocking all the light. The blood vessels would be inside the chick now because the egg is almost just a shell. There’s a little yolk sac attached to the chicks belly and everything else should be dried up.

 

[BrianB]

I agree with the others. Leave the dark ones alone but take the others out. If they aren’t viable there isn’t any use leaving them. You don’t want them breaking and rotting or a hatchling exposed to the contents. As for the others, leave them alone and see what hatched. From the description it sounds like they are viable now it’s a matter of waiting.

 

[Hasrat1]

I agree with the others. Leave the dark ones alone but take the others out. If they aren’t viable there isn’t any use leaving them. You don’t want them breaking and rotting or a hatchling exposed to the contents. As for the others, leave them alone and see what hatched. From the description it sounds like they are viable now it’s a matter of waiting.

Just so you guys know what the other eggs look like:

 

[BrianB]

It might be that the other eggs contain an embryo that died during development. The air cell at the end would be smaller if the chick was still alive, but give it a little more time and see if the air cell shrinks.

 

[WillowQ]

That last egg looks much more like an agg with a live embryo to me. I hope all goes well for your lovebirds.

 

[Emma&pico]

@Zara did your lovebird eggs look like these ?