# Am I seeing things?



## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Sooo... I ended up with a rooster mixed in with the day old pullets I ordered in July. Long story short Fredo had to find a new home (I'm not zoned for roosters... the Seramas are quiet enough to hide but a constantly crowing Dark Brahma? Ha!)

Anyway, I decided to pop a few eggs in the incubator before he left since I wouldn't have the opportunity to do so again. Previously I had spent all winter trying to hatch eggs laid by a single Serama hen (whose still going after six months!) I only managed to hatch two - and this was before I bothered to candle them.

Today is day eight of incubation for the Brahma's eggs. I candled them today and was amazed. I can see all the veins people keep talking about and what I think to be the heart beating? Now here's the interesting part. My last batch of Serama eggs has been in the 'bator for 18 days. I candled them today (as well as on day 12) and I do see a mass in there... but no veins, no movement... I am going to wait until they are 23 days old before popping them open. Maybe they're too small to see in detail?? I took a photo... see what you guys think. This is when it was 12 days old... and the mass did grow since then but again there's no movement or veins...










For comparison this is one of the 6 I think were straight out duds. Almost all of them are this porous, though I think its because my hen is old - 2 1/2.


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## troyer (Dec 22, 2012)

Both are infertile. Sorry.


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Hmmm... do you think if I switched the hen and the rooster's partner I might have more success? I mean I know they are old and I am probably just daydreaming but... Aren't roosters pretty fertile even when they're old? Or maybe it's the rooster's issue... his hen is constantly at him and lays an egg every other day for months at a stretch which I hear is unusual for a Serama. Can't fault her for not trying!


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## troyer (Dec 22, 2012)

Try a young rooster with the old hen, that should probably work. Some old roosters are fertile, but chances are that he's not.


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