preserving embryos

[bumper]

The guy I bought some eggs from the other day had a neat display of the growth of quail embryos every 3-4 days apart.  He had these in some kind of solution in individual glass jars.  Has anyone done this? What do you use?  I'd like to try this to show to elementary kids

[quailfriend]

Thats a great idea. Do you teach?  hope this helps you.


Preservation of the Avian Embryo

A series of stages of avian embryo development can be prepared easily. Such a series of embryos can provide a ready reference set for student use. Use specimens from two days to hatching for this purpose.


Equipment and Supplies
Alcohol (ethanol or isopropanol)
Glycerin
Formalin, 37% formaldehyde solution
Bottles or vials with screw caps
Forceps (tweezers)
Scissors
Needles
Fertile eggs, incubated for desired time
Pan (not metal)


Crack the shell of the egg at the broad end with a sharp knife or scalpel, and pick away the pieces until an opening about one-inch in diameter is made. Remove the outer and inner shell membranes. The embryo in the blastoderm will be uppermost. Using fine-pointed scissors, cut out a circle of blastoderm about the size of a quarter, leaving the embryo at the center. With blunt forceps, pull the embryo and adherent extra-embryonic membranes away from the yolk and albumen. Remove all membranes and sever the umbilical stalk near the body wall. Rinse well under tap water. After washing clean, place the embryo into a bottle containing 10% formalin. The formalin solution is made of one part of the 37% formaldehyde solution and nine parts of water. This solution will preserve the specimen. After a week, pour off the formalin solution, rinse the specimen in tap water, drop 3 to 4 drops of glycerin onto it and place it into 70% alcohol as a final preservation agent. The glycerin keeps the specimen softer and the skin translucent.

Dip the top of the container into melted wax to seal against evaporation of the alcohol. Label the containers with detailed information -- date, variety of embryo, name of preparer, preservative. Note: When dealing with embryos under five days of incubation, the following technique is helpful in harvesting the embryo. After the embryo is exposed from under the shell membranes, place about four drops of the formalin solution on the embryo. The solution coagulates the protein and makes it easier to harvest the embryo.

if you would like to now how to display the living embryo of a chicken during incubation pm me id say use quail eggs but i tred that and the eggs were too small to work with