1st attempt at hatching with shipped eggs and incubator

[rainydayzjmb]

So I ordered a few Blue Laced Red Wyandotte eggs and had them shipped to me . They got here today and I am thrilled but as a newbie I am extremely nervous! I went ahead and candled the eggs just to see ( even though I have no idea what I'm looking for really at this point. )

Eggs were packed well , but they did travel a long ways. From what I could tell I one definitely has the detached air cell as I can see it rolling as I slightly turn the egg - The rest I cant tell to be honest... We shall see! I know there are so many factors going against me with shipped eggs but I am very hopeful to get some chicks. Here are pics of day of arrival . I am going to let the eggs rest with the fat side of the egg up until tomorrow morning and then will place them in the incubator tomorrow! wish me luck!

I will re-candle and update on day 7

any and all tips/advice welcome to this newbie!!


Thank you!

Jenn

egg 5

egg 4

egg3


egg 2 (air cell?) this shape does not change as I gently move the egg

egg 1 I believe this air cell is detached ? The shape moves as I gently turn the egg

 

[happyhens1972]

Sorry to say hon, not the best eggs in the world. They are very porous, hence the mottled effect. This means they are more susceptible to ingress of germs and bacteria. You've got some detached air cells and not sure what egg number two is all about...an odd air cell and odd shadowing.

I would make doubly sure your incy is spotlessly clean and give the eggs a full 24 hours to settle before setting them.

Good luck....it's so exciting isn't it? xx

 

[rainydayzjmb]

I though a couple looked porous and I have read about the bacteria before so it will be interesting to see if the are viable. I know shipped eggs already have a decreased hatch rate so Im trying to mentally prepare myself for the worst , but remaining hopeful for the best I just bought the Brinsea Mini advanced Incubator for this experience , its been on and stable , so thats where the eggs will go tomorrow morning.


Jenn

 

[happyhens1972]

I've never tried the Mini but have used the Brinsea Octogon 20 and it was fabulous....so easy and a great hatch rate.

Porous eggs are more of a risk but that doesn't mean to say they aren't viable...I've had some perfectly healthy chicks out of porous eggs and some not so healthy chicks out of so-called 'perfect' eggs. There's every chance they'll be fine as long as you don't mess with them too much...which is immensely tempting, especially when it's all so new and you gradually turn into a nervous wreck.

You seem to have prepared yourself with the 'prepare for the worst but hope for the best' but have you prepared yourself for those 5 little eggs becoming your 24/7 obsession for the next three weeks? For waking up thinking about them? For going to bed thinking about them? And then on hatch day, for sitting there worrying yourself into a frenzy over every rock, peep, pip and zip until such times as they are safely hatched?

It doesn't end there either! Are they warm enough? Are they too warm? Are they eating enough? Too much? Drinking? Pooping properly? Is that a happy peep or a stressed peep or a 'oh my god I'm too ****** cute for words' peep?

Welcome to the madness of incubation, I wish you all the luck in the world!

 

[rainydayzjmb]

Love this post! I am so prepared for the best! lol I already got a taste of the obsessiveness when the eggs were being shipped checking the tracking every chance I got , thinking about them day and night..looking up videos and info on the incubator , trying to decide to candle , or not to candle... how to set up a brooder... They've been all I think of for a couple weeks now since I knew they were going to be on their way soon . Once Ive got chicks it will probably worsen! lol little living creatures will be sure to keep me busy , but in the best way! I just hope Im able to be home when they hatch..Im a nurse and while it works out so that either I or my hubby WILL be home , and even though hes been great doing all the research with me , I really want to be there to experience it.... thanks for the uplifting post

 

[happyhens1972]

Hey...feel my pain...I had set my latest batch of eggs, 16 Orpingtons in four colours, when the school I work at (and where I was hatching the eggs) begged me to accompany the Yr 6 kids on their residential trip as the lady who should have been going had hurt her back. I agreed without hesitation and only realised the following day that it would mean I would be away Monday to Friday and my hatch was due on the Wednesday!!!!

I didn't feel I could let the school down so had to arrange for a work colleague who had some knowledge (but not MY knowledge) of chickens and had incubated some duck eggs 10 years ago to look after my precious eggs!

When hatch day came, I spent the whole time with my mobile phone in my hand, texting and fretting, waiting for news of each little progression (or not) of each egg. I had to keep telling her not to open the incy, not to interfere, NOW interfere, help that one, don't touch that one, move this one out, leave that one alone....aaaaagggghhhh, it was agony.

The hatch dragged out over three days. I got 11 chicks out of 15 eggs (one thrown out after first candle) and then lost a chick for no apparent reason. Two more had spraddle leg, another I had to hatch out myself as it was superglued into its shell, then I spent four days going insane worrying about her as she had a clawed foot and an s-bend in her neck.

Oh my gosh, by the time we were finished and thankfully all of the remaining ten now have fixed legs/feet/neck and are happy, healthy babies, I needed valium or psychiatric treatment or both!

You'd think I'd had enough, yes? Clearly I wouldn't put myself through this again for a very long time, right? No-one in their right mind would suffer that stress again any time soon, yeah?

The last one of those chicks came out of the incubator on Sunday at 6am and by 7am, there were six more eggs in there....some Jersey Giants that I soooooo needed to have!!!

 

[happyhens1972]

Oh and by the way, I see some asterix in my comment above about the chick being too cute...I assume there is an auto-sensor. I'd like it known that I was not swearing in the true sense, I said the D word as in 'The Village of the D****d'.....I'd hate for anyone to think I was being crude!

 

[rainydayzjmb]

Eggs are in the incubator!

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[rainydayzjmb]

Boo I candled my eggs on day 3 and they all look iffy to me...Mt egg 3 has a small dark "dot" but I dont see any vein development in any of the eggs... I put them back in and am hoping its just my inexperienced eyes... and I will recheck at day 7 with pictures ( wanted to wait until them anyways but I just couldnt help myself. I had to check!

 

[happyhens1972]

Sit on your hands this minute!!! Lol! I know it is super tempting but if you keep messing with them and handling them, you risk contamination and damage. I personally think waiting til ten days at the earliest is better for a novice incubationer as you will have a definite read at that stage, rather than the 'is it or isn't it?' of day 7 candles and most definitely of day 3 candles!

Your over enthusiasm could be the death knell for your eggs.....be patient!