First incubator hatch, with shipped and local eggs

[green_thumb]

Hi All!

Been several years since I posted (when I first got chicks) but I figured I’d add catalog my experience of trying to hatch incubator eggs.

I have a roo, so I let my Cochin sit on a clutch of 12 in spring of 2020. We ended up with 6 chicks! I didn’t separate “mama” so I think most of the losses were either bad from the get-go or kicked into the nest box wall by other girls

Anyways, I’m trying to add some egg colors to my flock so I had a dozen eggs shipped in. Since I read so many horror stories about shipped eggs having low rates, I also bought a local dozen and then added a few of my own to the mix.

I’m hatching in a NR 360. Let shipped eggs settle for 24 hours (they were very well packed!) and the local eggs for about 4 or so. Decided to start incubating them upright in cut-out carton cups to give the shipped eggs time to stabilize and with hopes that I could check for fertility before discarding to get down to the 22 eggs that fit the automatic turner (greedy, I know )

Started the eggs at 3 pm last Saturday. I read so much about air cells and shipping that I decided not to turn for the first few days (including the local eggs) as several people suggested. Now, today on day 4, I started freaking out a bit when reading about how important turning is especially early on. I’ve been propping up each side of the incubator a bit, switching about 3 times per day, but this only resulted in a very slight angle (nowhere close to the recommended 45 degrees).

I candled tonight and gave my best shot at picking the eggs that didn’t look promising to get down to the number that fit my autoturner. I definitely saw clear veining in most of the eggs I candled and was pretty pleased when eggtopsies showed only one of my selected “discard” eggs showed progressing life (two unfertilized , one progressing with movement, one that started but looked like it quit right away).

I’ve now started the autoturner and am a bit worried since my embryos didn’t really seem to float around much (or at all?) like I thought they are supposed to, and looked a little “stuck.” Obviously, not much I can do about it now, and I really am not too confident that I can tell what I’m looking at anyways.

Hopefully not turning for days 0-4 doesn’t screw me, but I will continue to come back for updates! I am definitely trying to keep my expectations realistic for my first hatch, with shipped eggs at that, but it is very hard not to obsess and try and give them the best chance I can!

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

No they will be fine.

 

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

They should be fine! Will you keep this thread updated? Or tag me if you make a new thread?

 

[green_thumb]

They should be fine! Will you keep this thread updated? Or tag me if you make a new thread?

I know they can be so resilient! A lot of hatching threads can be doom and gloom so it’s hard to not just focus on what could go wrong.

I definitely plan to update! That’s part of the reason I started this thread since I read several where you never learned the final hatch outcome.

 

[gimmie birdies]

They will be fine, some times you have to not turn for a few days with shipped eggs, but the first couple weeks they benefit from being turned.

 

[green_thumb]

Day 7 update!

Most of the eggs seem to be looking good.

There are two I think have definite blood rings

And then 1 (plus two porous ones that are hard to tell) that I think might be infertile/early quitters?

I may remove the blood rings now, and then wait until day 10 to recheck the others. One egg is super dark (OE) and you can’t see a thing, and some I think I see veins but it’s very hard to tell.

It is much clearer to me now the difference in the air cells between the local and shipped eggs. I have a couple saddled air cells and some that are a tad wobbly, so we’ll see From the 22 that started in the turner, I think I’m down to 10/12 shipped eggs, 7/8 local, and 2/2 from my own coop.

 

[Tonyroo]

Here's a reference with pictures to look for also shows the days.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/

 

[casportpony]

Day 7 update!

Most of the eggs seem to be looking good.

There are two I think have definite blood rings

And then 1 (plus two porous ones that are hard to tell) that I think might be infertile/early quitters?

I may remove the blood rings now, and then wait until day 10 to recheck the others. One egg is super dark (OE) and you can’t see a thing, and some I think I see veins but it’s very hard to tell.

It is much clearer to me now the difference in the air cells between the local and shipped eggs. I have a couple saddled air cells and some that are a tad wobbly, so we’ll see From the 22 that started in the turner, I think I’m down to 10/12 shipped eggs, 7/8 local, and 2/2 from my own coop.

Great pictures!

 

[green_thumb]

(Sad) Day 10 Update


Another round of candling today- lots of veins and movement!

I spent a lot of time looking at my questionable eggs tonight. Looked at lots of images to compare what I was looking at. I’m a little wary of exploders, so I pulled all the eggs where I was 100% certain I saw blood rings or, no movement AND no veining- which ended up being 8 eggs.

I decided to do eggtopsies of all of my bad eggs. First was a clear, second stopped after a decent amount of development, and the third looked like an early quitter.

Then I cracked the 4th…instant heartbreak. Embryo with great veining and movement was discovered. I feel awful. I tried very hard to double and triple check, but obviously I’m still new and have more experience to gain. Got scared and put the remaining four eggs back in the incubator, just in case I was wrong again. Ugh

Current counts:

6/12 shipped eggs (3 questionable)
6/8 local eggs (2 questionable)
2/2 home eggs

Any idea when I should recheck the questionable ones? Day 14, later, sooner?

 

[Tonyroo]

Day 16 or 17 should be the next check. By that time it's very obvious who is thriving and who is not.

Good eggs will be 3/4 dark with the air sack. Bad eggs won't look like that.