Incubating Shipped Eggs

[Hawk12]

This will be my second time attempting to hatch shipped eggs. I am going to list everything I do this time and hopefully it will result in a successful hatch. The first hatch had very sad results and none of the babies survived. I am trying to learn from my mistakes and make some adjustments to this batch. Please feel free to correct anything I might be doing incorrectly or anything that might help these babies hatch healthy.

1. I am using a still air Styrofoam incubator (I have already asked for a new one for Christmas). I have sterilized it with bleach water from the last batch and washed it with Dawn dish soap. It is set up in a room where the temp remains constant, free from drafts and away from sunny windows.
2. Once the eggs arrive, I will let them set, large end up for 24 hours outside of the incubator to let the air cell try to reset and to allow them to adjust to room temp. Before I put them in the incubator, I will candle them and inspect for detached air cells, gently.
3. I will have the incubator ready with the temp set at 102 degrees and the humidity at 45%. (This has been recommended to me by an experienced hatcher.) I will run it at this humidity until day 12 and then I will lower it to 25%. This will of course depend on the size of the air cell at day 7.
4. I will not turn the eggs for the first 4 days because of the fact that they are shipped. At that point I will start the automatic egg turner.
5. I will candle and mark air cells on days 7, 14 and 18. This is also when I will determine whether or not to adjust the humidity.
6. Someone has recommended that I not turn the eggs past day 14. That scares me a little and any advice on this step would be appreciated.
7. I will lockdown on day 19 and increase the humidity to 65%.
8. The eggs will be placed in paper egg cartons that have been altered for hatching during lockdown.

I have a week to prepare for incubation. I will most likely set them on October 30 or 31st. Not sure how many eggs I will receive as they typically send extra in case any break during shipping. I will be incubating double laced barnevelders and blue laced brahmas.

I will update as needed during the incubation period. Thanks for reading

 

[Saris]

Best of luck!!! Here's hoping for no detached air cells.

 

[Metolious]

As for not turning after day 14, here is a quote I saved from another thread:

"You've turned them adequately for the first 11 days and that is very positive. This is when the embryo needs turning most of all, to help the blood vessels grow throughout the egg and to prevent the small embryo and its yolk sac from becoming stuck to one side.

From what I have learned about turning, which is more important in some birds such as parrots, it is mostly about the allantoic membrane, and its growth throughout the egg. By the halfway point in incubation, the allantoic membrane, which we see during candling as the network of blood vessels, should cover the entire egg. Which means you should see veining throughout the egg now, or very nearly. This is why during the second half of incubation, turning is far less crucial. This is lucky for your case. If I were you I would probably give them one rotation a day, in an upright position, but being sure that their air cells are always in a "normal" position at the top of the egg. Just "spin" the eggs in their cartons (if you choose cartons) once per day."

I am starting my second incubation tomorrow. My first one is going still and due to hatch on Sunday (10/25/15), but sadly I don't think any of them are going to make it, due to the power supply of my Incuview blowing out (I had to run to the store to buy a new incubator to try to save the eggs, but it is a poorly designed incubator and doesn't have accurate temp/humidity).

I just received 56 quail eggs today. Four of them have cracks in them and four have detached air cells. I only have room for 44 eggs anyway, but for the sake of experience I am going to see if I can get the detached air cells corrected. I have them fat side up and will check on them tomorrow.

 

[Hawk12]

Thank you, I will stick with turning once a day from day 14 to 18

 

[beetandsteet]

This will be my second time attempting to hatch shipped eggs. I am going to list everything I do this time and hopefully it will result in a successful hatch. The first hatch had very sad results and none of the babies survived. I am trying to learn from my mistakes and make some adjustments to this batch. Please feel free to correct anything I might be doing incorrectly or anything that might help these babies hatch healthy.

1. I am using a still air Styrofoam incubator (I have already asked for a new one for Christmas). I have sterilized it with bleach water from the last batch and washed it with Dawn dish soap. It is set up in a room where the temp remains constant, free from drafts and away from sunny windows.
2. Once the eggs arrive, I will let them set, large end up for 24 hours outside of the incubator to let the air cell try to reset and to allow them to adjust to room temp. Before I put them in the incubator, I will candle them and inspect for detached air cells, gently.
3. I will have the incubator ready with the temp set at 102 degrees and the humidity at 45%. (This has been recommended to me by an experienced hatcher.) I will run it at this humidity until day 12 and then I will lower it to 25%. This will of course depend on the size of the air cell at day 7.
4. I will not turn the eggs for the first 4 days because of the fact that they are shipped. At that point I will start the automatic egg turner.
5. I will candle and mark air cells on days 7, 14 and 18. This is also when I will determine whether or not to adjust the humidity.
6. Someone has recommended that I not turn the eggs past day 14. That scares me a little and any advice on this step would be appreciated.
7. I will lockdown on day 19 and increase the humidity to 65%.
8. The eggs will be placed in paper egg cartons that have been altered for hatching during lockdown.

I have a week to prepare for incubation. I will most likely set them on October 30 or 31st. Not sure how many eggs I will receive as they typically send extra in case any break during shipping. I will be incubating double laced barnevelders and blue laced brahmas.

I will update as needed during the incubation period. Thanks for reading

Sounds like you are really learning more and more about incubation as you go, which is fantastic. One note about the still air styro-bators, they sometimes can have small swings in temperature, that you can regulate by removing/adding the vent plugs. Here's an article I found super helpful for still air styrofoam incubators (even though I just recently added a fan in mine) https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/incubation-cheat-sheet

Just know with a still air incubator, any time you open it, to candle or whatever, the temperature can take awhile to stabilize. The internal temperature of the eggs will be an average of whatever slight swings there are in the incubator. In a still air, 106 temperature is generally considered lethal temps, so don't worry if your bator runs at 103 for several hours. Also, in a still air, where there can be hot/cold spots, it's generally a good idea to have several thermometers, in different spots, lying on top of the eggs.
And I would keep turning the eggs until at least day 17---and I usually do lockdown day 17 also---because I now run my incubator a little hot and like to have my chicks hatch a little early (day 20 is my goal)
Yes, please keep us updated! This is going to be super exciting to see how the incubation process goes for you this time! Hoping you get a 100% hatch!

 

[Hawk12]

Thank you so much. I really do appreciate all the advice

 

[Hawk12]

I need more advice. I started up my incubator this morning to monitor it before the eggs get here. I have the thermometer in the corner and it has been holding steady at 100 degrees. Do I turn up the temp or leave it due to the fact that the thermometer is a little farther away from the center? Also, I haven't added any water yet and the humidity is at 37%. Do I add a little water or leave it dry?

 

[Saris]

Is it still air, or forced air? Leave the humidity be for now.

 

[Hawk12]

Still air.

 

[Hawk12]

Air holes are not plugged at this point.