The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[Alaskan]

I am currently incubating my second batch, collecting for my third...

 

[ChcknNurse]

I Need some to hatch : Bielefelder, Showgirl , CCL ... yes dangerous.

 

[sevenfatcows]

Hello, I am late to notice this thread, but I can tell you that Foxfire Farms is an excellent seller and shipper. I received thirteen Cuckoo Crested Bluebar eggs from them last month. The air cells were a bit misshapen, but all intact, none floating. On day 10, I candled and removed two clears and one blood ring. Of the ten remaining, I hatched eight healthy chicks. The two quitters were late, probably in the last three days and were malpositioned. I am very pleased with this result and highly recommend the seller. You can find them at: www.foxfirekennels.com/foxfire_farms.htm

 

[chicken curious]

Sevenfatcows I can't get that link to work

Sounds like a great hatch for shipped eggs

 

[sevenfatcows]

Sorry. I did copy/paste, so I can't account for broken link. Try this: do a search for Fox Fire Farms 2017 Hatching Eggs. I just did it and it brought them right up. They have many breeds, and really do package well for shipping. They have an ebay store, too, but prices are better on the website, and they also list phone number if you have questions. Good luck.

 

[wflynt01]

Sorry. I did copy/paste, so I can't account for broken link. Try this: do a search for Fox Fire Farms 2017 Hatching Eggs. I just did it and it brought them right up. They have many breeds, and really do package well for shipping. They have an ebay store, too, but prices are better on the website, and they also list phone number if you have questions. Good luck.

http://www.foxfirekennels.com/foxfire_farms.html

 

[chicken curious]

Thanks!
The first time I played with the link I got a farm of that name that bred dogs and hairless cats! LOL I figured I just couldn't find their chicken page.

 

[chicken curious]

Day 7 update

Stats:
Prep LG still air ran for most of last month for a hatch. Cleaned well, had time to air dry, and then ran steady for 2 days before eggs arrived (with various clean rocks as heat sinks). Ready for dry incubation; humidity 30-40% while dry.

Shipping and Arrival
14 eggs shipped: 1 smashed, obvious broken egg got on 2 others, and one felt damp, but not sticky
Candled all 13 eggs to check air: was hard to see on some and jiggly, but not rolling in any

Day 0
Started 'bator late evening with 13 eggs

Day 1-5
Slowly moved carton's location and rotational direction 5+ times a day to help with hot/cold spots

Day 3
Candled 4 eggs end of day 3: air cells easier to see and jiggly so I decided to leave in egg cartons for whole incubation and not turn/tilt yet

Day 5
End of day: started tilting entire incubator 30-40 degrees by slowly lifting a side and putting shoe box underneath the edge - alternate tilt left or right 5+ times a day

Day 7
Candled 13 eggs
- pulled one egg for a blood ring (It was the one that felt damp on arrival...not covered in smashed egg from what I could tell, but damp inside the plastic bubble baggie)
- Two others have a very dark mark, but could be part of blood ring or a large vein PLUS two others are clear, but I'm leaving those 4 for now because I'm new at this and can always check again soon.
- 3 show jiggly saddle air cells (one shows great development anyway, but the other two are the clear ones)
- 4 show very stable air cells and development
- 5 show partially jiggly air cells and development
- air cell size looks normal to me so I'll keep going dry

Stay tuned for Day 10 candle

Today is day 13...'bout time I did the day 10 update
Things were funky so I've been candling extra (remember, I'm super new at this...only my second hatch so I'm conservative about pulling them, but don't want to wait too long if they need to be pulled)

Day 9
Had a temp spike b/c LG sensor slid off the tilted eggs and was at the bottom of the 'bator (I'm tilting the whole LG) which told the heater to stay on. I'm not sure how long it was like this, but no more than an hour. The egg temp may have gone over 104 according to an average of the other three thermometers.

Day 10
Candled 12 eggs
- 3 eggs had movement and good development
- 8 eggs had weird blood pooling at base of dark area and I didn't see movement (I was sure I'd cooked them )
- 1 egg looked clear
- I was too tired that night and left them all

Day 11
Candled 12 eggs
- air cells are really stable...maybe one or two still have a tiny jiggle at some part of the cell
- 6 (maybe 7) eggs had movement (4 of which have the 'pooled blood')
- 3 eggs had possible blood ring and no movement
- 1 egg clear (pulled out)
- 1 egg had pooled blood at base of middle and poor development with no movement (pulled out)

Day 12
Candled 10 eggs
- 6 (maybe 7) eggs had movement
- 3 eggs with possible blood ring still had no movement and development seemed immature (pulled)

7 eggs remain in 'bator
I am not an expert, but the pooling blood worried me...maybe it's just loads of vascular development in a pattern I'm not used to since they're upright for the whole incubation this time? At first, I thought they were all really thick blood rings that didn't go all the way around. Also, most of these shells are colored and hard to see through. I'm using an iPhone on top and bottom and trying not to shift the egg much from its upright position, although at this point the air cells look pretty stable. I could try to get another set of hands to take a picture...

 

[Alaskan]

Hummmmm...

Before you toss..in the future..you might wanna crack a little hole in the top and look in.

I learn a great deal from cracking them.

Also...if you start with a small hole, and you were wrong and it moves..you can close it back up and pop it back in.

 

[sevenfatcows]

I agree. I always open the eggs I pull at candling to see if I can learn anything. I have seen some pretty interesting things opening up the quitters after hatch as well. I wish I knew what causes a chick to position itself with its head between its legs. That is the most common malposition that I have seen. I lay my eggs on their sides at lockdown. I have not been able to find any information about this problem and appreciate anybody's thoughts on it.