Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

[ldawntaylor]

@Jayellebee I would give that egg with the weird spot another day or two at least. I am no expert by any means but one of my eggs looked like that just a few days ago. 24 hours later there was starting to be discernable veining.

So it may just be the beginning of some veins and such.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

And I am beating myself up... a lot. Very heavy heart.

@TotallyShellyTurtle I know you must feel this was an awful mistake, however, remember you and all of us following this thread have learned a very valuable lesson in incubation. Try not to be too hard on yourself, we all make mistakes and you have helped lots of people learn from this one, not just yourself. So sorry you had to go through this, but proud of you for being brave enough to share.

 

[TotallyShellyTurtle]

@TotallyShellyTurtle I know you must feel this was an awful mistake, however, remember you and all of us following this thread have learned a very valuable lesson in incubation. Try not to be too hard on yourself, we all make mistakes and you have helped lots of people learn from this one, not just yourself. So sorry you had to go through this, but proud of you for being brave enough to share.

Kind words. Thank you.

I was just searching the forum for other mistakes. I found I wasn't alone, and that many who are still learning have done it, as well.

Poor little chicken embryo. I'll never cull early again.


Honestly, it was the picture perfect dead egg. Couldn't even see movemement.

 

[TotallyShellyTurtle]

Here is the egg that I thought was dead.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Here is the egg that I thought was dead.

I would have thought it was dead, too. Actually, I had one that looked a lot like that, and I waited several days past being convinced it was dead before I culled it. It simultaneously had a blood ring and veins - it's the egg that was really confusing me out of this batch. When I did finally cull it, there were no veins left, the embryo was dead, and it had brown slime on it, just like the brown slime in the 'rotten' egg I pulled out. One other egg in this batch had signs of bacteria in it, but was removed for candling clear. I'm pretty sure one of the seller's hens has a reproductive infection, since the most common reason I can find for bacteria in an unbroken egg, without effecting all of the eggs, is the probability that it was there before the shell formed.

I suspect that even though the embryo was still alive when you opened it, it wouldn't have survived very much longer.

 

[koturnix]

Quail eggs:
Day 4 for me - I candled some of eggs, probably should have waited but just received my brand new candler (didn't candle any for my first hatch as my flashlight couldn't show anything in those spotted quail eggs). It looks like none of the cracked shipped eggs developed. Some of the grocery store eggs have veins so that's a nice surprise.

I'll candle again in 10 days right before lockdown!

 

[TotallyShellyTurtle]

I would have thought it was dead, too. Actually, I had one that looked a lot like that, and I waited several days past being convinced it was dead before I culled it. It simultaneously had a blood ring and veins - it's the egg that was really confusing me out of this batch. When I did finally cull it, there were no veins left, the embryo was dead, and it had brown slime on it, just like the brown slime in the 'rotten' egg I pulled out. One other egg in this batch had signs of bacteria in it, but was removed for candling clear. I'm pretty sure one of the seller's hens has a reproductive infection, since the most common reason I can find for bacteria in an unbroken egg, without effecting all of the eggs, is the probability that it was there before the shell formed.

I suspect that even though the embryo was still alive when you opened it, it wouldn't have survived very much longer.

I figured, but the 'what if' factor stinks!

That egg was very porous. Figured it wouldn't survive from the very beginning. In fact, I was refunded for this egg due to its low quality.

 

[Zinjifrah]

I figured, but the 'what if' factor stinks!

That egg was very porous. Figured it wouldn't survive from the very beginning. In fact, I was refunded for this egg due to its low quality.

I understand that completely. I considered culling one of my eggs near the end of incubation from the first batch, because I found a hole in it, like it had been pecked - from the outside, not inside. My best guess is that there was dust covering the spot before. But... it looked like it had development... so I stuck a piece of scotch tape over the spot instead.

It was the first to hatch, my little silkied Serama girl.

 

[TotallyShellyTurtle]

That is amazing! Glad it worked out in the end.

I have two more eggs left. Both show moving embryos inside. Really hoping one or both make it.

I plan to order more shipped eggs around the time these two are about to hatch (lock down). More silkies, and some quail.

 

[Zinjifrah]

That is amazing! Glad it worked out in the end.

I have two more eggs left. Both show moving embryos inside. Really hoping one or both make it.

I plan to order more shipped eggs around the time these two are about to hatch (lock down). More silkies, and some quail.

I'm trying to convince myself to wait a while before ordering some Lavender Ameraucana Bantam eggs... and Sumatra mixed-color Bantam eggs... and Silkie eggs... Maybe a month...