Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

[Morrigan]

Interesting thoughts on the best way to package eggs for shipping. I think you may be onto something Rebel58.

If I thought the eggs had starting developing (Texas heat?), I would get them into the incubator right away. I would put them in point side down (in an egg carton if your incubator doesn't have slots for that) and not turn them for the first couple of days.

 

[Rebel58]

@Morrigan Maybe we should do a little experiment the next time either of us buys shipped eggs. Just request that the shipper package them according to our direction and then purchase a few from afar and a few from as close as we can. Then document like crazy on all of them.
My engineers mind won't leave this alone. I spent years building bridges and now I inspect new constructions of them for PennDOT. Believe it or not a bridge has camber built into it so it does actually move a little from the weight/force of vehicles. Without the camber a bridge will crack instantly.

 

[Cerise1924]

Noooo! The USPS tracking says my eggs were delivered at 9:30 am this morning, on my front porch. I have been up since 6:30 and have practically been standing on my porch. They were not delivered to my home.

I finally reached a nice man at the local post office who is trying to get a supervisor to help. He thinks the eggs were delivered to someone else's house. Boo hoo!

 

[Cerise1924]

View attachment 1436950 View attachment 1436933 My little guineas have grown so quick since this thread began. My little peacock, Weston and my roo, Thad have become buddies. They were all put in the temporary coop in my garage till the outside one is finished this weekend. The garage coop which can't be seen in the photo is equipped with brooder heater and nesting boxes. Growing up together as fuzzbutts has helped them get along. No one knows they are different!! In the video, twin bad boys have begun hanging around lately so the electric fence needs put up before I feel comfortable letting my little ones in the new coop.

Wow! Bears?? I'll stop whining about raccoons and possums. I'm not scared to chase them back into the woods to protect my flock. Bears are another thing altogether.

 

[Cerise1924]

Interesting article. Keeping a mite-free, safe nesting box seems like a pretty necessary practice regardless of whether you want broodys!

My little flock is doing great. I'm now 90% sure that the little Black "Leftover" Maran is a rooster. His legs and comb are bigger and, the final piece of bad news came today today -- when he was standing in the sun, I could see a hint of red feathering on his shoulders.

I was really hoping that one would be a hen. If it's a nice tempered rooster, I'm going to have to make a difficult choice about whether to replace Duke. Duke has a great temperament, but he's 5 now, and although he makes pretty babies, he also carries a genetic flaw that doesn't allow even one generation of line breeding. But, as always, I let myself get too attached.

Glad your flock is doing so well. Too bad it doesn't look like you'll get a black Marans hen. Keep us posted!

 

[Cerise1924]

Do you guys notice your shipped eggs having more trouble hatching? Like having them malpositioned or having to assist? This is my first hatch, I started with 7 eggs (one from my own duck, 6 shipped). Only 1 of my shipped eggs hatched on its own and she’s doing great. I had another that had refused to hatch, but was chirping a ton, I assisted and found out he was malpositioned. We got him out and he did okay for a few days and started to crash. I think he may have had a heart condition. We lost him last night.
I did an eggtopsy on another shipped egg that was moving until about day 24 and the duckling was deformed.
Just curious if you see these issues more in shipped eggs that are jumbled rather than eggs laid by your own hens/ducks.

Oh that’s scary as I am really hoping for a good clean hatch when my shipped eggs get here. I am totally new to this so I am already planning on loosing several. I am not sure if I could assist.

I do find that shipped eggs often have wobbly air cells, saddle shaped air cells, and sometimes malpositioned chicks. I have ended up assisting a chick or two with almost every set of shipped eggs, and I'm glad I did. I've lost chicks by not assisting in time, but haven't lost one by assisting. @Knighstar679 Hopefully, you won't have any chicks get stuck, but if you do: 1) it's your choice to assist or not. Some people don't feel comfortable assisting, and others can't keep their hands off. It's really a personal decision. 2) If you do decide to assist, there are excellent step by step guides on BYC, and there are all of us here, too.

 

[Rebel58]

Noooo! The USPS tracking says my eggs were delivered at 9:30 am this morning, on my front porch. I have been up since 6:30 and have practically been standing on my porch. They were not delivered to my home.

I finally reached a nice man at the local post office who is trying to get a supervisor to help. He thinks the eggs were delivered to someone else's house. Boo hoo!

Oh no!!!! Hope your eggs are returned safely.

 

[Morrigan]

Noooo! The USPS tracking says my eggs were delivered at 9:30 am this morning, on my front porch. I have been up since 6:30 and have practically been standing on my porch. They were not delivered to my home.

I finally reached a nice man at the local post office who is trying to get a supervisor to help. He thinks the eggs were delivered to someone else's house. Boo hoo!

That stinks! I hope they are able to locate them soon.

 

[Cerise1924]

Oh no!!!! Hope your eggs are returned safely.

That stinks! I hope they are able to locate them soon.

The eggs are here! It was seller error - they put the wrong address on the box. Post Office to the rescue! They retrieved them and got them to me pretty quickly. Since it's been in the 80s, I think I'll set the eggs in the incubator tonight.

 

[Cerise1924]

Shipped eggs are set:
-Four Buff Brahmas
-Four Speckled Sussex
-Four Dominiques
-Two Isabella Leghorns (lavender!)

They arrived in pretty good shape, with small air cells - indicating they are fresh. No cells are detached, and just one shows a slight saddle shape. Half of the eggs are porous, but I've hatched porous eggs without a problem.

I let them sit upright in an egg carton for about six hours, then set them upright in the incubator with the turner disengaged. I'll lay them down and start the turner in a few days.

One egg has no visible air cell and is completely symmetrical - no big end detected. Have you had eggs like that? I just lay that one on its side.

Hatch date is July 11. Anyone else hatching shipped eggs in July?