Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

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Well, since I'm incubating anyway... and since my hatch rates have been so low... I added a dozen Belgian D'Uccles to the mix. Those little ones always look so cute to me! I hear they have nice personalities, as well.

I have two good-sized runs. One has been empty for a while, but it's got my 5 week old chicks in it now, including Sebrights, so I think I'll turn it into Bantamland. I've never separated my bantams before. Do you mix your LF and smaller birds?
 
Cerise1924 said:
Glad you found a good breeder to work with!
Click to expand...

The breeder really is great. I'm impatient to see the eggs! However, I do know there's a risk they may have already started... so I'm thinking of 'resting them IN the incubator, rather than prior to setting them, depending on how they look when they get here.

Cerise1924 said:
Well, since I'm incubating anyway... and since my hatch rates have been so low... I added a dozen Belgian D'Uccles to the mix. Those little ones always look so cute to me! I hear they have nice personalities, as well.

I have two good-sized runs. One has been empty for a while, but it's got my 5 week old chicks in it now, including Sebrights, so I think I'll turn it into Bantamland. I've never separated my bantams before. Do you mix your LF and smaller birds?
Click to expand...

Mine are all mixed together. Tiny Seramas, little Sebrights, big EE's.... The only troublemakers are actually the Seramas! I keep telling the big girls to just sit on them, but they don't listen. Once the Ameraucanas (assuming I get a good hatch! With shipping, there's no way to know) are maturing, I may separate them, purely for breeding purposes - but I won't deny that I kind of hope a Serama boy manages to fertilize an LF EE egg, just to see what would hatch. Fluff and stuff with a strut attached? I'd have to name it Gentleman John, or something like that.
 
Zinjifrah said:
The breeder really is great. I'm impatient to see the eggs! However, I do know there's a risk they may have already started... so I'm thinking of 'resting them IN the incubator, rather than prior to setting them, depending on how they look when they get here.



Mine are all mixed together. Tiny Seramas, little Sebrights, big EE's.... The only troublemakers are actually the Seramas! I keep telling the big girls to just sit on them, but they don't listen. Once the Ameraucanas (assuming I get a good hatch! With shipping, there's no way to know) are maturing, I may separate them, purely for breeding purposes - but I won't deny that I kind of hope a Serama boy manages to fertilize an LF EE egg, just to see what would hatch. Fluff and stuff with a strut attached? I'd have to name it Gentleman John, or something like that.
Click to expand...
:yuckyuck
 
Shipping egg air cell question. I am on day ten and noticed that I have a few air cells that are dipping over when I went to keep my eggs on their sides and just hand turn my eggs. Should I move back to having them more upright instead? Is it just part of the nature of shipped eggs. Some even have what almost looks like a happy flower shape (not that I think it is happy for it to be in that shape).
 
Some people will keep eggs upright and gently hand turn all the way until lockdown. Others keep them on their sides at this point, even with a wobbly or 'saddle shaped' air cell. I've tried it both ways, and haven't noticed any improvement in hatching from keeping the eggs upright, so I don't bother. I just lay them down after the first few days.

Perhaps others have had a different experience. Good question you asked, and I'd be interested to hear other thoughts.
 
Zinjifrah said:
but I won't deny that I kind of hope a Serama boy manages to fertilize an LF EE egg, just to see what would hatch.
Click to expand...

Too funny. If it happens, I just want you to be able to catch him in the act to see how he manages the feat. Maybe put some pole vaulting equipment in the run?
 
Day 14 candling for my 2 eggs that made it this far, from 14 shipped from Alabama. They look great! One is an Isabella Leghorn. Since the eggs weren't marked, the other could be a Buff Brahma, a Dominique or a Speckled Sussex. Any would be welcome!
 

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