April 2020 Hatch-A-Long! All are welcome!

[cmom]

Awe, this gives me hope this one will make it. I'm sorry you blame yourself. Middle of the day could have happened to anyone with the birds ranging outside and the fact that she got three years of the good life being cared for by you is beating all odds.

I will welcome tips for caring for her if she makes it through hatching.

I fed Gladys crumbles. I feed all of my other birds pellets but she couldn't eat the pellets. I was out painting the coops which I do usually once every year, when the fox sneaked in and grabbed Gladys. She was dust bathing in one of the garden beds. I didn't see it, but since had seen a fox on my game cameras during the day so I'm pretty sure it was a fox. I didn't even hear anything but when I called her and she didn't come I knew something was wrong because she always came when called. I should have left her in her pen. I did find a pile of feathers down by the road and there is thickets across the road. I never found Gladys.

 

[AgnesGray]

I should give full details on the malpositioned chick also. She ended up punching a leg through the hole I made and was stuck that way for a few hours befor I worried she was getting overly stressed and wouldn't have the energy to make it out.

I decided to get her out and she was not quite ready to hatch. Had the cord attached and yolk almost absorbed, but about the size of a pea still there. The membrane was dried to her neck, wing, and back from my lid opening, I'd imagine, so that was removed under warm running water. Once cleaned up and free of shell and hatching debris, I put her back in the incubator to dry out and this morning she is fluffy and alert.

I'm just glad this isn't my first hatch or I'd not be doing this again.

 

[jolenesdad]

Sorry I disappeared - I ended up in the hospital for five days for an emergency gallbladder eviction. Luckily I got home just in time for lockdown on Monday, and I now have several external pips! I'm excited to see how these look, since they are predominantly out of my grey silkie pen with my one grey rooster. I just kicked him out to the bacholor pen, and have my other grey rooster in there now, because I want to see if one is better than the other (yes, I'm throwing away eggs for at least 14 days). My May hatches are going to be interesting....

Welcome back so glad you are on tbe mend!

Lots of DIS/malpositions in these eggs that were shipped on the side. I'm thinking of reviewing positively with "Eggs shipped on their sides and packed with great care" as she took the time to write a handwritten note and everything, just didn't know how to ship them and hopefully that will clue in buyers.

2 out of 13 hatched. This is the last egg in the incubator. Alive only because of the air hole made, I guess. Since no progress was made, I opened it up a bit more. Major crossbeak.
View attachment 2113695

I wouldn’t ever leave a negative review for shipped eggs. As the buyer we assume the responsibility.

i feel that it comes down 90% of the time to the post office, entirely. I’ve received eggs in foam on their sides and had fabulous hatches. I’ve received eggs in foam upright and had MISERABLE hatches.

One of my best hatches I was mortified with the shipping. Bubble wrapped and what appeared to be THROWN into a small box, inside a larger box, inside a final box. Each egg individually bubble wrapped and eggs upside down, on their sides, however they would fit. I asked the breeder and she said this method was to prevent movement. The eggs were in there like puzzle pieces and she actually found them to have the most stable air cells.

well, she was shockingly right.

the most imperative thing I have found when ordering shipped eggs is to ensure they are FRESH. I speak to the breeder and will only order as many eggs as they can guarantee are laid within 48 hours of shipping.

the smaller the air cell, the better the chance it makes it through shipping unharmed.

 

[AgnesGray]

I fed Gladys crumbles. I feed all of my other birds pellets but she couldn't eat the pellets. I was out painting the coops which I do usually once every year, when the fox sneaked in and grabbed Gladys. She was dust bathing in one of the garden beds. I didn't see it, but since had seen a fox on my game cameras during the day so I'm pretty sure it was a fox. I didn't even hear anything but when I called her and she didn't come I knew something was wrong because she always came when called. I should have left her in her pen. I did find a pile of feathers down by the road and there is thickets across the road. I never found Gladys.

I'm so sorry. She was lucky to have been your girl.

 

[FortCluck]

Taking back an injured chick tonight and I believe I'll have to splint it's leg. Hopefully someone can help me on what to do and how to do it. I have a pic of the chick the customer sent last night.

To me it's leg looks dislocated or broken

Please just focus on the chick... Nothing about the customer. Thank you.

 

[AgnesGray]

Welcome back so glad you are on tbe mend!


I wouldn’t ever leave a negative review for shipped eggs. As the buyer we assume the responsibility.

i feel that it comes down 90% of the time to the post office, entirely. I’ve received eggs in foam on their sides and had fabulous hatches. I’ve received eggs in foam upright and had MISERABLE hatches.

One of my best hatches I was mortified with the shipping. Bubble wrapped and what appeared to be THROWN into a small box, inside a larger box, inside a final box. Each egg individually bubble wrapped and eggs upside down, on their sides, however they would fit. I asked the breeder and she said this method was to prevent movement. The eggs were in there like puzzle pieces and she actually found them to have the most stable air cells.

well, she was shockingly right.

the most imperative thing I have found when ordering shipped eggs is to ensure they are FRESH. I speak to the breeder and will only order as many eggs as they can guarantee are laid within 48 hours of shipping.

the smaller the air cell, the better the chance it makes it through shipping unharmed.

After a friend of mine received a carton of eggs in a box completely loose (think airspace, not just wiggle room) from a shipper, we came to realize that not everyone cares as we would. As stated, I do intend to leave a positive review, but would have liked to know that this seller ships eggs (loosely) on their side.

I realize that as a buyer of shipped eggs, the outcome is mostly in the hands of the postal service, but sellers and buyers also play a part in making hatching a success.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Welcome back so glad you are on tbe mend!


I wouldn’t ever leave a negative review for shipped eggs. As the buyer we assume the responsibility.

i feel that it comes down 90% of the time to the post office, entirely. I’ve received eggs in foam on their sides and had fabulous hatches. I’ve received eggs in foam upright and had MISERABLE hatches.

One of my best hatches I was mortified with the shipping. Bubble wrapped and what appeared to be THROWN into a small box, inside a larger box, inside a final box. Each egg individually bubble wrapped and eggs upside down, on their sides, however they would fit. I asked the breeder and she said this method was to prevent movement. The eggs were in there like puzzle pieces and she actually found them to have the most stable air cells.

well, she was shockingly right.

the most imperative thing I have found when ordering shipped eggs is to ensure they are FRESH. I speak to the breeder and will only order as many eggs as they can guarantee are laid within 48 hours of shipping.

the smaller the air cell, the better the chance it makes it through shipping unharmed.

I love this post! Completely accurate. As buyers we assume a lot of responsibility and must do our due diligence.

I've learned to ask many questions. And never make assumptions. I've had someone selling a dozen eggs when they only had 2 hens. Making some of those eggs 7+ days old even before shipping. Also another seller, when I asked about hatch rate on his Muskovy duck eggs, told me he'd never managed to hatch a single one despite many efforts.

 

[Mablethechicken]

All wrapped up here!

Triple whammy:
First time Hatcher
Homemade incubator
Shipped eggs

ordered 6 Received 7
2 EEs
1 Maran (still unsure what kind either blue cuckoo or blue splash Maran)
1 Favaucana
3 mystery eggs (different shades of cream/tint/pink)

Fav was a yolker or a very early quitter and one of the mystery eggs quit in week one with a very visible blood ring)

The other 5 all hatched!!!!!! And on time! 2 mystery eggs and Maran on day 21 and the EEs within minutes of each other early this morning (day 22). One EE is striped had leg feathers and has “eyeliner” the other is darker with patches of brown. The Maran is shades of gray darker on the head and back with a lighter belly. Still haven’t identified the mystery breeds but one is all yellow and the other is black and yellow. Two totally different colored eggs one cream one pink

There’s a lot I would do differently next time (like not setting them on their sides for the first 8 days - didn’t read about setting shipped eggs until after) but I am super pleased with how it turned out. All but 1 had really bad air cells from being shipped so hopefully this gives hope to anyone going through the same. By day 18 all of the misshapen/detached air cells had corrected themselves. It really took until day 18 so don’t give up hope. Literally 2 days prior they were still all over the placed. It was like a lockdown day miracle!!

I also candled ALOT, probably more than I should’ve and definitely more than was necessary. But here we are! My homemade incubator served me well but next time I’m investing in a real incubator or maybe I’ll be lucky enough to have a broody hen.

Thank you all for your guidance! I know I wouldn’t have had these results without the wealth of knowledge you all provide on this site.

Cheers!!!! And best of luck to everyone still hatching.

 

[AgnesGray]

I love this post! Completely accurate. As buyers we assume a lot of responsibility and must do our due diligence.

I've learned to ask many questions. And never make assumptions. I've had someone selling a dozen eggs when they only had 2 hens. Making some of those eggs 7+ days old even before shipping. Also another seller, when I asked about hatch rate on his Muskovy duck eggs, told me he'd never managed to hatch a single one despite many efforts.

Scary just how many clueless sellers there are out there.

ETA: and buyers, too, I'm sure.

 

[Mablethechicken]

Taking back an injured chick tonight and I believe I'll have to splint it's leg. Hopefully someone can help me on what to do and how to do it. I have a pic of the chick the customer sent last night.

To me it's leg looks dislocated or broken

Please just focus on the chick... Nothing about the customer. Thank you.

View attachment 2113735

Sorry! I don’t have experience in this and I know this doesn’t help but what breed is that chick??? It looks just like one of my mystery chicks that I just hatched.