Candling shipped eggs...

[Mrs MIA]

I just received a set of 14 eggs this morning and other than looking for/verifying cracks (two were cracked and weeping) is there anything else I should look for that might help me determine whether or not they're viable? I noticed that the airsac was fairly mobile on some of the older eggs... is that a bad thing?

Just curious, as I get used to the whole home-incubator hatching thing. I'm pretty much stuck with getting eggs shipped to me since there's no one down here to buy them from directly. At least until I can hatch my own. These are some of my Silver Grey Dorking eggs, which are going to (hopefully) be the backbone of the hatchery, and I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I get at least a few! I have 16 Red Dorking eggs in the 'bator now, and at 7 days I can say for sure that 6 are growing. The others are iffy.

 

[MissPrissy]

If you set them pointy end down the air cell can stabilize and still hatch a viable chick.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Thanks MP! I have them, pointy end down, in a tipped carton settling right now. I'm putting the final "dinks" into the incubator now, so I can set them tonight. The oldest eggs were collected 4/6, the newest 4/14 (sunday). She shipped them Express Mail Monday, and they just got here today

... yes, we'll be asking for a refund!!!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I never tip mine when I'm letting them rest...usually rest from 6 to 12 hours here...depending on what time of day I get the shipped in eggs...

 

[Mrs MIA]

I put them in the carton about 10am. So I should just leave them upright, until I set them?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Thats how I have always done mine. Gives the air sac time to rest and settle at the top in my opinion....

Are you hand turning or have a turner?...

 

[Mrs MIA]

It's not an auto-turner... we made an incubator from Miss Prissy's thread, and we have cartons attached to PVC pipe that we can tip from side to side without opening the incubator. Nice and gentle, so they stay large end up, but tipped side to side about 35°.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Nice....Have a good hatch from them....

 

[Mrs MIA]

Please keep your fingers crossed for me... these are more precious than platinum to me and the person that sent them to me.

I'll set them this evening before bed, and candle them in a week or so.

 

[MissPrissy]

Good luck!