Choosing eggs to incubate

[ackie]

I didnt see it on the sticky thread but if there's an existing thread with guidelines feel free to send me straight there!

I've never actually chosen eggs to incubate before... it's just been up to my broodies and I've had crazy variability in hatch rate, obviously. I have a broody and I have a ton of eggs so I'm just gunna put them together and see what happens.

I'm open to eggs from any of my hens except 3, but 2 of them lay somewhere specific and the other one lays smaller eggs than those housed with her, so removing those shouldn't be too difficult.

I know to go for normal-shaped eggs - not too blunt, not too pointy ‐ but my eggs are all looking pretty porous and I'm not sure if that's just meant to be relative to the others - I definitely have some that are VERY porous so I assume leaving those out but are the less porous ones okay?

Additionally, the air sacs dont really look like air sacs and I'm not sure it that's normal for before they're set or not. They have darker circles at the correct end but it looks more like a spot than a moving sac, if that makes sense.

They're all fresh within the past couple days and were stored in the house but more or less on their sides, not pointy end down in a carton. Should I disregard all the existing eggs and just set todays and tomorrows eggs instead?

Pictures in next post.

 

[ackie]

Update: airsacs look like airsacs again with a better flashlight.

 

[ackie]

I cant get pics to attach. It's just being so slow.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I just grab eggs. I'm not picky, but obviously I might have a lower hatch rate.

Porous eggs I think allow more bacteria and might lose more humidity or take too much in.

 

[ackie]

This is totally stressing me out now.

 

[Percheron chick]

You shouldn't have any airsack on a fresh egg. As the egg ages and dries out or as the embryo consumes the yolk do you have an air pocket.
I pick my eggs based on the hen.

 

[ackie]

okay some example eggs. I assume the last one froze so it's not a real suggestion but yknow, for completion.

and then some a lot more porous

 

[ChickensForEggs2500]

Following!

 

[ackie]

I got too stressed out over this idea and just gave her all of today's eggs. I also moved her from where she was to somewhere else so we will see what happens.