Detached Air Cells - my incubating idea

purplesquirrel

Songster
6 Years
Dec 7, 2013
434
24
126
Bristol, United Kingdom
A common problem I have had when buying hatching eggs through the internet (especially ebay) is that you get detached air sacks, even when it states on the front that they are 'hatching eggs' it seems as if they are being booted around in the staff room at the depo...
With a total of £30.00 (incl postage) for various breeds, I have 3 eggs that are the worst.


I tried propping them up in egg cups inside my incubator, but I'm not confident about the air flow and humidity. Also the fact that my only egg cups are metal, they may stay cooler than the overall 37.7C, thus jeopardising hatch rate even more...

SO, I came up with the idea of using the plastic egg holder tray from our fridge.
Using a hack saw, I cut the tray in half, rather than into thirds as this way the rim will still support the eggs.
The plastic will soon absorb the temp of the incubator, allowing for air and humidity circulation, keeping my 3 eggs upright...in the hope that they will develop this way up.
Turning them at small left & right angles every day.

I have never incubated eggs pointed side down before, and I have also never managed to hatch a chick that derived from a fully detached air cell.
I just wanted to share my idea with anyone who was struggling with what to do.
Plastic egg tray replacements and fridge accessories can easily be purchased online or in most appliance stores.
I hope some one finds this helpful, I will let you know how I get on! :)

Eggs: XLarge White - Modern Game x
Large White - White Leghorn x
Small - Partridge Wyandotte


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Good idea. I use something similar but using normal cut down egg cartons here are a couple of pics from my last batch at lockdown and then hatching
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Yes I incubate with them pointy end down too. I have metal dividers with foam inserts in the incubator which hold the eggs upright. Here is a pic
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I havnt had problems with them hatching. They seem to get out just fine.
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The only thing I would say is that it's harder to spot if you have one pip the wrong end of the egg.
Yeah it was a good hatch 11/11 that made it to lockdown hatched. I started with 13 had 1 clear egg and 1 quitter about day 10.
 
That's great news! I'm a lot more confident about my little group of semi battered eggs now! I've 18 altogether, just turned on the 'bat or yesterday morning.
3 Barnevelder
3 Exchequer leghorn
5 Partrdige Wyandotte
1 golden silkie (she broke one of my Wyandotte eggs in packaging, replaced it with a silkie egg for free!)
And then 6 moggy eggs, some of which I'm semi sure on white cross they'll be.

I will candle them and keep on eye on them for backwards hatchets, I've had a few in my time and I always come to the rescue :)
 
Hope you have a great hatch :fl
I too have got my bator back on again. Set 14 polish eggs from my own flock yesterday :celebrate These eggs are my first to be incubated from them so it's a bit of the unknown as to what I'm going get. Hoping to start selling in March so wanted to do a test batch to make sure they are going to hatch. It's like incubating for the first time again with the unknown.
 
Yeh it's great :D my last lot are 4 months old and crying to be let out their run (into my garden) as we speak it's 8:30am here and the sun is just coming up!
I want to keep one partridge Wyandotte, one barnevelder, possibly one exchequer and one moggy for myself and then I sell the rest.

I'm looking forward to my cockerel coming of age, he's already doing some practice 'treading' I think he's a cuckoo maran x cream legbar x light sussex and I've got a mass of variety hen-wise, I like speckles, mottled, mille fleur and lacing so when they're all ready in a month or so I should start getting some beauties!
:) good luck with yours, post some photos when they hatch!
X
 
At least you have some sun coming through down in Bristol!! I'm up in Yorkshire so it's cloudy and miserable no sign of any sun!! Will def post some pics if anything hatches.
 

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