Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[Sally Sunshine]

Some how I just came across this thread, read the first 67 pages. Holy info overload. A lot of great tips. I tried shipped eggs this spring and had horrible hatch rates, 0%. Have eggs arriving next week, feel more confident this time especially after reading here.

Welcome to the thread Kala! please dont read this whole thread OMG!! LOL!!! Ok I shouldnt say that, we have had some amazing conversations since Ozexpat joined us on the thread! Alot of knowledge on basically everything has been hit in the thread too, from medicines to superstitions! lol

have you found the Hatching 101 article? as we figure out new info its updated in the article. LINK IS ALWAYS below in my signature!
In the article are some amazing points you need to KNOW to have the best hatch rate as possible with what is sent to you! NOTE THE NOTICE TO EGG SHIPPERS LETTER!! If the eggs have already been shipped, disregard but I would def edit the letter for anytime you order eggs again.

Welcome to the thread!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Need some advice. Our egg was 21 days on Monday and there still is no sign of it hatching. I have found the hen sitting in another nest (not even on any eggs) which caused the fertile egg to be pretty much ice cold. She has done this about 3 times. Is the egg a loss? How long do I leave the egg in there or will the hen know when it is no longer viable?

awe I am NOT the broody girl I pray sumi jumps in to help you! Have you tried to candle the egg and see if it moves? you have since settled it back under her? I have helped frozen eggs hatch after a hen booted them, I had to slowly warm them and they survived. Not sure if the hen is keeping a cold egg under or no?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Well, everyone's knowledge is the sum of their experience, right? I know exactly what you mean, loveourbirds. During my last hatch, I hatched in the foam incubator in tandem with a broody silkie. I wasn't sure how many she could cover, so I was conservative and put the extras in the bator. I noticed the same things you're saying - she would get up off the nest every day and let the eggs cool off, sometimes for up to 20 minutes. Seeing that, I figured there was no way my opening the incubator to candle would have a negative impact. In fact, I was opening it way less than she stood up. Another factor is ventilation. Some people have strategies of adding and removing 1 or 2 vent plugs at strategic moments that they swear works for them. Personally I do not use the vent plugs at all for more ventilation.

I think it's less of an issue early in the hatch, and most of the big "warnings" folks give saying do-not-open are about the lockdown period. For example, half my chicks last hatch came out right on time day 21.. the others waited until day 23-24 and I ended up having to assist a couple of them when their zipping didn't progress. One chick actually pipped and never zipped, it's beak was crusted and dried onto the shell, I assume it couldn't move? Possibly because it was overdue. Possibly because 2 of the 3 chicks I assisted were a little malpositioned (head over wing not under), and they were also very large for their eggs, consuming the air cell (day 23). That chick that died beak crusted onto the shell was one of the last pips, and I question whether opening the incubator 12hrs prior to assist other chicks had caused a sudden humidity drop that killed the chick. Or maybe it was destined to die either way? Surely a mother would have gotten up to eat and drink and poo that day. What I mean is, sometimes people defend a point because it is their experience that it will cause death, just like your experience is that it won't. I don't really know if I caused that death, it's still hazy from here. More eggs.. more hatches!!
Edit: I highly value ALL of your experience and advice, no matter how varied, so thank you!!!

The small bathroom I have my eggs resting in isn't insulated very well, it's an old farmhouse and this was a strange add-on room. This is not the room I incubate in. I incubate in my bedroom (much to my husband's joy on hatch day, LOL) where the temp is a steady 75 and 55% humidity. The truth is, I've never measured the temperature in that cold bathroom at night, but it's always FREEZING in the morning! Tonight, I have a thermometer in there that will show me the record low overnight so I'll know. Outside temp is expected to be 30.

I tossed that cracked egg, and I can't get any good candling photos to come out. Even though the egg is illuminated, nothing shows up in the photo. How do you take good candling photos?

Three hands?? bawahahaha!! What I started to do is use a dish towel and support the egg on it and hold the cell in one hand and then cup/candle the egg on its side as it lays... or do the setting on your camera that has 15 second wait?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Melissa!! Hugs! I love ur avy!! But I have to ask did you call in the coroner? LOL

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Farmer Viola]

Need some advice. Our egg was 21 days on Monday and there still is no sign of it hatching. I have found the hen sitting in another nest (not even on any eggs) which caused the fertile egg to be pretty much ice cold. She has done this about 3 times. Is the egg a loss? How long do I leave the egg in there or will the hen know when it is no longer viable?

I would give it until at LEAST day 25 which I think is Friday? for you, it's possible for the egg to survive but it may require more time in incubation since she's been off it so often. Is she on the egg again or can you put it in an incubator? On day 25 I would candle, look for internal pip, if no pip then I would float test it. Only if the egg feels dead and cold. live chicks generate warmth, the egg should warm in your hand. The float test can kill a chick who has internally pipped (you wont always hear cheeping)
edited to also say: Sometimes the mother hen knows the chick is dead and will reject the egg because of it, just keep it in mind

I think you have this in the bag, you already read the article and know to keep referring to it, just keep the eggs in the room where u want to incubate and I will assume its at least 65-70 degrees? they shouldnt sweat after acclimation at all. Dont fret on candling, let them alone until set and then sit on your hands then as well! with those air cells less messing with them the better you will be. I dont like to say this but for some reason it has come to mind, make sure you have a backup plan if you loose electric and if you have extra room in the bator add bags of water or bottles so if it goes out it at least has a full bator full of heat to keep it going until you get generators or whatever set up! Have no clue why I am thinking you will loose electric! I dont with it on your though! lol Stick with us and ask away, thats why we are here! plus we have all become good friends in the proccess!! Welcome to the thread!

Okay thanks so much, I'm sure I will have more questions and panic moments to come lol!

If the electricity goes out I have an AC adapter for my car that I could put the incubator in short-term, I never thought of the water bottle thing. I would be paranoid they might open inside the incubator! Maybe one of those Hot&Cold packs in my freezer? I've never actually used them for hot but worth a try?

Happy Thanksgiving all!

 

[loveourbirds]

Quote: i didnt mean to offend you, i apologize. i started with styrofoam incubators myself. the same rules go for both types of incubators.

why i said what i said: we get several people who panic when their temps drop, i just wanted everyone to know that some temperature drop is a good thing. i agree with you that a temp drop every night (more than a couple degrees) is bad. when i ran styrofoam they were in the dining room, directly in front of a window, and over a baseboard heater. i never worried unless the temps got over 101, or below 95. *most* of the time my hatches were 90% or better. (90% from first candling, after infertile eggs were discarded).

when giving advice to first time hatchers, i urge them to open their incubator like i do. if its done properly the chicks will hatch better, and have better livability. our human nature to have everything perfect kills way more chicks than mother nature does.

if i have to open an incubator during "lockdown" i will mist the eggs lightly with warm water. that usually fixes the humidity problems associated with opening the doors. i used to keep a spray bottle in the incubator, but i began to fear bacterial build up in the water.

another little thing i have learned - and this could easily vary from location to location; is to let my water troughs dry before adding water again. here in southern Ohio the humidity is almost high enough. with proper ventilation we *almost* dont have to add water for the first 17 days.

 

[loveourbirds]

i hope everyone is having a wonderful turkey day. every thanks giving i have to watch "Son-in-Law", the whole turkey scene is hilarious.

 

[chicksooner]

i didnt mean to offend you, i apologize. i started with styrofoam incubators myself. the same rules go for both types of incubators.

why i said what i said: we get several people who panic when their temps drop, i just wanted everyone to know that some temperature drop is a good thing. i agree with you that a temp drop every night (more than a couple degrees) is bad. when i ran styrofoam they were in the dining room, directly in front of a window, and over a baseboard heater. i never worried unless the temps got over 101, or below 95. *most* of the time my hatches were 90% or better. (90% from first candling, after infertile eggs were discarded).

when giving advice to first time hatchers, i urge them to open their incubator like i do. if its done properly the chicks will hatch better, and have better livability. our human nature to have everything perfect kills way more chicks than mother nature does.

if i have to open an incubator during "lockdown" i will mist the eggs lightly with warm water. that usually fixes the humidity problems associated with opening the doors. i used to keep a spray bottle in the incubator, but i began to fear bacterial build up in the water.

another little thing i have learned - and this could easily vary from location to location; is to let my water troughs dry before adding water again. here in southern Ohio the humidity is almost high enough. with proper ventilation we *almost* dont have to add water for the first 17 days.

I am all for cooling down. I have seen enough broodies to know how nature does it. Don't discredit what someone says without knowing their reasoning behind it. Feel free to question but don't discredit until you know why they are saying what they are saying. I have hatched enough eggs in my cheap little stryos to know what I am doing and I more often than not end up with 100% hatches. 75% on my last shipped eggs. I realize you are very good at what you do but others might know something too from their own experiences. Anyway back to playing nice. Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Someone pass the potatoes please?