handling eggs too much?

[artsyrobin]

I tried my first broody hatching with shipped eggs, only one hatched, a beautiful little silky- so here are my thoughts- can too much handling damage the eggs- ie. too much candling? being a noob to it, i am thinking thats what happened- and they sat in the post office over thanksgiving...thoughts? The shipper is very reliable so i know it wasn't her side that caused the problem

 

[williamsl77]

Shipped eggs definitely take a beating from the post office handlers. I don't have any experience putting shipped eggs under a broody, but I bet the damage was done more through the post office than through candling.

 

[dickhorstman]

Nothing scientific but I get better hatches when I candle the eggs 1 time and then leave them alone.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Shipped eggs are a huge gamble and the USPS is not the gentlest handlers in the world. The eggs shouldn't be touched everyday, but your handling of the eggs probably had nothing to do with your single hatchling. Did you candle the eggs before you set them. How many had good, intact aircells?

 

[artsyrobin]

ya know, i never thought of candling the first day, hmmmm....well no, what does a detached aircell look like? Also, the eggs came from Flordia to Oklahoma, for future orders, is the weather this time of year a problem? i still have a broody sitting and hoping....

so i don't want to disappoint her...