Hatching Eggs Shipped...Go ahead into incubator?

[rodriguezpoultry]

I have some hatching eggs that were lost for a week. It's been near 100 every day, but some eggs have some development. Just a little speck, or the yolk looks more developed than others...air cells are still small. Look like MAYBE the eggs were a day to 2 days old before shipped.

Should I go ahead and put the eggs into the incubator? Since some are developed? Or should I wait the "allotted" time?

 

[calgal98]

It would depend on what you consider the *allotted time* to be. I usually wait from 8-24 hours, depending on whether I'm awaiting more eggs to arrive. I would wait those hours and then try to incubate even though they were lost. Who knows what might hatch. If you don't count chicks before they hatch you won't be disappointed if they don't hatch. I've had good and bad hatches with shipped eggs even when they arrived timely. There are too many variables to depend on the shipped eggs. If they hatch I'm happy. If they don't I'm not sad.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Oh it's not that calgal.

I'm going to incubate no matter what. The thing is, that some eggs have development (almost all show development of some type) and so I went ahead and put into the incubator to keep those embryos alive.

 

[Paganbird]

I would put them in, but not turn them for 24 hours.
That's what I did when I had some eggs too long in transit.

ETA: I set them in egg cartons, big end up. I didn't start turning or "counting days" until the next morning.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

That's what I'll do then! Thanks Pagan!