Hatching eggs with saddle air cells

[chuckachucka]

I have just got my latest order of 6 shipped eggs and as usual they have uneven/saddle shaped air cells.

My question is, is it best to incubate these kind of eggs with an broody hen or in an incubator in an upright position? I usually use a broody hen but the last two times zero hatched out of 6 each time and the time before that only 1 out of 6 hatched. It was so disappointing! So I'm wondering if it would be best to use an incubator for shipped eggs? Or is it always best to use a reliable broody?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have found once the contents have been messed up they don't hatch no matter where I put them. Some say they have had luck, but that hasn't been my experiences.

 

[Miss717]

I have just got my latest order of 6 shipped eggs and as usual they have uneven/saddle shaped air cells.

My question is, is it best to incubate these kind of eggs with an broody hen or in an incubator in an upright position? I usually use a broody hen but the last two times zero hatched out of 6 each time and the time before that only 1 out of 6 hatched. It was so disappointing! So I'm wondering if it would be best to use an incubator for shipped eggs? Or is it always best to use a reliable broody?

Are you resting the eggs for 24 hours with the pointy end down before giving them to the broody?

 

[chuckachucka]

Yes. It didn't seem to make any difference with the last two batches. I decided to put one egg with a detached air cell and one with the most misshapen air cell in the incubator, and the other four with my hen. Fingers crossed.

 

[tjb]

Yes. It didn't seem to make any difference with the last two batches. I decided to put one egg with a detached air cell and one with the most misshapen air cell in the incubator, and the other four with my hen. Fingers crossed.

I have 8 shipped eggs in the incubator now. one Has a definite Saddle air sack. It is veining, day 5. This is my first try so I don't know what to expect. but so far so good. I just set them in the turner with small end down like the rest. Good luck!

 

[chuckachucka]

@tjb Sounds like your shipped eggs are doing ok. I hope you get some healthy little chicks in a couple of weeks. There are so many variables with shipped eggs. Some people have quite good hatch rates with them. The first time I bought eggs online, 3 out of 6 hatched, but it has been all downhill from there. I think the postman must be doing his morning workout routine with my eggs in his bag!

 

[K.Riggs]

Can I just ask you guys that say about very low hatch rates. Were these early or late deaths in the shell or died trying to hatch? Did you track progress carefully and know approx when they quit? I ask because I have all ten embryos moving in shipped eggs with pretty dodgy cells going into lockdown soon. Getting very nervous.

 

[chuckachucka]

@K.Riggs In the last two batches there were zero that showed ANY sign of development, so either they were so scrambled in transit or they weren't fertile to start with. I got them from ebay, the first batch from a seller I had used before with better success. So I thought I was getting good eggs!

the previous time when 1 out of 6 hatched, there was a second chick that died very late, around day 19-20 I think. It had not internally pipped but was fully formed. It was a serama though and I have heard that a faulty gene can cause a small percent of this breed to be unable to hatch.

You are lucky to have all ten developing! There is a very good chance they will all make it. Good luck!

 

[chuckachucka]

I forgot to mention that the one serama chick that did hatch in a previous batch came from an egg that had a very large, very misshapen air cell from day one. So it is possible to successfully hatch chicks from saddle air celled eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Mine never developed at all, but I put mine under broody hens these days, so apparently they are better off in an incubator.