Hatching experts: Will these hatch?

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Hi!

Ok, got my eggs in the mail yesterday. They had spent 6 days in the mail. 5 were broken, but that left me 10 healthy eggs (one of the broken ones was only broken on the outside.. I thought about saving it but the breakage was around most of the egg. I cracked it <actually, had a tough time>. I was sad, but did note that they're fertile!).

Anyway, I'm a complete newb at this. NO idea what I'm looking for, even after doing a ton of websearches. I won't bore you with my 7,523 observations <mostly just confused> and questions.

But.. I did notice that the majority of the eggs seemed to have wonky air cells. They seemed.. loose for lack of a better word. I could see them moving around. Can these hatch? I was originally going to lay them down, but now have them upright in cartons to hold the aircell at the big end. Will that help? Will my aircells "settle" and get the membrane? Also, a few seemed like the yolk had settled to one side of the egg. Is that possible, or am I just paranoid? I know the eggs were 8 days old when I opened them. Is that too much/too little time for the yolk to be where it should be?

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks!
Meghan

 

[justusnak]

Meghan. I am by no means an eggspert...and I have never dealt with shipped eggs.....( I know, why am I asnwering you? LOL) I have read on here several times, you need to let the eggs settle for a few days before putting them in the bator, to let the air cells get back in order. So, you did the right thing, setting them big side up. Good luck on your hatch....what are you hatching out?

 

[jimnjay]

It does not sound great. I have had some hatch with the wobbly air cell. You have nothing to loose. Put them in the incubator and see what happens. Just be prepared for a poor hatch then if anything hatches you have a nice treat.

 

[BirdBrain]

Settle a few days? I thought 24 hours was the general consensus. Then doesn't she need to get them on into the bator since they have been so long in transit?

 

[kstaven]

If eggs don't settle within 24 hours they will not hatch. Leaving them sit out longer does no good.

Sorry to say this, but from the sounds of your description the hatch rates will be very low.

Shipping at this time of year should keep the eggs cool enough they will not have started to develop. So the shipping time should not be a factor.

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Well, I remain cautiously optimistic. Either they make it, or they don't. At this point not too much I can do beyond what I'm already doing.

And I won't be upset if the hatch rate is low. I WILL be upset if nothing hatches, or the guys who DO make it have some terrible deformity and have to be put down (this is probably my #1 fear).

Well, temps in 'bator are staying pretty stable. Humid is a few points higher than I'd like it (sitting at 51 right now) but I'm not adding water, so it should drop fairly soon (if the humid outside would go down! It rained all day today, so that didn't help any).

Guess I'll see when I candle in another 4 days!

Justusnak: I always welcome your advice! Most of the time I even agree

. They are Bantam Cochin eggs. Not sure what the colors will be, since the roo was white, and his ladies were blue, black, white, and buff. I *could* ask the experts how those colors will blend, but I decided I'd rather be surprised.

Meghan

 

[MaransGuy]

I'm sure this is a little late but wanted to offer some info that might help others. When I received eggs in the mail with ruptured air sacs (they float through the egg) I learned a trick from another person who had far more experience than I. They explained that incubating the eggs in an upright postition, large end up, and not turning them for the first few days will help give the chick a better chance at developing. Also, when hatch time comes, the eggs can be left in this upright position with no ill effects. I have hatched several clutches this way and have never had a chick not be able to get free of the egg.

Richard

 

[Pine Grove]

You hit the nail on the head MaransGuy. I have received many shipped eggs over the years, The best way I have found to hatch eggs with tremulous air cells is to leave them in the upright position and gently twist them enough to keep the yolk from sticking, and even at that the hatch rate is low.

 

[Katy]

I have some in eggs in my incubator now that were lost in the mail for 7 days. Some look like duds, but there are veins in a few of them that I could see. Some are Marans eggs and those are hard to candle......at least I haven't figured out a good way. Anyway don't give up hope that some of them may develope!!

 

[TerrasCritters]

Exactly what I was going to post. I recently learned to leave the eggs in the upright position pointed end down without turning in the incubator 4-7 days. Alot of times the air cell will grab back ahold.
I just did this and had sucess! Of course not ALL of them did but almost half! I stuck them in the turner today!
Will see what happens.
I have also been told by people they have got these to hatch without using this method. I really dont remember if I have though. This is my first shot at the not turning for a few days.
Best of luck!