Help Help Help Help Help Help!!!!

[MaransGuy]

You cannot use shipped eggs as a guide for your hatching ability. I typically get just about 100% hatch rates on eggs I produce myself yet can have hatch rates on shipped eggs as low as 20% to 0%. That is the world of shipped eggs. It has nothing to do with the shipper or the PO. All hatching eggs are NOT created equally and what happens them during shipping can cause problems.

 

[mountainwhisper]

I just had my first hatch and I have 0 chicks to show for it too. Of the three that hatched all died within days. It is devastating... for me and my 6 and 2 yr old. I don't have any advice, just wanted to let you know I know what you are going through and I'm sorry for your loss....

 

[heathersboers]

All you can do is try again- My humidity PLUMMETED while i was at work DURING lockdown- I lost 4 or 5 -they looked shrink-wrapped in the egg. I did get 14 healthy out of 19-they were my eggs-If not for the humidity I would have had 100%-I opened them and they looked fine-just couldnt get out. I do have 8 light sussex from e-bay in my other bator- they are all but gone- half the egg is an air cell and Im pretty sure they will not hatch. You just have to learn what works and what doesnt. When you hatch that first set-you will know it was worth another try. Shipped eggs are very tricky- a lot of people get 0% and some get as much as 80%- depends on how many field goals that the postmaster made with the box, and how good the stock was you purchased from. Good luck! and dont give up!!!

 

[SimplySplendidSilkies]

I agree with the previous post. I also have a 1602 but I purchased the fan kit for 25 bucks extra. IncubatorWarehouse.com sells the fan kit and customer service is great. My first batch was also shipped eggs I got 50% to hatch out of lockdown. Mind you some of the eggs that did not hatch had fully formed chicks in them that died prior to pipping internally. The first time seeing that was not easy and was very unexpected. I still don't have a clue what happened. I have since then set my own eggs 3 times and have had 2 100% hatches out of styrofoam incubators. I also have the 1588 (which I love love love)! Don't give up! I did run the fish tank tubing in both bator and use sponges in the well and on top of the wire for lock down and just add water that way so I don't have to open the bator. I found the instructions here on BYC and think it is a wonderful idea. Oh and I also switched over to dry incubation after I had a 0% hatch rate (first eggs my chickens laid). Here is the link for that:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html You have to find what works for your location. But try your own eggs till you do or get some barnyard mixes that way you are not loosing money.

 

[DMSrabbit]

Thanks for all the advice thus far. It has been really helpful knowing others have had "issues" with hatching. I was naive in thinking that i could get amazing hatch results for a first timer, but i have learned some REALLY valuable lessons, and im truly grateful for all you people and this website. I just purchased the air circulation kit for both of my HOVAbators, as well as 2 hydrogenators to try and keep my humidity at the most effective level(s). I have read the dry incuabation page about 3x now, and have it bookmarked.. I want to do it step by step and see what kind of results i can accumulate. I guess practice makes perfect with hatching eggs as well!! Thanks all,

Nate

 

[minihorse927]

Like others said do not beat yourself up about it. Most likely was the PO. I have had some great hatches from shipped eggs and some really crappy ones! I had a box show up recently that had 2 dozen eggs in it. 4 arrived broke and 5 more had detached air cells inside the egg. Out of the 15 good ones I set in the incubator, 8 developed. So out of 24 eggs, if the 8 all hatch, I will have a 33% hatch rate all thanks to the PO. Another box I got had 9 eggs and out of all 9 of those, I have 8 of them developing. It really is a matter of who paid attention to the box and cared enough to not go "ooo, egg soccer!".
Also, heathersboers, I don't know when the ones you have now are due to hatch, but I have some in the incubator that are in the same boat yours are in. Over a 1/3 of the egg is air cell and those are going strong, they are suppose to hatch the 22 of this month. I have had some before that were shipped and got lost in the winter with air cells that took up half of the egg by the time they were due to hatch and they hatched out fine. I think I may have lost one just before it hatched, but it did not look fully formed when I cracked the egg open.

Don't give up, I agree with finding some barnyard mixes and giving them a try before the shipped eggs!
It's not the incubator, all I ever have used is the cheapy LG still airs! I do not use the trays in the bottom either till lockdown. I do add a half of a sponge wetted with warm water because I have really dry air, that puts humidity around 35% here. At lockdown I fill all the trays with warm water and add a towel over the trays that is wet with warm water also. It holds for about 2 days till the humidity starts to drop. I stick a syringe with tubing on the end and stick it in vent holes to add warm water to the towel and trays again and humidity jumps right back up.

 

[abhaya]

shipped eggs can be very unreliable nothing to do with the seller all to do with the post office.