I set eggs 2/27/10 ** DUE 3/20th-3/21st** WE"RE HATCHING!!!!

[Sweetfolly]

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The lasst couple times I got eggs it took 3+ days for them to arrive. I still would Email her and ask what day she sent them. No tracking # I guess.

This is the second time I've bought eggs from this seller - last box was shipped on a Saturday and arrived first thing Monday, which is what she said she was doing again this time. No tracking number - she's pretty close, so we didn't figure I needed one. I just e-mailed her, so we'll see.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
The lasst couple times I got eggs it took 3+ days for them to arrive. I still would Email her and ask what day she sent them. No tracking # I guess.

This is the second time I've bought eggs from this seller - last box was shipped on a Saturday and arrived first thing Monday, which is what she said she was doing again this time. No tracking number - she's pretty close, so we didn't figure I needed one. I just e-mailed her, so we'll see.

Well, the seller DID ship the eggs on Saturday and she did just give me a tracking number - they should have arrived on Monday, but the stupid USPS managed to send them all the way from Pennsylvania (where the seller is located) to ORLANDO, FLORIDA, where they spent 2 DAYS, before they finally arrived at my Post Office this morning!

The worst part it that I'm home without a car today (which is why I really wanted to eggs to arrive Monday or Tuesday) and I have to wait for mom to run and get the eggs during her lunch-break.

So, I'll let you know how they look. I know this seller does an amazing job packaging, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

So - now for my duck hatch update: Egg #4 still isn't out. I worried about it all night, until I got up at 5 a.m. this morning, resolved that I was going to help it by at least making a bigger air hole for it, and it had started to zip! The trouble is, he's zipping up towards the top of the egg, rather than around it in a circle.

 

[fordmommy]

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Annarie, First....I would go help that littel guy. He probably is glued in there. The last 2 eggs that hatched for me were "glued" in. And they were both BLRW. I was not going to waste that money to watch them die in there. And both were glued really tight. The last one just kept trying to get out, but couldn't turn. It kept hitting it's beak on the edge of the shell and it's beak started to bleed. I said No Way! I'm helping. I had to use a lot of warm water to get it out. The whole top half of the membrane had dried out. And the one before that...the shoulder started to get raw because it kept rubbing on it instead of turning and getting out.

At least I would go in and take off the hard shell. Leave the membrane if you like. It's just what I would do. I'm a softy I guess.

And as for the mail...I think something is going on with the post offices of America. I know they want to get rid of delivery on Saturdays, but I don't think that bad service is the way to go.

"It's a conspiracy, I tell you! A Conspiracy!"

But seriously. I'm sure the eggs are fine. Let's hope anyway!

You said she's a good packer. That helps a lot. At least you are getting them and they didn't fall off the face of the earth.

 

[Sweetfolly]

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I actually did just cave in and pull all the shell off along the line where it was zipping. I've got a good sized hole now, and I can see the bill, and it looks like its moving around okay in there. The humidity's at 75% - but I've been opening the 'bator and misting all the surfaces with warm water to get it up that high - because the entire bottom the the 'bator is covered in wet washcloths and it just isn't doing it. I'm going to leave it for another half-hour or so (it's still Day 28 until 5 tonight, after all) but if it doesn't make any progress by the time I'm finished making breakfast for my little sisters (they're on spring break this week) I'm going to see if I can get him/her out.

I called the P.O. at 8 a.m. and told them someone would be there to pick up the eggs at lunchtime - I just got a call from them asking me if anyone was coming to pick them up!

Edit - I carefully used tweezers and a flashlight to take a closer look at my slow-poke egg through the pencil-sized hole. The duckling didn't take too kindly to my intrusion and "PEEP!"-ed at me!

There's still a very obvious network of blood vessels in the inner membrane, so I don't think it's quite ready yet - but it has a set of lungs on it, that's for sure!

Edited again: Just got the eggs from the post office.

You could tell just by looking at the box that it had a rough trip. When I opened it, from having opened a box of eggs packaged from this seller before, you could tell the box had obviously been shaken, because everything was all out of place. Out of 13 eggs, the air cells are ruptured in 6 of them for sure, and 1 is questionable (I think the yolk might have broken in that one). That leaves me with just 6 eggs that might be viable. I'm in a pretty dismal mood now, so my slowpoke duckling had better hatch soon and cheer me up.

 

[fordmommy]

Did you ask the post office WHY "they took the long way" ....

.... to your house? Did they apoligize or anything? You should show them the package and stuff. They should have to explain that. AND....since it's priority and had a tracking number, there should be some kinda garrantee/warrenty for their damaging the package like that. I would ask.

 

[Sweetfolly]

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No, my mom picked up the eggs during her lunch break and just barely had time to rush them home and get back in time as it was.

I didn't spend a fortune on these eggs, so here's hoping the first Bantam Cochin hatch starting this weekend goes well, and lets hope the Postal Service does better with my Holderreads ducklings that are coming sometime in the next two to three weeks.

I'm in a wonderful, forgiving mood because my last duckling is finally out!

I did end up having to help him - he had one of his feet curled up around his face! I had to chip away half the egg and carefully peel away both membranes (lots of warm water - just like you said, fordmommy

) before he got enough leverage with his other leg to push himself out, right into my hand! And boy, was he complaining about his predicament the whole time!

He's still in the incubator right now - he's wet and exhausted. But I should have pictures of him tomorrow.

EDIT: Here he is! (He's on the bed - please excuse all the hair from my German Shepherd!)

 

[fordmommy]

He's so cute! He looks a little shy in the first pic!

And smaller than the others. Glad he finally made it.

I hope the post comes on time next time for you.

Are you going to the Weyauwega swap Saturday? I got a friend in Manawa who is bringing her baby Mallord's if you're interested. But probably not I'm thinging. You have plenty babies now.

But are you going? I am. And babylady4 is. And maybe Buck Creek Chickens if she's back from Florida. Let me know. We could meet up or something.

 

[Sweetfolly]

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Nope - I'm not going to make it to the swap. Mom works this weekend, my little 17-year-old sister is on a trip visiting family in Colorado, and my grandpa is in Pennsylvania on business, so I won't have a car.

Plus, my first batch of Cochin eggs goes into lockdown this weekend, and I don't want to miss anything!

This last duckling is much smaller than all the others - good eye! That was the egg that, when I was candling, always looked like it was a day or so behind all the others developmentally. I tried putting him in the brooder with the others, but they starting picking at him and trampling him - so now they're in the big brooder, and he's set up in the fish tank. I'm just headed over to the Cheesehead thread to see if anyone wants to take the three big, healthy ones this weekend, and I think I'll try to merge my little slowpoke in with my Holderreads ducklings when they arrive.

 

[Happy Chooks]

That is the sweetest face ever.

Congrats!

 

[Sweetfolly]

By the way, fordmommy, hows that batch of eggs you split with Buck Creek Chickens coming along?

I set the "scrambled" batch of Cochin eggs today, including the ones with broken air cells, just in case. I completely expect to have to pull them on Day 7, but you never know. I'll be happy if I get 2 chicks from this bunch.

I also set 8 Indian Runner duck eggs from my ducks last night - another 4 weeks! At least these guys are all spoken for already - I have people planning on driving 2 hours on May 1st to come pick them up!

SO:
- Duckling hatch due 3/30 is DONE.

- Cochin hatch due 4/5 goes into lockdown tomorrow night.

- Welsh Harlequin eggs all still look great, due 4/18

- "Scrambled" Cochin hatch due 4/22

- Indian Runner hatch due 4/28 or 4/29 (since I set them late at night)

Oh, and new2chooks - he is adorable, isn't he?! I'm pretty sure (based on the fact that their daddy has some sex-linked dilution genes) that the three healthy, lighter-colored ones are all girls, and my little slow-poke (I've been calling him "Poe") is a boy. I'm not sure what the color is called, but it looks like the girls are Dusky with a brown, a buff, and a blue dilution (which would make them the British version of the color called "Buff", but they'd need 1 more blue dilution gene to be called "Buff" by American standards), and the boy is Dusky with a blue dilution, so he'll look like the Blue Campbell drakes on this website: http://www.ashtonwaterfowl.net/campbell_colours.htm

At least that's what I think. I don't quite grasp all the color genetics, but I like to prattle on about them.