I'm glad to be a member. I am trying to hatch Black Copper Marans eggs to go with the two birds that

[FridayYet]

Thanks for clarifying - I was on my phone and having a hard time reading BYC.

Shipped eggs are a gamble. I have had anywhere from 1/29 hatch to 13/28, which was my best hatch. (I'm usually 90% + on local eggs) Now that I'm on my laptop, I see you are in Idaho, so probably are dealing with a change in altitude, too. I'm at 5,000 feet, so getting eggs from sea level reduces your hatch rate even more - due to the lower partial pressure of oxygen and the lack of porosity of the eggshells.

Although your incubation settings were probably just fine for your BCM, the damage done in transit is often irreparable so the eggs don't start, quit, or have a higher chance of dying at lockdown.

There are certain things you can do to help detatched air sacs re-attach, but like you said, BCMs are one of the hardest eggs to candle and truly see what shape the eggs are when they are received.

 

[JoeyCurrin]

I will thanks.

 

[FridayYet]

You might want to look at Brian Parks' birds at Frasier Creek Farms in Oregon. Eggs shipped from a closer distance often do much better.

(Or better yet, take a road trip. I've driven over 7 hours each way so eggs didn't have to go through the mail, but I'm crazy like that - any excuse for a mini-vacation.

)

 

[RubyNala97]

Sorry that I wasn't clearer. I had them shipped across the USA. I also just bought a hygometer/thermometer specific for incubators. Now I just need to know what values to maintain. Thanks again for your help.

There you go!! As Friday said, the shipping is most likely the issue. Shipped eggs are notorious for quitting during lockdown. I had eggs shipped to me in NY from Florida (from a breeder with really gorgeous birds). I had quite a few batches of shipped eggs under my belt already and ALL of them died in lockdown, day 21. I have not hatched BCMs myself but I've also heard that they do better with lower humidity (around 30%) days 1-18. So I agree that your settings were probably in range (even for lockdown...the lowest I've ever hatched at lockdown is 70%, I shoot for 75% and it often goes up to over 80+ when hatching starts). Shipping can do damage on a cellular level that can not be seen to the eye. This is just my two cents but I learned through plenty of batches of shipped eggs (some great and some horrible) that if you really want birds from a specific line it is easier and often cheaper to have a trio of started breeders shipped to you. Within days you can be collecting your own eggs to stick in your incubator. And you will be able to see how easy local eggs are to hatch. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be getting 90%+ hatch rates on your own eggs. Again that's just my experience from starting my own breeding flock and being really picky about which lines I wanted. There's no garuntee with shipped eggs, even if you do everything "perfectly".

 

[JoeyCurrin]

Thank you so much for telling me that. I already have eggs coming this Wednesday, so I will try again for the fun of it, but I agree that buying chicks to start and then hatching my own eggs is the way to go. I am going to start researching tonight. Thanks a lot for all the time you spent helping me. Sincerely, Joey

 

[FridayYet]

If you want to keep posting here, we can help talk you through the hatch if you like.

Wish you the best with your new batch. Occasionally they have a good trip and you may actually have a decent hatch!

 

[JoeyCurrin]

Thanks, I'll let you know the outcome of this upcoming hatch.

 

[RubyNala97]

Thank you so much for telling me that. I already have eggs coming this Wednesday, so I will try again for the fun of it, but I agree that buying chicks to start and then hatching my own eggs is the way to go. I am going to start researching tonight. Thanks a lot for all the time you spent helping me. Sincerely, Joey

Are these the same shipped BCMs that are coming? I know candling them can be a challenge. I would stock up on new batteries for your candler, lol. I'll just tell you what I do for shipped eggs...I gently unwrap them and candle the air cells to see how much damage they have (the air cells can be loose or wobbly or totally detached and floating around the egg, also I check how big they are to see if the eggs are really fresh or not). Then I let them rest 12-24 hours outside the incubator, pointy end down. Once I set them in the incubator (pointy end down again) I don't touch them for 24 hours. Then I start hand tilting them from one side of the holder to the other at a 45 degree angle. Depending on how bad the air cells are I will start tilting them 3 times a day up to 5 times a day, always handling them super gently because you want the aircells to heal/firm up. Then I try to be as hands off as possible with doing any extra candling. Only candling days 7,14 & 18. Then come hatch I watch closely to see if they pip into the air cell or need assistance at hatch. Sometimes shipped eggs can be malpositioned at hatch and pip the pointy end or internally pip I the air cell but need help getting out. I really hope you have a much better hatch this time. Update when the eggs come in and let us know how they faired through shipping. for your next hatch.

(And you can have chicks mailed to you, but I meant to have 2 hens and a rooster mailed to you. That way they are already laying fertile eggs. But chicks would work too! )

 

[JoeyCurrin]

I did order from the same person and I am going to follow your instructions exactly. The eggs should come tomorrow or the next day so I will let you know the condition of the eggs. Thanks again, Joey

 

[JoeyCurrin]

Here we go! I thought I would get chicks because I have the one baby that hatched and I want her to have some companions as she matures. Right now she is with 20 Guineas the same age. Now for the new eggs. They came this morning and I got out my flashlight that they advertise on tv that police use and can see a mile over water. Now, I can see inside the eggs some, but it does not show a definite air cell. I have them sitting in a clean new carton pointed side down. The lady that I got the eggs from says she incubates at 20-30% humidity from beginning to end. So, I am going to set my humidity at 30% instead of 35% and candle those eggs weekly to watch that air cell develop.

. I am concerned about leaving the humidity at 30 from day 18 on, but that's what she does with good results. As full of fluid as these eggs seem to be maybe her method is the way to go. What do you think?