Incubating in my bra

[TheAlrightyGina]

In case anyone needs to be brought up to speed, my first try was unsuccessful, but there's pretty much no way to know if it was the method or mail handling, since my control set of eggs also did poorly, suggesting rough handling in the mail. After hatch day for these eggs I'm going to acquire a few local eggs to verify that my incubator didn't randomly develop problems. All of my recent mail hatches have done poorly so I suspect it's USPS being spread too thin at the moment, but I hate assuming things so I'm gonna pop a few in if I can get my hands on some to make sure. I haven't noticed anything using my extra thermometer/hygrometer, or the extra extra thermometer I put in in another part of the incubator halfway through this hatch (just in case) so it's unlikely that is the issue...but I like to be certain about these kinds of things.

 

[Kiki]

Okay everybody last candle (day 14), with the eggs that showed promise last time per Kiki (clears and nasty ones discarded). I took extra pictures to be helpful and because there are less eggs this time.

Reg Egg #1:
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I'm not sure, but this doesn't look good to me.

Reg Egg #2
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I don't really see anything in this one at all, anymore.

Reg Egg #3
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I tried, but the light couldn't really get through this one, because the chick is filling the whole egg. Definitely filled up more than last time, so I think this one's actually gonna hatch!

Reg Egg #4
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Definitely something was going on in this one...I don't know if it quit or is just really behind. Please advise, @Kiki! Also...what am I gonna do if just the one hatches? Quail are like chickens in that they need company, right? Do I just need to...keep them with me till they get bigger or I can get a few more?

I, 2, 4 trash.
You are in trouble.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I, 2, 4 trash.
You are in trouble.

Thats what I thought as well. 2 also looks like it's cracked which is probably why it didnt get anywhere. Hopefully she gets at least #3 to hatch. Low hatch rates are so heartbreaking

 

[Mellowmalt]

Hopefully she gets at least #3 to hatch. Low hatch rates are so heartbreaking

yep and money down the drain.

My last seller responded to my comment that every egg had been dropped by saying the postal service will reimburse damaged parcels but how on earth does that work? He has the receipt, I have the damaged goods which are theoretically insured. He was implying I should get a refund from the post office but with what? Go up to the counter with a perfectly intact egg and say yeah sorry but this was marked as fragile and it has been damaged...

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Thats what I thought as well. 2 also looks like it's cracked which is probably why it didnt get anywhere. Hopefully she gets at least #3 to hatch. Low hatch rates are so heartbreaking

Yeah, the cracks were noted the second time I candled. I always candle before putting eggs in, but the light I used was apparently not strong enough, or else I candled before dark so I could go ahead and get them in. Since I'd already had it in there, I left it in...but normally I wouldn't set a cracked egg.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

yep and money down the drain.

My last seller responded to my comment that every egg had been dropped by saying the postal service will reimburse damaged parcels but how on earth does that work? He has the receipt, I have the damaged goods which are theoretically insured. He was implying I should get a refund from the post office but with what? Go up to the counter with a perfectly intact egg and say yeah sorry but this was marked as fragile and it has been damaged...

Yeah I'd really avoid mail right now. This makes the 3rd mail hatch in the last couple of months that have done poorly. I set 12 Bresse eggs in January, only 2 hatched and that was with assistance. Roughly half developed, and a few of those reached hatch but failed to pip due to malposition. One of the survivors was also a malposition, but got lucky and still managed to pip without busting a vessel or suffering from shock since they couldn't pip internally. They're both strong and healthy though. I set 8 Ameraucana eggs just before this hatch and only one made it out of those, with similar issues. But luckily that one is also strong.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

I, 2, 4 trash.
You are in trouble.

; - ; Poor things. What do I do about the one that might hatch? Just give them lots of interaction until I can get them some companions?

 

[589205]

Sorry about your eggs @Mellowmalt & @TheAlrightyGina I agree right now is definitely not good time or weather for egg shipments.

 

[589205]

I feel for @Magapoule still as well. I hope she's doing alright.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Sorry about your eggs @Mellowmalt & @TheAlrightyGina I agree right now is definitely not good time or weather for egg shipments.

It was an ok temp when I got them, but the handling definitely wasn't ok.

I don't feel too bad, except that this was largely a wasted effort for me since everything is inconclusive. But it looks like there'll be at least one little quail running around here soon enough. I'll be sure to post pictures if they hatch!