Incubating Shipped Eggs for the First Time

[aliciaplus3]

At our elevation its best to run with all vent holes wide open, especially with shipped eggs. There is s high altitude hatching tips somewhere?
Oh and higher humidity is needed because the eggs are more porous?
I hatched shipped bielfelder eggs 1.5 years ago, they came from 4000 feet and I ran the humidity st 50% out of a dozen I hatched 8 maybe? It was pretty good considering.

 

[jolenesdad]

55 is not too high, depending on where you live. If it’s like that throughout lockdown, it will get too high from the eggs opening, but for incubation it usually works best for most people.

I always suggest erring on the lower side, but for sure weighing to k ow where you should be for your specific location. Either way, giving a number to another person is a guess at best.

What I know for myself is I’ve hatched lots of eggs this year with 20-25% or more loss in weight by lockdown. I’ve hatched hardly 0 that lost less than 10%. It seems there’s a drastically higher chance at hatching with too much weight loss than too little. I think that’s why so many people see success with “dry” incubation.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Try this?

• http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/2908/incubating-eggs-at-high-altitudes/

 

[jolenesdad]

Try this?

• http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/2908/incubating-eggs-at-high-altitudes/

Okay that’s fascinating they say that the porosity of the shell may be linked to the altitude of the breeder flock.

SUPER interesting to follow along with that in my own shipped egg experiences. Thanks for the link.

 

[BullChick]

You are so brilliant! Thanks for that info!!!

 

[Hughes Wildlife Farm]

Good to know all of this. I’m going to put the incubator on a card table in our guest room.
What kind of incubator do you have?

I have the "Harris Farm Nurture Right 360" .. Got it at Tractor Supply Store. It does everything

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

It is odd that there's is only one vent, but most folks have good hatches with the Incuview.
ETA: Disclaimer, have never hatched shipped egg...but have had some 'floating' air cells that were not helped by the lying down position of the Incuview.


Yup, I just left that plug out most the time, but did partially cover it with a wet sponge when ambient humidity was very low.
Think that's shown in my Incuview hacks article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incuview-divider-pattern-and-other-hacks-by-aart.73966/

I learned a lot in this thread, but it's really long:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/incuview-incubator.852619/

Not sure if you've searched for Incuview info, but.....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/87117360/?q=incuview&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

One brave guy added an extra vent/hole:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incuview-incubator-modified.74766/

Thanks @aart , I’ll peruse all those threads today!

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I think 55 is too high for humidity.

either way you should be good weighing them. I’d probably start closer to 40 and weigh at 3-4 days.

remember to take an average of several eggs, and don’t rely on weights of just one or two eggs, and don’t get freaked out by weights of individual eggs. Weighing is always about the average of the batch. You’ll go crazy if you start to look at each eggs weight to try and make your adjustments.
Good luck!!!!

Thank you for this advice. I just read an article that explained how to average it all and I didn’t realize to do that. If an egg isn’t losing weight at all, will that indicate that it’s a dud? If so, then do I remove it and reaverage the whole batch and recheck calculations?
Since I can’t really candle the Marans eggs maybe I weigh those as their own batch so that I have clear analytics for them?

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I have the "Harris Farm Nurture Right 360" .. Got it at Tractor Supply Store. It does everything

Ah I was looking at that one! Debated between that and the incuview! Nice.

 

[jolenesdad]

Thank you for this advice. I just read an article that explained how to average it all and I didn’t realize to do that. If an egg isn’t losing weight at all, will that indicate that it’s a dud? If so, then do I remove it and reaverage the whole batch and recheck calculations?
Since I can’t really candle the Marans eggs maybe I weigh those as their own batch so that I have clear analytics for them?

I actually think the egg will lose weight regardless. Maybe a slightly different rate of loss. I did a ton of research last year before I started incubating but now I know what the cells should look like, so I don’t. Anyway, I had the same question and didn’t find an answer but, from personal experience, that air cell grows in a clear egg just like the others....

there are a few ways to work with marans eggs. Watch the way the shadow of the yolk develops. Run your light from top to bottom of the egg and if it is developing past like day 6, you’ll see the shadow flip as you pass it. It’s totally different than the way it looks in a non fertile egg. With a little practice you’ll instantly recognize it. If you watch one of those videos of the eggs hatched in a cup, you’ll see why this is, they way the veins spread out on the yolk....

Sorry if I’m not being clear it’s a little hard to describe.

also, come day 15 or so as the eggs fully darken you’ll be able to tell if something didn’t make it past the first week. Even in the darkest eggs you can tell when the entire thing is opaque or not.

Many people don’t remove marans eggs until after the hatch, so honestly, I’d just sniff test them throughout your first time.