Incubators Anonymous

[Tammy N]

Is 8 clear and 3 blood rings out of 14 shipped eggs crazy? The box didn't have a dent on it. None broke or leaky. I tried to let the BYC member know but no response. Frustrated. I bought off eBay and got a better response when I let them know that I had gotten a low hatch rate.

Do you know how to check and see if the 8 where even fertile ? I had someone Give me eggs and then they said they did not have a rooster i ate them LOL they where free but LOL fertile eggs with out a roo is a miracle . but it was local and her son was so happy to bring them

 

[gladahmae]

Well one ameraucana is out so far.....looks like another may be pipped, but the angle made it hard to tell. Hopefully they'll start popping tonight! When I was checking last night one of the marans eggs was rocking, but nothing else going on there so far.

 

[ki4got]

In my humble opinion...........

When we read the instruction manuals on how to be near as good as chickens when it comes to hatching there is a paragraph about egg storage. It generally says to store at about 60F and the eggs are good for week. After a week the eggs diminish in viability rapidly.

Shipped eggs are more often than not may reach temps that may trigger development in transit. Those eggs the cool as we let them rest for a day before putting them in our incubators. This may decrease hatch rates.

I have started to get eggs from my door step and put them straight into a warmed bator. I don't turn them but do get them to temp as soon as possible. It will take a lot of eggs to make the experiment reliable but its a good start.

Opinions?

personally I don't 'rest' eggs prior to setting... I put them right in also, and don't turn for a few days, if I can. if I already have other eggs set in that incubator then I don't have much choice. if the air cells are messed up then I might set them off to the side of the turner, in the space between it and the wall of the 'bator.

 

[Runawaylobster]

i'm getting withdrawal symptoms... .....

staring at eggs... staring at the bator... cleaning it when not necessary LOL!!!

 

[Zootopia]

Do you have a hatching manual for your incubator?

What kind of incubator are you using (still air, forced air, small, large, home-made, etc..).

What is the temperature and outside humidity where the incubator is being kept?  What is your altitude (it changes humidity requirements).

Where did the eggs come from?  Were they all the same - or mixed?

Egg turning is required to keep the embryos from sticking to the sides.  It can be as often as once an hour (automatic) to as few as three times a day (odd numbers are best - they sit on different sides during the night when not being turned).

What eggs are you setting?  Different birds have different numbers of days for hatch.

I think you might want to read this topic index and see if your answers are here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...hing-eggs-important-topic-index-please-review

For troubleshooting incubation problems you can check this:

http://www.natureform.com/kb/index.php?article=1003

If those didn't answer your questions and you have specifics to share.. we can try and help.  Each incubation is a learning experience, the best way to track if what you are doing works is by the hatches.  If anything does not work right tweak it - until you are getting the best you can get.

I always recommend to new people that they start with fresh, Local, ie cheap AND un molested eggs to dial in the incubator and to figure out what works best for them. Also figure out the best place in the house to set the bator. It might be cool to let the kids watch but the lowest traffic area (yes even the closet) with the most stable temp/humidity is not always the most apparent.

 

[Zootopia]

In my humble opinion...........

When we read the instruction manuals on how to be near as good as chickens when it comes to hatching there is a paragraph about egg storage. It generally says to store at about 60F and the eggs are good for  week. After a week the eggs diminish in viability rapidly.

Shipped eggs are more often than not may reach temps that may trigger development in transit. Those eggs the cool as we let them rest for a day before putting them in our incubators. This may decrease hatch rates.

I have started to get eggs from my door step and put them straight into a warmed bator. I don't turn them but do get them to temp as soon as possible. It will take a lot of eggs to make the experiment reliable but its a good start.

Opinions?

With the temps already in triple digits here, it sounds like a plan Oz. may have to give that a try.

 

[Zootopia]

I am sorry you don't have more developing. Shipping is very hard on embryos.  There can be damage inside you can't see on the outside if the box is shaken or jarred.  How did the air cells look when you candled them?  Any floating air cells, scrambled air cells, yolk at the top (broken tether)?  The candling/air cells will tell you more of what they went through - but if there was heat/cold shock it will still kill the embryo before it even gets to the blood ring stage and that wont be visible.

Shipped eggs are a gamble.  If you aren't willing to take that gamble - don't buy them.  I know its sad when they don't make it - but that is something you need to expect.  Three out of fourteen is not terrible. Two out of fourteen hatched isn't either.  How about one out of 16? Or none out of 30?  Don't get your hopes up so high and you won't be disappointed.  Leave feedback on your outcome - but don't place blame on the sender unless they did a terrible packing job.  If there is a trend where none of their eggs ever hatch from anybody they ship to - then you don't buy from them.  Maybe their post office is very mean to the boxes, or maybe it is something else - but you make your choice by not buying their eggs.

If the shipper packed them well and sent them off with hope in their hearts that USPS is going to be nice, I am pretty sure they are disappointed too.  Nobody wants to hear their special eggs that they carefully packed are not developing.  Sending more is not something all small time chicken owners can do.  Some won't reply because they can't send more, and all they could say is "Sorry".  Please go back and study the tone of your PM to the member here to see if you unintentionally sound accusing or demanding or hinting at getting more because its "the right thing" or "honest" or "caring" because of your disappointment.  If so, chances are they will not reply.  I would not reply to you if you sent me what you posted above. If you are just letting them know the outcome with understanding, then they will probably reply, if only to say they were sorry it was so low for you.  Walk a mile in their shoes.....

X 2 I think tact is sometimes hard to show thru our disappointment.

Congrats on your 2 new babies.

 

[Zootopia]

Uggg...tired.  No sleep last night....hatching eggs in the bator!  So far 16 of 27 are out.  More coming out all the time.  Problem is is that I had several breeds that were going to start out as yellow chicks.  I had built little separators and carefully planned which breeds were in which sections.  It was apparent from the first chick that the dividers were too low....just hopped right over it....soooooo, now I am going to have a heck of a time trying to decide which chick is what for a while.  I have wheaten Ameraucanas, some Lav. Ameraucana/white leghorn mixes (super blue egg layers), Lemon Orpington, and Crested Cream legbar/leghorn mixes (more blue egg layers).  The cochins and Salmon Favorelles are ok....easy to tell them from the others....oh well, maybe the legbar mixes will have some kind of crests and the one Lav/ameraucanas/leghorn mix that has already hatched was more of a darker chick....

The important thing is that they are hatching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Love the little cuties.  Will get photos later after they all hatch and dry out and get into the brooder! 

By the way....today at noon starts their hatch due date...so they were a little early.  (I guess that means the temps were a little warmer than the two thermometers inside the bator said)  They actually read 99.1 the whole time and the built in one said 100. Maybe the built in one was the right one>

Soo, now you have an excuse to buy a couple more bators. They all need their own rooms. Lol. My SBELs each had at least one small black spot on them, Somewhere!

 

[Flowerbh]

Soo, now you have an excuse to buy a couple more bators. They all need their own rooms. Lol. My SBELs each had at least one small black spot on them, Somewhere!

Oh yea! I do have some with small black spots on them! One on its back and one on its head! So now at least I know which ones are SBEL! Thanks!

 

[Arielle]

Is 8 clear and 3 blood rings out of 14 shipped eggs crazy? The box didn't have a dent on it. None broke or leaky. I tried to let the BYC member know but no response. Frustrated. I bought off eBay and got a better response when I let them know that I had gotten a low hatch rate.

You have only mentioned the two experiences above. One ebay one byc. Two is not a very big sample size to judge either source if you are thinking to buy at only BYC or only off ebay.

I too have had good sellers, and poor sellers. ANd all from BYC. Don't give up, keep enjoying he process of buying eggs and hatching little cuties.