Is it possible to hatch from egg with broken aircell? UPDATE

[MrsChicken1954]

I just tried some with detached air cells but started them off on their sides. They started to develop (to the spidery stage) but then died. I think if you are going to give it a go you'd probably better prop them up from day one, which I didn't!

 

[duck&chickencrazy]

i hatched out 5 ducklings out of 18 eggs with detached air cells. they were shipped eggs to...i am very happy with my results though so its ok

 

[MrsChicken1954]

Thanks to this thread, I have just hatched 4/5 fertile eggs with broken air cells! I have lost loads of posted eggs this year to this problem, but this time I didn't wash the eggs so I wouldn't disrupt the insides further, put them straight in the Octagon 20 which rocks the eggs rather than rolling them, and 4 out of 5 hatched. Thanks everyone!

 

[walkswithdog]

Glad it worked MrsC !!! Sometimes how you handle the broken and displaced air cell eggs makes all the difference.

I laid the two that survived my marans shipment on their sides and handled them very carefully and they're due Friday. The replacement shipment is started and I'm hopeful for them...

Displaced and broken air cells doesn't have to mean they won't hatch. Luck to everyone who's worried and reads this thread...

 

[onthespot]

I have some eggs that went in on the 13th, and for once it is not a split hatch. Some were shipped and have damaged air cells. Would it be okay to just turn off the turner and leave them all in the turner to hatch instead of laying them down? I have heard they can get hurt in the turner but I thoguht that was ones that hatched in turners that were operating at the time. I know people say there is no such thing as a dumb question, but I think I may have just asked one!

 

[walkswithdog]

No, you didn't.

If it's off, the only real problem is one hopping out and getting stuck. But I know a couple of folks who use just the rack part to hold and hatch as a practice. It's stable, easy to clean and the right shape. They just pull old racks off the turner and use them when hatching. So, nope, not dumb, kind of useful.

And thanks for the whole egg thing that fell through - we'll try again later. Disasters suck.

 

[MrsChicken1954]

Lying them on their sides to roll, I found that they only developed about half way and then stopped and died.

This last lot were kept upright in egg boxes (cartons) from day 1 and the movement was provided by the rocking motion of the Octagon 20. Some incubators rock the eggs slowly back and forth, others roll them on their sides. I think if you want to hatch eggs with broken air cells/chalazeas, you need the sort which swings them back and forth in a rocking motion and keep them upright from the beginning.

I could be wrong, but this has been my experience.

 

[walkswithdog]

I rock them in cartons til near hatch but if the aircell is still more on a side / in the center, then I lay them flat for hatch air cell up. And pay attention, they have a tendency to be dryer eggs as well and some need help.

If I have typos forgive me, chick in left hand peeping it's fool head off.

 

[MrsChicken1954]

This time - with eggs with complete air cells - I have had them on their sides in an RCOM20 for the first 16 days or so then transferred them to the Octagon 20 when it became available and put them upright for the last two days rocking then three days of non-rocking. They are supposed to be hatching today,but I must say that so far it isn't looking good. One egg had a little pip mark last night and was cheeping, but this morning (UK time) nothing has changed.

They are quite large eggs though, so may be taking a little longer than I am accustomed to.

 

[DeGarmom]

I haven't had nearly the luck that some of the other posters here have had. Messed up air cells have been the bane of my existence. (Seriously, my life is pretty good otherwise!) Last year I spent some serious money on hatching eggs. Like my husband says, "lessons cost money. Good lessons are usually expensive."

I think there is more to it than "laying it this way", "turning it" or "not....." The health of the parents (quality of the egg), the age of the egg, etc. I had one breeder who told me to hatch them in a carton, no turning at all. I have to wonder how he managed to keep his humidity high enough. Thankfully there were only 4 eggs lost in that debacle.

Kudos to you who have had success!

A warning that I may have missed on this thread (I didn't see it as I was reading through) is "find a way to protect the other eggs in case the egg(s) spoil."

I had one blow up all over my incubator (and the turner).

I had a whole shipment that had rolling air sacks in a separate incubator, just to see give them a chance. I had actually candled all of them the night before. I was fairly new to the whole process and tired at the time too, so I don't know if I missed something important when I checked the egg, but..... Bacteria is a bad thing and can wreak havoc on the rest of the eggs in the incubator.

I wish you the best of luck!