July 14th - NEWBIE Set 11 eggs at 2PM CST. Anyone wanna join me?

[ContessaKris]

Temperature is moving around on me lately. I swear one set of my eggs are hotter. Is that possible with different breeds? lol One side has been showing steady 100. The other side thermometer has been moving between 96-99. So tonight I flipped the eggs to the opposite sides, thinking one side was getting incubated faster because of the higher temps. I come back later. The low side thermometer is now up to 100 and the other side is hovering between 96-99. I've got me half an incubator of some hot chickens! lol

If any of these chickens live it will be a miracle I'm thinking since some of them aren't up to the high temperature all the time, I bet they could take up to a whole day longer to hatch. Just you watch.

 

[GoodLuckCharlie!]

Hi, just checking in. I'm actually frustrated right now. I candled all my eggs-granted its day 6, but 12 eggs are Trader Joe fertile eggs, and 9 of them have huge healthy chicks growing in them, and 3 clear but I'll leave those in til day 11 just for the sake of it. And then, I candled my 2 Pheonix eggs and 3 Yokohama eggs, and not one of them are fertile. They're completely see-through. I'm not sure what to think-I'm trying to think of all the senarios for the eggs to not be fertile at all. To start with, I ordered them through mail and the packaging wasn't good, then the postman was apparently an egg hater because he gave the box an extra toss and roll when giving it to me, and the box had 3 broken eggs in it, leaking...so already that was a bad start.

Can someone give me all the rational reasons the eggs wouldn't be fertile and growing chicks at all, because I don't want to accuse the seller of not giving me fertile eggs without exploring all the options first, you know?

Other than that, its a complete miracle that any of the eggs are okay. Last hatching I had the incubator in the living room so I could reasonably monitor the temp and that worked well, but this time I started the incubator in the garage (at the request of the family not wanting a bright light in the living room)-first 2 days it stayed stable with no eggs in it, and after the eggs were placed in it, the temps were crazy. It would shoot up to 110, then down to 96 and no matter what I couldn't control it. So I moved it that day back to the living room and its been great. I certainly thought I wouldn't see even one egg alive and kicking, but 9 TJ's are doing fantastic and actually look bigger inside than I expected.

I'm a little nervous now because I got all excited and ordered 6+ Crevecoeurs in a couple weeks. I know, it was too soon...but I was thinking I probably didn't have any good eggs anymore since the temps and bad mail experience and all.

I will say though, the last batch I incubated, I made the home made incubator. It was a test run all the way to hatching, and the temps shot up and down more than a degree, and the humidity was terrible. But I had 16 healthy eggs until the end, when I couldn't figure out how to get the humidity up. So I hope it helps to know that sometimes the temp changes won't hurt the eggs...but I don't know if some breeds are more fragile than other either.

Hope all is well.

 

[jettgirl24]

Okiedrifter - you'll have some pretty babies... I have a blue silkie from CJ's that is turning out to be absolutely gorgeous and a total sweetheart too

I'll take a pic tomorrow and post it for you. Her birds are absolutely gorgeous!

 

[okiedrifter]

we candled last nite couldnt wait any more 19 out of 24 eggs are showing veins...I know its early so Nana said to leave the other 5 till next candle time...I cant wait.....

 

[chikinwing]

I set a 9 egg assortment the night of July 13th. I ordered mine through the mail. This is the 3rd time that I have ordered eggs and inucbated them, unfortunately noone will ever guarantee that the eggs will hatch. They will only say they are fertile. From what I have experienced so far, is some of the breeds I have ordered did really well and others not at all. I have ordered bantam barnevelders and silkies that had a 1% hatch rate. I ordered orpingtons and ameraucanas that was between 50 to 75% hatch rate. I think it depends not as much on fertility as much as the distance of travel and the handling. If your eggs were handled roughly that is a good reason why they would not develop at all. It is very frustrating I know, I have been disappointed myself from poor hatch rates.

I am still learning myself, and I have questions about humidity. What is the best humidity to keep in the incubator? With my past hatch many of my chicks were very wet and took a long time to dry out. Others I think drowned before hatching because they were all formed but still in fluid. Very frustrating! I just want to try and avoid that same situation. Anyone else have any experience with this?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I gave my broody eggs on the 12th. So I'm in!

 

[okiedrifter]

right now we have 2 sets of mail order silkies in the incubator cj have a much better fertilty rate...both sets of eggs were packed great....both had no eggs broken...is it heat? is it the difference in post offices? I dont know....I do know both sets are being handled the same here are in a cabinet bator....99.5 forced air with auto turner....40 % hum.I also set a dozen EE at the same time 8 out of the 12 were fertile...I tend to think its the heat out side we have had nearly a month of 100 degree weather with little to no rain

 

[jettgirl24]

I'm guessing it's the shipping. Despite her great packaging my eggs from CJ went through the ringer on their way to my place... The box was totally beat up, they broke two eggs and most of the others were cracked or scrambled. I only got the one chick out of two dozen. Man is it a perfect chick though

I did an egg swap the next month and again, the package was again totally beat up despite another excellent packing job... It just wasn't *quite* as bad so I got two chicks out of that batch. The only eggs I've gotten via USPS this year that came in good condition were the Silkies I have in the bator now from Catdance. I live in the same state as her so they came ground with only two stops. I think that made all the difference. I haven't candled yet but plan to do that this evening so I'll let you know how mine are faring. In any case, I'm betting that was the problem. Unfortunately USPS has been absolutely terrible with eggs this year. I've heard it from quite a few people on here

 

[okiedrifter]

got my 3rd set of mail order eggs this year today...altho the box was clearly marked call for pickup she carried them in her truck all day and called at my gate....good news is nothing was broke....

 

[ContessaKris]

Quote:
Mine were not marked that and he carried them in his car all day. I'm hoping it didn't kill them. Trying my best not to candle. Too depressing with brown eggs, you can't really see anything.

My temps keep fluctuating but not much. Just hoping for the best.

If for some reason they don't work, I'm thinking should I even order again through the mail?