Lots of air cells all over the place, what next?

[SarahLadd]

Hello friends,

I am on day 7 incubating. Shipped eggs.

These eggs sat for 12 hours before setting, points down. Using Nurture Right 360. 99.5f, 47-50% humidity. Box was good, packed well, no cracked or damaged eggs. I see 5 infertile eggs and 1 early death, leaving me with 9 winners. All fetuses look lively.

Only 2 eggs have normal looking, normally oriented air cells. The rest are varying degrees of all over the place. Some are just a little lopsided or gently straddling. One is on the side. Another is directly opposite the large end.

I'm not sure how to proceed. Do I take them out of the incubator and prop them up in something to start hand turning them? Is opening the lid on the incubator so many times a day not going to affect things negatively? I read so much that says the less you disturb the environment, the better, so I've been as hands off as possible. What would happen if I leave them the way they are in the incubator? I dunno what to do.

 

[LaurEliz]

I wouldn’t worry too much except for the one on the wrong end. Are they loose inside the egg? As in, do they move if you move the egg? If so I’d prop those ones up to keep the cell in the correct place.
I have successfully hatched out many chicks (and some turkey poults) with really funky looking air cells. I wouldn’t worry.
And opening the incubator so many times won’t do any harm. Even mama hens get off the eggs to go eat and drink. It is, in general, better to leave them alone as much as possible, but I am a sucker for candling and there are some batches eggs I’ve candled every day and had a 100% success rate. I think as long as you’re gentle it’s not so harmful.

 

[SarahLadd]

I wouldn’t worry too much except for the one on the wrong end. Are they loose inside the egg? As in, do they move if you move the egg? If so I’d prop those ones up to keep the cell in the correct place.
I have successfully hatched out many chicks (and some turkey poults) with really funky looking air cells. I wouldn’t worry.
And opening the incubator so many times won’t do any harm. Even mama hens get off the eggs to go eat and drink. It is, in general, better to leave them alone as much as possible, but I am a sucker for candling and there are some batches eggs I’ve candled every day and had a 100% success rate. I think as long as you’re gentle it’s not so harmful.

None of them move around, they're all stationary.

 

[B-Goock]

All good advice ^

Shipped eggs are always a gamble and have a lot higher chance of losses. I've had shipped eggs do fairly well then again once I got 2 dozen and only 4 made it.
My thoughts is what was done to them during shipping plays a large factor in success.