lots of air space in eggs

[heathersboers]

My light sussex off e-bay are in the bator on day 10- some are good- but some -that are developing have a lot of "air space" in them- I can see where the chick is developing, but almost half the egg is empty. My eggs are as far along and in the same bator but they only have a small space at the top. Do you think they will make it with all that space? and why did this happen? Old eggs?

 

[BooBear]

low humidity I think.

What is your humidity reading?

 

[heathersboers]

it is 47-they are the only eggs doing it- the rest are fine...

 

[BooBear]

maybe someone with more experience can make a suggestion. With 47% humidity the air cells should not be taking up half of the egg.

 

[ICanSpeakChicken]

It could be possible they are older eggs, im not sure without looking it up but I think as an egg ages the air space gets bigger, when incubating the air space can get to about 1/3 the size of the egg.

 

[heathersboers]

it is about 1/3rd now. They are still forming so I guess ill wait it out- I will be surprised if any hatch

 

[PunkinPeep]

If i'm understanding correctly - that it's the shipped eggs that have larger air space, and your home grown eggs that have a smaller air space - then i would assume that the shipped eggs simply had longer to evaporate before you put them in the incubator.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Very dry air during shipping.

 

[heathersboers]

can they still hatch??

 

[minihorse927]

They can still hatch, the first time I ever incubated eggs I knew nothing of humidity and the ar cells ended up almost half of the egg and all but 2 of the 12 chicks hatched. The 2 that did not hatch died about day 16or17.