Hi!! I have done a ton or looking online but I wanted to see what the best things to do with my mauled eggs.
I just got them in the mail, I opened the box, checked them over.
nowwww..... what?
TIA
Shipped eggs are tough! It's hard to really say what the best method is and a lot of the time it's just the luck of the draw.
I started my silkie flock with shipped eggs from over 8 different breeders and tried a few different techniques.
I've settled on letting them rest large end up at least 24-36 hours before setting (longer could be good but I was never patient enough to go two full days).
I prefer an incubator that can hold them upright and where I can gently turn so there is less jostling of the eggs. This isn't always possible and I've still had decent hatches from other incubators that were otherwise reliable (steady temperature etc).
I do not turn them for the first 2-3 days depending on how the air cells look. Even if they look good I'll still wait at least 2 days before turning.
Once the eggs are far enough along to go into lockdown I lay them on their sides as I've experienced a lot more malpositions from shipped eggs. I worry that if they were upright in a carton the ones who were in the narrow end of the egg may have trouble hatching.
I am quick to assist if needed during hatching. I really upped my hatch rate by learning how to assist and assisting if necessary. Shipped eggs are much more likely to need assistance than eggs from your own flock.
This is a good article to read beforehand if you are open to assisting.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
I've had on average better rates with this method. I've tried not letting them rest at all, turning right from the beginning, and not turning for more time (around 5 days) but wasn't as happy with the results.
Shipped eggs are just really tricky though. I might get a great hatch just popping them in the incubator with no special care one time and then get none to hatch with that same method the next time. How they were handled and the conditions they were in I think affects how your hatch goes more so than what method you use to incubate.
In the beginning I was disappointed if only one or two hatched but now I consider myself lucky to get any to hatch (I see how many experienced hatchers often don't get anything to hatch). I've been incredibly lucky in that I have yet to get a 0% hatch rate from the shipped silkie eggs I've received. My lowest hatch rate from shipped silkie eggs was 13.3% (2 babies from 15 eggs) and my highest was 87.5% (7 babies from 8 eggs)
Good luck, I hope yours do well!
. We shall see how it goes. my eggs were dirty but shipped very well. I waited 24 hours before putting them in the incubator. I am also hatching from my own eggs. All my eggs are fertile and doing well.I will check fertility on shipped eggs Wednesday. I will post pictures later. This is my first time.
