My experiences with shipped eggs, if anyone cares.

[TexasChris]

Im fairly new to the coturnix quail and so far have hatched nothing but shipped eggs. My first hatch I hatched 32 out of 107 eggs, my second hatch i hatched 52 out of 156 eggs (I ordered 300 plus and over 170 eggs were broken talk about terrible packing!). So I was talking to my dad about the not so wonderful hatch rates I was having (not that it couldnt have been worse), but I being the purchaser was blaming this on the shipper and assuming the eggs were not fertile, he being a veteran of shipped eggs told me that bringing the eggs in and waiting 24 hours before setting was where my problem was he said to let them sit right where the postman delivered them for an hour and them set them with the turners off untill the end of day2. He also told me that I would probably start getting chicks as much as 3 days early. So I had the next 55 eggs arrive and I did as he said ( thinking i was doing wrong) early in day 15 i had 3 chicks hatch later that day I had one more on day 16 I had 3 more early chicks, today is day 17 and 41 more chicks have hatched there are 7 eggs left in the incubator and 4 have pipped ! Could it be that the incubation procces is starting during shipping and letting them rest at room temperature is killing the embroyos? This is by far the best hatch ive ever had and the eggs were shipped from Minesotta to south Texas by far the farthest of any eggs ive recieved. Oh and by the way 4 days after i set these eggs I recieved another 15 eggs from another source and 1 was broken but I let them rest for 24 hours while I got my other bator going and when I candled them there is only 6 that are developing.

Thanks for listening to my rambling and im not saying this is right its just what I am experiencing first hand.
Chris

 

[Stellar]

Everyone has their methods for shipped eggs. I haven't gotten many quail eggs in the mail, shipped tons though and people have had great hatches, some better than others due to their incubation techniques. I personally let them settle before putting them in the incubator. Hens will leave her nest sometimes and eggs get chilled and she gets back on and they continue developing so I don't think embryos dying while settling would have an effect.

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

Thats great that you are getting a better hatch rate with your new technique !
Thanks for sharring !

Fay

 

[TexasChris]

Yes i agree the hens do leave the nest Quail Lady but I dont think they leave the nest for 24 hours maybe 30 minutes to an hour and thats a big difference between 24 hours after coming out of a hot back of a mail truck that who knows how hot it is. Oh by the way the 15 eggs that one was broken that rested for 24 hours and now only 6 of the remaining 14 are developing are eggs I bought from you. Im sure that probably every egg that has been shipped to me was at sometime a good egg its just funny to me that i used this different method and sure the hatch has been staggered, but the outcome of the hatch is just unbelievably better.

Chris

 

[Stellar]

Well can't please everyone

I am just saying it's not always the shipper, experience plays a role too.

 

[TexasChris]

I think you took that wrong I am pleased with your product big eggs very clean and well packaged! I was just saying what my experience with hatch rates are and what has worked best for me. I think that the heat here in the south may be starting the incubation process and that the 24 hours of rest may be the cause of some eggs not to develop if the process was started in transportation and then stopped by waiting. just my experience may not be correct I just thought out of 4 different batches of eggs that 3 are going to be in the 30-40% range and 1 that is going to be around 85-90% was a pretty significant find and I might share it with everyone.
Im sorry Quail Lady I never meant to offend you I hope you accept my apoligies!
Chris

 

[MobyQuail]

Quote:
Chris,

what are your average midday temps out there? been hot as hades here (90+), I think riffe uses the put em str8 in the bator technique, no turner for first ~48hrs, wondering if I should try it, had very bad luck with 5 batches of shipped C-bird eggs from all over that I let sit for 24 hours. the several, out of 50+, that did hatch- they hatched a day or two early from my backyard birds, my quail also hatched ~30% a day+ early- day 15 in another incubator.

may have to borrow randalls lab coat with the next ones.

 

[Stellar]

Quote:
No worries, long day here!

 

[Fat Daddy]

You know it does make sense, I have a load of chukars in the mail, I think we'll give this a try... Mid to upper 90's and real humid is where cell division starts I guess.

 

[TexasChris]

Mid day temps here are 95 t 100 and about 85% humidity! Horrible!
Actually I have thought about this and I may have spoken way to soon Ive had 3 batches of eggs with one method 30-40% and only 1 batch with a higher rate, but now i have a control. In the morning im going to order more eggs from Quail Lady since they will come with same packing same mail route put them the same incubatorsince the first hatch of her eggs will be over before they get here and try my new method and then I will have the truth for me on the 2 methods! Does this seem like im on to the right idea?
Chris