Results from first incubation attempt.

[armyturner]

Here are my results from my first attempt at incubating some eggs:

I started with a still air LG w/turner using the dry method. The eggs that I had came from a fellow member. There was an offer for 12 Barred Rock and 12 White Leghorn for a reasonable price, so that is what I started with. She sent a total of 27. The eggs spent 8 days in the mail, so I was worried that none would hatch. We were having a cold spell and I was afraid that they were stuck on someone's truck somewhere (and frozen). All arrived well though, with none cracked or damaged.

2 were clear on the day 8 candling, so that cut me to 25. Day 12 candling looked good, so no more culling. Day 18 I removed the turner and candled again. One had a blood ring, so out it went. Day 21 the first one piped, day 23 number 11 hatched. So overall, 11 of 25 fertile eggs hatched (44%).

I had one pip late on day 21 but die in the night before ever attempting to make it out of the shell and chick #11 also didn't make it.

I opened several of the other eggs that didn't hatch. They all appeared to be fully developed, but they never piped. Any reason why this could have happened?

It could have been better, but I am pleased with my first attempt and surprised since they were in the mail as long as they were.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Sounds like you did OK for mail eggs. And for them to be in transit that long. As for the ones that went full term and then died, that happens quite often. A lot of the time it is when they break through the inner membrane and either drown or the air is not good in there. Sometimes they will pip and then die. That is usually caused by the air not being right. Either too humid, not humid enough or very stagnant. We dry incubate and then on day 18 put the eggs in a homemade brooder. We just have a can full of water in there and don't pay attention to the humidity level. We avaerage a 90% or better hatch rate. All our eggs come from our own girls though so we don't have transit problems unless we drop one in transit from the nest to the incubator.
Don't give up. It is always rewarding to see those wet little bodies come tumbling out of the egg.