Thanks for the report! Kathy, I'm betting the P.O. is at fault, considering it isn't just one girl's eggs, but some of each. If it was just one girl's, like say Dottie's, I'd think either Rex wasn't mating her properly or their chemistry was bad together, like it was with Suede and Miranda, especially since one mating can keep a hen fertile for two weeks or more.
A local guy, a BYC member who gave Ranger a home, also bought 10 BR eggs from me and he said fertility was perfect, though he lost a couple in late incubation and one while trying to help it out of the egg. As you know, just mishandling by the P.O. can stop development before it even starts by compromising the yolk itself, even if the air cell is intact. I'm thinking that's what happened and it frustrates the heck out of me!
Same thing happened with halo's eggs sent to Florida. She has six babies hatched right now and is waiting on a seventh to pip and today is Day 22. They didn't even begin pipping till sometime midday on Day 21. I sent 17 eggs in that batch and she has the second batch in the bator now, 16 eggs. I'm hoping that one does better.
ETA: I'm hoping that the same thing happens with the ones you have left that happened with Rex's bunch, that they're pullet-heavy. From that batch, I got Rex and 4 pullets. I sold one to lockedhearts and kept my three girls.
