"Settling" Shipped Eggs: Necessary? With Auto-Turner?

[curranchickens]

I realized that I was wrong about my start time on the hatched eggs... I started my first incubator (with my own eggs it) at 5 PM (several days earlier). I started the shipped eggs at 5 AM while getting the kids off to school last Monday. So... I started the turner. I rolled the flashlight over them quickly and VERY gently.

I saw very slight veining in one salmon faverolle egg (brown eggs)
I saw what looked like a blood ring in two salmon faverolle eggs (I was not 100% positive so I left them alone for now)
The other three salmon Faverolle eggs I did not see much of anything... not quite clear but shadows

I saw what might have been A vein or possibly two in the dark Maran eggs. (maybe)
The other 5 Maran Eggs I could not make anything out... toooo dark

All 6 blue eggs I have no idea. I did not see any veins but even if they were there, I do not think I could see them. Most of the blue eggs were glowing blue at the fat end of the egg (where I had the flashlight) and very dark the other 3/4 of the egg. Of course, I did not roll the egg around... I left them very upright while holding the flashlight on the top of the egg... however, the air cell on one of the eggs was very wobbly... made me feel okay that the other air cells did not wobble like that one. CROSSING MY FINGERS

Basically, I have no idea! Uggg... I am worried that I am going to have to ride this out until the end and just see what hatches. I am disappointed though that I did not see more in the Salmon Faverolle eggs as they are just alittle darker then my own light brown orpington eggs and I can see in them fine. Uggg...

 

[angusb]

Curranchickens, the 15 eggs I mentioned were blue...actually, very dark blue, like the ones from this auction. I can see the veining just fine. The other eggs in the incubator are Marans eggs, and they are very dark, and it's much harder to see anything. I have no problem seeing into the blue eggs.

 

[chickmashnoon]

I had a hard time seeing into my blue eggs also, but I'm cheaply candleing them with an led flashlight. And my blue eggs are REALLY more sea green, meaning you have to see thru the blue shell as well as the brownish bloom that makes them greenish. I think it also depends on the developing egg. Some of the blue that I sat in the last batch I was never sure what was going on inside so I did the sniff test. I hope there is nothing wrong with leaving them in there as long as you make certain they won't blow up.

 

[mebberry4]

Hello All

I am a little late joining this discussion. I set my first batch of shipped chicken eggs Tuesday morning at around 12:45 pm about 42 hours ago. I candled the eggs when they arrived and thought I saw a few (maybe 4 out of 24) that had smaller air bubbles free floating within the egg instead of at the top. I am very inexperienced with candling and only really had any luck with a small LED flashlight. I originally thought I would be more hands off and not candle, but now I am too curious to know what is happening!

Thankfully, I had read this wonderful thread ahead of time and decided to let the eggs settle at room temperature for a full 24 hours, then placed them in the pre-warmed incubator with the the auto-turner unplugged for another ~20-24 hours. I rotated the eggs a half turn (180 degrees) in the auto-turner holders about 36 hours into their 'settling period' thinking this might help keep things from sticking while still allowing the air bubble to rest and repair. I plugged the auto-turner in yesterday morning before work, so they have been ever so slowly rocking for around 24 hours now.

I had the same thought as Ryan77 and wonder if I should unplug it again and let them settle for longer. You all seem like you have had some success with waiting a longer time with shipped eggs. What do you think I should do? Any advice would be so helpful! I feel like I am just trying to make educated guesses at this point.

I put all of my set-up info in detail (perhaps too much detail...) on this thread that I started on the day I set them in the incubator. Feel free to join me there if you have recently set eggs as well. I need all the help I can get!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ything-anyone-want-to-hatch-with-me-with-pics

Edited for typos

 

[NYRIR]

My eggs were shipped...they should be here soon!

Mayberry- I am going to let mine go without turning for at least 3 days....maybe 7...depending on how they look.

 

[curranchickens]

Well does not look good at all. Yesterday was was day 10. I candled my eggs and only one is viable... So out of 18 shipped eggs only one is developing as of day 10. I cracked a couple open and nothing but scrambled eggs. Nothing developing at all. I hope the one makes it.... Meanwhile the seller is being great about it. She is giving me a discount to try again and giving me some free eggs. Hopefully it will work out better the second time around. I will let you know what happens with the one... There was some movement in it but it was not as heavily veined as my own eggs... Crossing my fingers for the little survivor... If it makes it then I will name it Boston Rob for a boy and Amber for a girl... My two favorite survivor cast members!

 

[NYRIR]

Well does not look good at all. Yesterday was was day 10. I candled my eggs and only one is viable... So out of 18 shipped eggs only one is developing as of day 10. I cracked a couple open and nothing but scrambled eggs. Nothing developing at all. I hope the one makes it.... Meanwhile the seller is being great about it. She is giving me a discount to try again and giving me some free eggs. Hopefully it will work out better the second time around. I will let you know what happens with the one... There was some movement in it but it was not as heavily veined as my own eggs... Crossing my fingers for the little survivor... If it makes it then I will name it Boston Rob for a boy and Amber for a girl... My two favorite survivor cast members!

I hope it does!

I am still awaiting my eggs....hope by Monday! I will let you know how they look....

 

[Zootopia]

I have 2 sets of shipped eggs in the bator right now. I didn't find this thread before I put them

in but I knew I had some wonky air cells. I ended up shutting off the turner for 5 days, I think 3 days after I put the first set in. The cells are stable but of course some are oddly shaped. I will map the worst ones as I put them into lockdown. The first batch goes into lockdow tonight, I have 19 out of 25 as of the 16th day candeling, hope they are all still going

I am also going to hatch in cartons instead of laying them down as I had been doing. We will see how it works out.

I have more eggs on their way

and this time I will be setting them without turning on the turner for several days, up to 7 if the air cells are damaged. So glad BYC is here to teach us what we need to know.

 

[NYRIR]

Sigh.....I got my eggs....

out of 24....13 are not cracked or broken.Of those, 5 had to be washed.2 have air cells that are bubbles...and the rest are wobbly. I will rest for 24 hours, then set in a Still Air for 7 days,no turning...we'll see.

The seller packed very well,newspaper around each egg...in styrofoam egg cartons, packed around top,bottom and sides with newspaper... but the eggs came from Ca to Ny and the PO had to have really thrown the box around...I think from now on I will order from closer by.

 

[mebberry4]

Eek!
Despite what I thought was good long settling period (96 hours) for my shipped eggs I found an air bubble sitting off to the side in the small end of the egg (candled at day 6.5).
The very sad part for me is that there is an adorable, wiggly little embryo developing in the large end of the egg, right where the air cell should be....

I am trying not to get too attached to these little ones. I have no issue culling the eggs that just won't develop, but this little embryo looks so vibrant and active.... I would hate for it to make it all 21 or so days only to drown on the way out just because the egg was shipped instead of hatched in place.

Is this little chick to be a goner even if it makes it to hatch day? If I turn the egg upside down (i.e. small end up) will pip the air bubble on the side or will pip down? Any advice?