Shipped Egg Arrival But No Incubator! Help!

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374
1588. Correct. It's the one the eggs are about to go into since it got here today and so did the eggs. But I'm supposed to let the eggs sit in the room for 24 hours first before placing them in the incubator? Or...?
I set the incubator up and turned it on.

That's a nice one. Yes, it's recommended to let shipped eggs set 12-24 hours before setting. That gives you time to run the bator and make sure everything is holding steady and figure out what you want to use for humidity. Have you candled the eggs yet to see how the air cells look?

 

[melaniekemp]

@AmyLynn2374
I haven't candled them at all. Mainly because I keep reading conflicting info on whether I should or shouldn't do it? And then on top of that I get doubly confused because every single thing I've read iterates over and over to absolutely always keep the eggs large end up every single moment from when they arrive to placing them in the incubator they way. But then everything I read on candling says to hold the large side in your hand, pointy end up! Ugh. So then I feel nervous about moving or touching them at all. Kind of the same way that everyone says "do not not not ever not not not once open the incubator once the eggs are in until well after day 21!" At the same time they say to candle the eggs like four different times during incubation. Well I'm finding it difficult to reconcile not touching the eggs, not turning the eggs pointy side up, not opening the incubator with opening the incubator several times, picking up eggs and even flipping them wrong side up!
And how in the ham sandwich am I supposed to add water if humidity drops if I'm not supposed to even open the stinking incubator!?
HELP!!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374
I haven't candled them at all. Mainly because I keep reading conflicting info on whether I should or shouldn't do it? And then on top of that I get doubly confused because every single thing I've read iterates over and over to absolutely always keep the eggs large end up every single moment from when they arrive to placing them in the incubator they way. But then everything I read on candling says to hold the large side in your hand, pointy end up! Ugh. So then I feel nervous about moving or touching them at all. Kind of the same way that everyone says "do not not not ever not not not once open the incubator once the eggs are in until well after day 21!" At the same time they say to candle the eggs like four different times during incubation. Well I'm finding it difficult to reconcile not touching the eggs, not turning the eggs pointy side up, not opening the incubator with opening the incubator several times, picking up eggs and even flipping them wrong side up!
And how in the ham sandwich am I supposed to add water if humidity drops if I'm not supposed to even open the stinking incubator!?
HELP!!!

There are different methods and philosophies to hatching. For example, I'm a hands on hatcher. I meddle. Many people are hands off hatchers. You have to find what you are comfortable with. I'm comfortable with handling my eggs and opening the bator (frequently) during hatch. If done right you can be successfull with either method. There is no right or wrong. Let me send you a link, you might find it helpful. It's from a hands on approach, but it touches on others as well: http://hatching411.weebly.com/

I wanted to add though, with shipped eggs, less handling is better, but you can still candle. Especially to check the air cells and get an idea of how "bad" they are.

 

[melaniekemp]

@AmyLynn2374
Thanks! I will read it now. Will it tell me o can safely flip the eggs over to candle them? Why can't I just shine a light into the egg with the big end up?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374
Thanks! I will read it now. Will it tell me o can safely flip the eggs over to candle them? Why can't I just shine a light into the egg with the big end up?

If you shine the light in the bottom, you won't see the air cell. I shine my light into the egg from the top w/out flipping it all the way over. Sometimes I lay them sideways. You can turn the eggs, you just need to incubate them fat side up. This is how I candle:


The flashlight is behind my hand pointing down into the air cell.

 

[melaniekemp]

@AmyLynn2374
Ahh! See!?now THAT makes more sense! Thank you! Maybe I'll gather courage here in a second to do some candling. But what the sweet mother of pearl am I looking for!? I'm pretty sure I'll see an egg or two. Beyond that...well...no idea.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374
Ahh! See!?now THAT makes more sense! Thank you! Maybe I'll gather courage here in a second to do some candling. But what the sweet mother of pearl am I looking for!? I'm pretty sure I'll see an egg or two. Beyond that...well...no idea.

At this point you're just looking at the air cells to see if they are attached or moving when you tilt them. That'll give you an idea of the "damage". And you can also see any hairline cracks to the shell when you candle

 

[melaniekemp]

@AmyLynn2374
Shoot! I think I don't have a bright enough light. My official egg candle thingy was in the delayed incubator shipment. I tried using my iPhone flashlight. Lol! But all I see are lit up eggs. Pretty. But I can't see anything inside.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374
Shoot! I think I don't have a bright enough light. My official egg candle thingy was in the delayed incubator shipment. I tried using my iPhone flashlight. Lol! But all I see are lit up eggs. Pretty. But I can't see anything inside.

At this point there's not a lot to see inside except the air cell.

 

[melaniekemp]

@AmyLynn2374
I guess that just shows you how green I am. I suppose I wouldn't know an air cell if it was sleeping next to me. Boo : (