Shipped egg questions

[LydiaB]

The eggs are light brown and I’m using an egg candler from farm fleet. Farm innovators brand. I may try with my phone tonight. The method you describe is how I did it. No idea why I can see inside duck eggs but not chicken.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Sometimes it's hard to see the air cell in fresh eggs. Just wait 10 days to candle the eggs and toss the clears.

 

[LydiaB]

I just candled with my phone flashlight and that worked a lot better. The air cells seem loose but there is some veining in some of the eggs. Near the top for most of them only 1-2 look viable but time will tell. I’m not tossing any until day 10, it’s day 5 now.

 

[LydiaB]

Checked the eggs last night to find one cracked. Yikes. Tossed it (carefully) and candled the rest. 11 duds, 5 good. A couple of the duds had a blood line.
The second batch should arrive via ups today. Will update on how ups did handling them.

 

[LydiaB]

Candles again- down to 4 from the original batch.
Second batch arrived Wednesday last week. Box was leaking. Set 21 eggs, 30 were shipped but 9 broke. Candled this morning (day 7). Tossed the clears. Down to 13 from that batch. I dug out my styrofoam incubator for lockdown of the original 4. Hoping to get it calibrated enough to be okay for hatching in. Don’t want to damage the other eggs by locking them down on day 11, so I’m risking the styrofoam one.

 

[LydiaB]

I got one chick from the 4 last week. The dead ones appear shrink wrapped. But the never pipped? Is that possible?

I have 12 left of the second batch. Today is day 20 but they seem a couple days behind… maybe. I usually do ducks so I’m not sure. But no internal pipping as of last night.
Now- I found a broody hen (she’s hiding in a barn I don’t go in often). What’s the best chance for these chicks? I really don’t want to lose most like I did with the last 4. Is it a terrible idea to move the eggs to the hen? Or is assisted hatch the best bet? I ended up doing a slow full assist of the last hatch, after internal pip had happened. There are several with saddled air cells. All moved when I candled.

 

[LydiaB]

I decided to do a full assist on the hatch, for better or worse. Several were internally pipped, 2 were externally pipped. I opened them all carefully and made sure all were internally pipped and able to breathe. Oiled the membrane and left them for now. All appeared shrink wrapped, just like last time. Not sure how that is happening with no external pip. Humidity has been a constant 55 until lockdown, now it is 75. I’m hopeful I’ll get all 10 that are left to hatch. I assisted a bit earlier this time since I lost 3 out of 4 last time, even with assistance.

 

[LydiaB]

Well, ended up with 6. One wasn’t walking yesterday but perked up with some food and electrolyte water overnight. Hoping all survive and most are girls.