Shipping Eggs too Dry. Why?

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

I have been hatching eggs for quite a few years. The last three sets of eggs I ordered I have had extreme trouble hatching. My last batch I had 15 Jersey Giant eggs and 8 Brown Leghorn eggs. These were the eggs that passed the viability test at Day 18, meaning they were all fertile and had chicks inside. On Day 21 I hatched 11 of my Jersey Giants, but only 1 of my Brown Leghorns. After waiting 24 hours after the first chick hatched, I took out the 12 chicks and noted that 2 of the Leghorn eggs had pipped considerably, but were the driest I ever saw. I took some warm water and was able to get the shell off of them, something they could not have possibly done. The hatcher shows humidity between 70 and 78 so I have no idea why the eggs would be so dry. I do keep the humidity low during the first 18 days, but since my eggs from my own flocks hatched so well, I think I am doing everything right, but wonder if there is something extra I can do for eggs I received through the mail. Is this common? Any advice would be appreciated. Just for further information, I set 17 eggs two weeks ago that I received in a shipment and only hatched 4 out of 9 fertile, but with my last Jersey Giant hatch, hatched 100%.

 

[debilorrah]

Your hygrometer took a dump mid hatch. That just happened to me recently as well. I saw the humidity said 95% and the wells were empty.

 

[Chickiebabyfluff]

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girl you make me giggle!!

 

[marquisella]

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I think that shipped eggs dry out while in transit, especially if they are sent via air.

I've discovered that I cannot hatch shipped eggs with the dry incubation method because they dry down too much. It has been aproblem for me as well. I use the dry method because I always have Marans eggs in the incubator and I have to keep the humidity low for them to hatch..

 

[TaylorHobbyFarms]

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I believe you are right on this one. I just hatched 100% of my Rhode Island Red hatching eggs and they were in the same cabinet incubator for much of the same time as my shipped Brown Leghorn hatching eggs which I hatched a little over 10% of (I helped the two that had been stuck after pipping and they are still doing good). I have ordered some more hatching eggs and will attempt to keep the humidity higher than usual for them. If anyone else has any more suggestions, I would appreciate it. Thanks again for your responses.

 

[Ceinwyn]

You have to take in the added differences in heredity and diet from the shipped eggs as well.
Both contribute highly to hatchability and will be different than your home stock.
With shipped eggs you don't know the age of the eggs, the age of the breeding stock.
The diet and health of the hens and the rooster.
Flock management is so overlooked in egg incubation but you only get out of an egg what you put into it.
Most people will buy a cheap bag of feed from tsc and supplement with oyster shell and think I'm good to go.
What will keep your bird alive and have them lay isn't what will make good hatchable babies.
Heredity and diet in the breeding flock are two of the most important factors in success in healthy chicks.
If incubation temperatures and humidity are followed and you aren't getting live chicks its almost always heredity and diet related.

Here's an in depth look at what can go wrong with hatching and why.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

Hope this helps and good luck on your next hatch.