Ok! Now I know I'm going to smear some poop on my next batch of eggs, maybe my eggs are too clean~
Remember my dirty shipped eggs?
7 out of 10 that went into lockdown hatched. The grey, and chipmunk mutts were mine and the yellows and lonely black came from those eggs. the last 2 didn't even internally pip. It kinda looked like maybe they quit day 18 or 19.
Ok! Now I know I'm going to smear some poop on my next batch of eggs, maybe my eggs are too clean~
Congratulations! Now, where is the poop!
I agree! It is why I can't believe people say buying hatching eggs is more economical than buying chicks, and that is not counting the $700 plus for my bator!I have two boxes due this morning also. I counted up last night and not counting those that will be here today, since March I have bought 167 hatching eggs and had them mailed to me. And of those 167 eggs, 30 hatched. 30/167 thats 17.9%. I should have just bought adults and paid the shipping on them...... Hindsight, hindsight......
I do a lot better than 18%. The big thing is getting rare and heritage breeds that I cannot get locally.I agree! It is why I can't believe people say buying hatching eggs is more economical than buying chicks, and that is not counting the $700 plus for my bator!
Dan
If you used a Brinsea spot check to get your Dickey incubator to 99.5, you will have a great chance at getting a great hatch!Got another shipment of eggs today. Box was in great shape, no signs of any abuse. Eggs individually wrapped in bubble wrap with shredded paper in
between eggs and bubble wrap that lined the box. They were shipped big end up and none were broken.
Dan
OK- I received eggs today, shipped from near Baton Rouge LA. I thought it was a great idea! Eggs are kept upright so no saddle or detached air cells as well as the cushion incase of rough treatment.
mzstre graciously gave me permission to post pics & even gave me the instructions for her method of packaging to post for us on here.
*quote*
I combined ideas and incorporated a few of my own with this method. I had received eggs from Skyline Poultry (Meeks method of shipping) and really liked that his burrito-like roll of bubble wrap suspended the egg in the center of the box. I shipped a few packages like that and had pretty good success.
Debs_flock here on BYC uses the insulators, but she cuts them the approximate size of the egg and puts paper in the strip where the insulation doesn't meet around the egg. Again, I tried that method and had good shipping reports, but not perfect.
I think cutting the insulators to the size of the box helps absorb more of the shock. I also think adding the extra piece of foam (I cut 1 insulator into 4 pieces to fill the gap) helps to protect the sides of the egg.
When I ship fewer eggs (8-10 depending on breed) I double box because I feel there's too much wiggle room using just the large box. I use the same insulators, I just cut them to the size of the interior box and then pack the that box securely in the same outer box that your eggs were shipped in.
I can't ship as many eggs in one box this way (I've heard of people shipping 2 dozen), but I would rather ship fewer and know they're secure.
Also- it's very important to put some material (I always use bubble wrap on the bottom) in the ends of the tubes to keep the eggs from being jarred downward. I put tissue paper in the top so there can still be air exchange.
I have a 100% success rate so far with this method! Woot!
* mzstre*
I do like this method! It works better than the foam inserts.OK- I received eggs today, shipped from near Baton Rouge LA. I thought it was a great idea! Eggs are kept upright so no saddle or detached air cells as well as the cushion incase of rough treatment.
mzstre graciously gave me permission to post pics & even gave me the instructions for her method of packaging to post for us on here.
*quote*
I combined ideas and incorporated a few of my own with this method. I had received eggs from Skyline Poultry (Meeks method of shipping) and really liked that his burrito-like roll of bubble wrap suspended the egg in the center of the box. I shipped a few packages like that and had pretty good success.
Debs_flock here on BYC uses the insulators, but she cuts them the approximate size of the egg and puts paper in the strip where the insulation doesn't meet around the egg. Again, I tried that method and had good shipping reports, but not perfect.
I think cutting the insulators to the size of the box helps absorb more of the shock. I also think adding the extra piece of foam (I cut 1 insulator into 4 pieces to fill the gap) helps to protect the sides of the egg.
When I ship fewer eggs (8-10 depending on breed) I double box because I feel there's too much wiggle room using just the large box. I use the same insulators, I just cut them to the size of the interior box and then pack the that box securely in the same outer box that your eggs were shipped in.
I can't ship as many eggs in one box this way (I've heard of people shipping 2 dozen), but I would rather ship fewer and know they're secure.
Also- it's very important to put some material (I always use bubble wrap on the bottom) in the ends of the tubes to keep the eggs from being jarred downward. I put tissue paper in the top so there can still be air exchange.
I have a 100% success rate so far with this method! Woot!
* mzstre*
. These have all been cream legbar and sulmtaler eggs that I can't get to hatch. My best hatch ever was from wisher1000's EE and BCM eggs. I have had good luck with hatching silkies. If I pay $12 for a dozen eggs they will hatch. If I pay $10 an egg.....nada. I have a pair of cream legbars that hatched Tuesday. 2/15 eggs. Earlier this spring I lost a whole incubator full of only cream legbars and sulmtalers because of an extended power outage from a tornado and had one (1) cream legbar hatch out of 42 eggs. :/ I am setting my very last batch of eggs today. Again, cream legbar, sulmtaler, and this time I am putting silkie eggs in there too. Maybe the silkies will talk to the others and tell them that it is ok to hatch! 
