The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[chicken curious]

I didn't toss them, but I stuck them in the fridge so they're probably dead by now if they weren't. I just haven't gotten to them, but i will look inside to learn. I learned on the last hatch not to give up on a fully developed egg until I'd made a tiny hole and looked inside. Sadly, I learned that the hard way on a day 25 egg I thought had quit I started the eggtopsy on the side and was startled by a cheep!

Alaskan, do you mean to check with a tiny hole in a day 11ish egg? What would I even see and could I really stick it back in the bator without some sort of patch?

 

[Alaskan]

I haven't had luck with "popping the top" of a day 11 egg, seeing I messed up and getting it to hatch...but I think it would be possible if I had been better at patching it back up.

Not sure though....because usually if you really think it must be dead, and you look, and see that it is still alive...it is only slightly alive... so, going to fully die soon.

It is still a good learning experience.

I have managed to peek into an 18 day egg, and still gotten it to hatch.

 

[chicken curious]

Did you patch the hole in the 18 day? What would you even use? Fascinating!

 

[Alaskan]

Put as much of the shell back as possible, covered the rest with a bit of paper towel, and kept the humidity up.

 

[ChcknNurse]

I haven't had luck with "popping the top" of a day 11 egg, seeing I messed up and getting it to hatch...but I think it would be possible if I had been better at patching it back up.

Not sure though....because usually if you really think it must be dead, and you look, and see that it is still alive...it is only slightly alive... so, going to fully die soon.

It is still a good learning experience.

I have managed to peek into an 18 day egg, and still gotten it to hatch.

How did you do this? I have patched wth wax, but it made no difference. I also had one with a crack (that I had somehow missed) expand during lockdown. It seemed that as the membrane expanded, the crack extended. I didn't realize until the shell basically fell off. I tried to save it with moist paper towels. The chick was already dead.

 

[Alaskan]

How did you do this? I have patched wth wax, but it made no difference. I also had one with a crack (that I had somehow missed) expand during lockdown. It seemed that as the membrane expanded, the crack extended. I didn't realize until the shell basically fell off. I tried to save it with moist paper towels. The chick was already dead.

It is a tricky thing, with a low success rate for me....

I have tried wax for cracks.... usually doesn't fix it.


If it is close enough to hatch (within three or four days), I have had success with a paper towl draped over the hole and kept moist. You really need one end of the paper towel in a water well...otherwise it dries out too fast.

 

[ChcknNurse]

It is a tricky thing, with a low success rate for me....

I have tried wax for cracks.... usually doesn't fix it.


If it is close enough to hatch (within three or four days), I have had success with a paper towl draped over the hole and kept moist. You really need one end of the paper towel in a water well...otherwise it dries out too fast.

For a little exposed membrane I've had success with ointment (without lidocaine ).

 

[Alaskan]

Yep...probably the best choice.

 

[ChcknNurse]

What is the safer method of shipping eggs? Priority or USPS? In the last 2 months I have had at least 5 shipments of eggs. Priority gets to me faster but seems more scrambled. Also the shipments from Florida to Pa seem the worst, even over CA.

 

[Alaskan]

Not sure.

For me, the greatest success is determined by:

1. Eggs shipped UPRIGHT

2. FRESH (3 days or younger when shipped )