Renee, where is the 24 hour thread??? I'm feeling in need of chocolates !
I'm with rebel on this. My last hatch with shipped eggs was dismal. I kept them upright and didn't turn for the 1st 4 days then tipped them 2-3 times a day until lock down. I also did the dry hatch (in a forced air Genesis 1588) and the air cells were great. Nearly all developed and quit late or died unpipped. Many pipped in the wrong place. I had to assist the few I did get to hatch and the chicks are not nearly as robust as the non shipped ones.I'm going to an egg swap today woohoooo!! Bringing 3 dozen of my own eggs and bringing home 3 dozen other breeds (hopefully some turkey and guinea) YAY!!! Plus I'm doing a swap when I get there with someone I met here for quail YES!On another note I WILL NOT have my eggs in the upright position during incubating ANYMORE!! I lost so many eggs this last hatch due to having done that and most the chicks were ready to hatch but turned wrong in the eggI lost wheaton americaunas, lav orpingtons, and EE's as well as three turkey!!! I never had that may turned backwards in eggs when I layed them flat. 3/4 of my hatch was like that! And yes I had the fat end up. Back to laying flat eggs, less room, but better hatch rate.
The important thing is to watch the air cell development. Look at the chart that shows how big the air cell is supposed to be at different days of incubation.
If the air cell is not at the correct place on the correct day, then adjust the humidity up or down. 30% works for me.
Ron
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Edited to add the air cell chart
Because the colors are fun!!! Thanks Ron, for posting this diagram, I usually have a black and white copy sitting next to the incubator for comparison during candling.If you missed it, this is the air cell chart. Adjust humidity up or down based on the chart and day of incubation:
Ron
Edited to add: The air cell will be Clear or lighter at the big end of the egg. I don't know why they added the colors
I'm going to an egg swap today woohoooo!! Bringing 3 dozen of my own eggs and bringing home 3 dozen other breeds (hopefully some turkey and guinea) YAY!!! Plus I'm doing a swap when I get there with someone I met here for quail YES!On another note I WILL NOT have my eggs in the upright position during incubating ANYMORE!! I lost so many eggs this last hatch due to having done that and most the chicks were ready to hatch but turned wrong in the eggI lost wheaton americaunas, lav orpingtons, and EE's as well as three turkey!!! I never had that may turned backwards in eggs when I layed them flat. 3/4 of my hatch was like that! And yes I had the fat end up. Back to laying flat eggs, less room, but better hatch rate.
BUT! BUT!... Alright.I think I will go with the normal settings this time and then try the dry hatch next batch.
Sorry about the poor hatch rate.I have been hatching constantly since Feb. I have hatched Marans, two SG Dorking Batches, EO Basque Hens and Cream Legbars. None of them have pipped the wrong end. The Marans hatch had 5 dead in the shell and they were local eggs. I don't think the problems with hatching had anything to do with hatching in cartons. Something else caused them to pip wrong. One of the consequences of shipping eggs is a poor hatch rate; eggs may have been scrambled on the trip. The egg does not have enough energy to give to the chick after working hard to reassemble itself.
What I am saying is they would have pipped the wrong end any way and most of them die even when you help when they pip the wrong end.
So just to give another real world example about hatching in cartons(I use plastic egg trays now) mine has been positive for five hatches of shipped and local eggs. The best thing to do is to try both and see what works best for you.
Have a great hatch. I set SQ Partridge Rocks and Heritage RIR egg on Thursday. I have five cream Legbar eggs hatching next weekend.
Ron
