~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[Arielle]

Quote:
yup.. if I wanted to spend good money on infertile eggs.. I could save the shipping cost and go to Walmart

So I bought a little giant at the feed store and I'm now hand turning the eggs. I want to candle them to see if they are still developing but since this is my first hatch, I'm not positive what to look for. They sat at about 86 degrees for almost 12 hours. I don't even know if they're still viable. Anyone have a suggestion for what I should look for? I'm going to find the post with the candling pics for each day and try to compare, but I just wondered how worried I should be. Thanks in advance!

Please be sure to read the LG thread-- I'm there and CMOM to help new users of the LG. Lots of little tricks that will increase you r hatch rates. First, buy a good thermometer and don'tuse the one with the LG UNLESS it has been checked against a reliable one.

Low temp just means they are slow to get developing-- if it was running at 86 when you first put in the eggs-- no worries.

Not easy to compare eggs day to day to another persons hatch-- too many variables. FUn but not 100% accurate. Can yo candle and look for increaseing growth in the chick, and the dev of the air cell?

 

[lsmith]

Please be sure to read the LG thread-- I'm there and CMOM to help new users of the LG. Lots of little tricks that will increase you r hatch rates. First, buy a good thermometer and don'tuse the one with the LG UNLESS it has been checked against a reliable one. 

Low temp just means they are slow to get developing-- if it was running at 86 when you first put in the eggs-- no worries.

Not easy to compare eggs day to day to another persons hatch-- too many variables.  FUn but not 100% accurate.  Can yo candle and look for increaseing growth in the chick, and the dev of the air cell?

I will definitely check out that thread. I'll candle tonight and try to figure out their development. I'm hoping they aren't completely wrecked. Thanks for the help!!

 

[mlm Mike]

So I bought a little giant at the feed store and I'm now hand turning the eggs. I want to candle them to see if they are still developing but since this is my first hatch, I'm not positive what to look for. They sat at about 86 degrees for almost 12 hours. I don't even know if they're still viable. Anyone have a suggestion for what I should look for? I'm going to find the post with the candling pics for each day and try to compare, but I just wondered how worried I should be. Thanks in advance!

Here is a link to the charts I think you are looking for:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...post-one-newcomers-welcome/0_100#post_8409206

 

[lsmith]

Here is a link to the charts I think you are looking for:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...post-one-newcomers-welcome/0_100#post_8409206

Ooooo thanks!!

 

[JennaLynn122]

When I order eggs from someone, I expect them to be fertile. I will not order from someone if they do not guarantee fertility.

When I ship eggs, I always make sure to test some from the pen to make sure they are fertile. Sometimes, a hen may not get fertilized, for what ever reason, and I will not ship her eggs, if that is the case. Even so, every now and then, one will show up in a batch that is not fertile, that is why I always send extras.

You can't guarantee hatch rate due to handling after it's shipped, but you should always send fertile eggs. JMHO...

ETA: I would try to determine why you are only getting 82%. Is it a particular hen? Is the male old? Are light and nutrient/trace elements requirements being met? Once the problem is found, and corrected, you should have no problem sending eggs that are 95 - 99% fertile. Then if you send one or two extra, your customers will get the number of fertile eggs they paid for.

If, after all this, I still inadvertently sent infertile eggs, I would replace them at my own expense. It's not worth losing reputation over. If I felt that the person was not being truthful, I would reship once, or refund their money, and not sell to them again, but I've never had that happen.

At this point I'm not sure if it is only 82%. Im using the eggs I am trying to hatch as the test eggs so all of the possible clears until they develop or are cracked open for inspection are being counted as infertile. So 82% is just based on CLEARLY DEVELOPING chicks

I agree completely.

I am selling eggs for the first time this week....and cracked five of my old ones to check for fertility.

yup.. if I wanted to spend good money on infertile eggs.. I could save the shipping cost and go to Walmart

Yes I know that they should be fertile but you can not actually guarantee that your bird is going to be giving you a fertile egg every single time.

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote:
I really don't have anything to sell right now. I have turned my Black Orpington hens in with the layer flock and I'm not separating out the BCMs either. The only breeders I still have set up are my Silver Campines, and I don't sell those (yet!) I mostly just send out mixed eggs that are EE/BCM (and now, Blk Orp) crosses. I have an EE roo and BCM roo over EE and BCM hens, plus a few yard birds. It is not something I try to sell, but every now and then someone will ask and I will ship some. This fall I will be setting up the breeders again and will have (a new line for me) Ameraucanas, BCMs, Silver Campines, and one more....................but I haven't decided if that will be Black Orps again or something else.

 

[lsmith]

Ok I'm going to apologize for the photo bomb now. I candled and I have lots of moving chicks and ducks. There are a couple that look to be a day or two behind. And I want to ask about one in particular. The air cell looks pretty badly detached to me but the chick is developing right on schedule. What's the likelihood this will survive?

here's the air cell and....

forgive the blurry pic but the chick looks pretty good to me. (And my noobness)

 

[JennaLynn122]

I had an air cell like that and it hatched

 

[lsmith]

I had an air cell like that and it hatched

Ok awesome! I'm concerned because the air cell is so big. I'm afraid when I raise the humidity the chick will run out of sac and hatch too early.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: TIming of hatch is dependent on temperature not on humidity-- does that make you feel better??

Good luck! Hope it does just fine.