Tips on Shipped eggs

[K0k0shka]

2) I will alter my hatch techniques depending on how the air cells look. If they look pretty good I'll incubate and hatch horizontal. If they're saddled and shifty I'll incubate and hatch upright in cartons.

I hope it's okay if I jump on this thread and as a related question... I'm in a similar position, hatching shipped eggs and trying to improve my odds. I've read about hatching upright before, too. Can you elaborate a bit more? Do I leave the eggs in the cut-down cartons at lockdown until the chicks come out, or need assisting? How would the chick push out if the egg is upright and in a carton? Or is it meant to prevent it from pushing out? What does the upright position accomplish, if the air cells are already securely attached by lockdown?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I never candled them (Didn't consider it before I saw this post) I ordered and got 12 eggs shipped to me. Guess I'll have to remember next time I get shipped ggs

 

[K0k0shka]

Candling before setting the shipped eggs helped me predict which ones were high risk. I had 4 completely detached air cells and 1 saddle (out of 20). I marked them with D for detached and S for saddle. By day 7 all of the D eggs had blood rings, even though I let all of them rest for 24+ hours before setting, and kept the turner off for the first day. I candled again on day 10 and at that point the S egg was still alive and developing normally, and its air cell looked a lot more stable and less jiggly (though still misshapen).

 

[JacinLarkwell]

What's the difference between detached and saddled air cells? That way I know better for next time?

 

[K0k0shka]

What's the difference between detached and saddled air cells? That way I know better for next time?

Saddled is when the air cell sort of spills over the sides of the egg and visually looks like a saddle. It's still partially attached, so it won't move completely away from the fat end when you turn the egg, but part of it has become detached and is "spilling" down. A detached air cell is completely detached from the egg and floats freely all over the place when you turn the egg, like the bubble in a level. If you turn the egg pointy end up, the detached air cell will move from the fat end all the way up to the pointy end. Neither detached nor saddled air cells are good, but the saddled ones have a higher chance of making it than the detached ones.

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I hope it's okay if I jump on this thread and as a related question... I'm in a similar position, hatching shipped eggs and trying to improve my odds. I've read about hatching upright before, too. Can you elaborate a bit more? Do I leave the eggs in the cut-down cartons at lockdown until the chicks come out, or need assisting? How would the chick push out if the egg is upright and in a carton? Or is it meant to prevent it from pushing out? What does the upright position accomplish, if the air cells are already securely attached by lockdown?

The first picture I attached was a chick actively hatching. The chick on the right is zipping. Yes, they have no issues popping out the top of the egg. You would not want to intentionally impede hatching. I leave the carton in until the hatch is complete. The chicks crawl around and over it. Some people poke holes to improve airflow. In this case the eggs were very small. This allowed for good airflow without the extra step.

Your last question is a tricky one. I have some guesses on what hatching shipped eggs upright accomplishes but no hard data or studies. I have found there to be less malpositions and less DIS with incubating and hatching upright on shipped eggs with wonky aircells. It's subtle but I feel it's there.

Again I feel the need to say my determination on if I upright hatch will depend entirely on 1) how they were oriented for incubation 2) how the aircells look on day 18/19 at lockdown.

Hatching is like a high stakes game of hot and cold. I have made just about every mistake possible. Sometimes you get it right. Others it's swing and a miss. I don't think I've ever done 2 hatches the same. I'm constantly tinkering to see if I can find a better way to hatch. One of these days I think I will

 

[K0k0shka]

The first picture I attached was a chick actively hatching. The chick on the right is zipping. Yes, they have no issues popping out the top of the egg. You would not want to intentionally impede hatching. I leave the carton in until the hatch is complete. The chicks crawl around and over it. Some people poke holes to improve airflow. In this case the eggs were very small. This allowed for good airflow without the extra step.

Your last question is a tricky one. I have some guesses on what hatching shipped eggs upright accomplishes but no hard data or studies. I have found there to be less malpositions and less DIS with incubating and hatching upright on shipped eggs with wonky aircells. It's subtle but I feel it's there.

Again I feel the need to say my determination on if I upright hatch will depend entirely on 1) how they were oriented for incubation 2) how the aircells look on day 18/19 at lockdown.

Hatching is like a high stakes game of hot and cold. I have made just about every mistake possible. Sometimes you get it right. Others it's swing and a miss. I don't think I've ever done 2 hatches the same. I'm constantly tinkering to see if I can find a better way to hatch. One of these days I think I will

View attachment 2088482View attachment 2088483

Thanks! I’ll play it safe and put them in a carton just in case, then. Easier to see them that way, too, as my incubator only has clear windows on top so I wouldn’t be able to monitor them as well if hey were on their sides.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Would it at all help (if they end up viable at the end of day 18) to put them upright in a carton for lock down? Or would it not do anything for them at that point?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Would it at all help (if they end up viable at the end of day 18) to put them upright in a carton for lock down? Or would it not do anything for them at that point?

You'll have to make that call when the time comes.

 

[jdublu]

Keep us posted...I too have the NR360 and set shipped eggs. I’m on day two. I let them rest at room temp undisturbed for 24 hours before incubating, but started the Turner when I set them. I candled before and saw a few detached, but I’m a newbie and a lot of eggs were dark so it was hard to tell. The farm I received them from said wait until 10 days to candle. I’m curious to see your hatch rate. Good luck!