I've incubated and hatched many shipped eggs over the last 3 years. Probably 150+ eggs. It's a wonderful opportunity to get some new genetics or fun breeds. Here are a few tips and observations. This is what I do. I speak for myself only based on first hand experiences.
1) Don't count on more than 50% hatch rate. It's ok to be excited about the eggs and cautiously optimistic. But as the saying goes "don't count you chickens before they hatch" or you'll end up seriously disappointed. I always feel blessed anything hatches at all. My first shipped egg hatches I got around 1/12 to hatch.
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.
3) I like to hand turn. This will depend on your incubator and how easily it adjusts to being opened. I think the vibrations of the turner have an adverse affect on shipped eggs. It's small and you have to incubate a lot of hatched eggs to see trends but I do feel it's there.
4) Rest the egg. I do from 12-24 hours. Again depends on how rough the eggs look when they arrive.
5) Humidity is the same as any hatch. It's a tool to guide weight loss. I adjusted regularly based on weight and air cell development.
6) Aircells can reattach well into the hatch. Not just during the initial rest period. They can also move again. Especially the first few days they've been added to the incubator. You can generally see when they've "set" for good. Which they tend to do once it's big enough. I have a chick now who hatched from a loose aircell that didn't start looking good until day 12. Something like that.
6) Consider weighing the eggs. It takes the guesswork out if watching aircells. Which gets difficult when they're wonky.
7) Shipped eggs are prone to DIS and malpositions. Even if you did everything right. The trauma from shipping lingers. Be aware of this and read through the assisted hatching thread. Decided ahead of time what you're capable of taking on in terms of assisting.
This got long so it's difficult to proof read on my phone. Hopefully you can forgive any error I made while jumping around. I'll leave you with a few pics of my last 2 sets of shipped eggs.
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I'll leave them alone until i check for lockdown hoping none explode before then. I did not know about the no turning the first 24hr. I feel horrible now. .. I have the NR360. Should i take the turner out and place them in a carton next time i try shipped eggs?
