Weight loss incubation

[Altfrizzle]

So, I figured I'd try this for the first time, and go by weight goals instead of candling and judging by air cells.

As a general rule, it seems humidity needs to be mid-40's to low 50's for them to be on target, in my house, at this time and relative humidity, in this incubator... and 20 of the eggs are right on target with a variation of maybe 2/10s of a gram in one direction or the other.

HOWEVER, something really interesting that I've recorded is that the really freshly laid eggs are losing way too much, way too fast.

I'd set eggs at 5pm two weeks ago. The next morning, I had 4 newly laid eggs so figured, eh, it's less than 24 hours later, and put them in, too.

Being on day 14, with a projected weight loss of 13.5% by day 18, those last 4 eggs that I set, have already lost more than 13.5%.

I'm completely puzzled as to why, and what to do about it.

Does the bloom have to harden/set for a certain amount of time?

I'm thinking of wrapping those 4 in plastic wrap around the middle, to try to minimize further loss, because at this rate they're going to be at risk of shrink wrapping???

 

[Ridgerunner]

I would not wrap them. The chicks inside the egg need to breathe fresh air, that goes In through the porous shell. If you wrap them they can suffocate.

I don't know what is going on. Did you weigh the other eggs when they were freshly laid or later when they went in the incubator? How were the other eggs stored and for how long? Even before they go in the incubator they are losing moisture as you store them. Maybe others had already lost enough moisture so you didn't see some kind of early rush in weight loss? Heck, I don't know, I'm just thinking out loud.

I don't think the bloom setting up would have anything to do with it. Bloom dries really fast and allows the egg to breathe.

 

[Altfrizzle]

I wasn’t thinking of wrapping the whole egg. Just the mid-section. I’m concerned they’ve lost 13.5% (or more) at day 14.

The other eggs ranged from 1 day to 10 days old, and all are really close to target weight for day 14. The fresh ones are the outlayers.

Interesting thought about loss pre-set (I weighed each right before setting). I’ll check but I don’t think they weighed less iv average.

However, larger losses for the freshest seems to be pretty consistent. Not right after setting.

I didn’t weigh all eggs daily. I weighed all before setting, then randomly pulled a few over to track general loss. Weighed all on day 7 and 14.

 

[Altfrizzle]

(Weight of fresh eggs not diffferent from weight of eggs 7 or so days old. Identical weights to some. )