When is the safest time to transport eggs during incubation?

[Snozzle]

Help I have a terrible emergency. I have eggs in the incubator that are due on the 12th, but we were given the wrong date for a family wedding that we will be out of town for and the now corrected date falls right on the hatch day and we won't be back until the 15th. So I am trying to get these eggs to a friends house who lives near me. Now my question is during what day of incubation would it be the safest to move them? I am planning on wrapping the incubator in towels so there shouldn't be much heat loss. We have been over her coming to our place to take care of them, but it's out of the question, long complicated story and not important to the question.
Can anyone give me the best timeframe to move them, maybe when they are between developmental stages? Thanks!

 

[Marty1876]

Ok, don't move the eggs until just before you go. The closer to hatch, the safer to move. Be sure the eggs can't move around and hit each other during transport. If you can, I'd do it the morning of the 12th, then have your friend do lock-down. (Up humidity to 75%) By then with no more egg turning, its simple to keep humity up and lid down. I'm sure you'll insturct them beyond that.

Good luck, just don't move eggs early. They are most fragile in the first week, and less fragile one the chicks alive and the egg is full just before hatch.

 

[Snozzle]

Ok, don't move the eggs until just before you go. The closer to hatch, the safer to move. Be sure the eggs can't move around and hit each other during transport. If you can, I'd do it the morning of the 12th, then have your friend do lock-down. (Up humidity to 75%) By then with no more egg turning, its simple to keep humity up and lid down. I'm sure you'll insturct them beyond that.

Good luck, just don't move eggs early. They are most fragile in the first week, and less fragile one the chicks alive and the egg is full just before hatch.

Thank you so much for the info. I will still look into other solutions, but this seems to be the way I need to go. I am even thinking about taking 2 cars and coming back by myself, but it is quite a drive. With the crazy temperatures here my incubator has been running about 0.5 degrees too high, maybe I will get lucky and they will hatch a day early. These eggs weren't planned in the first place, but my favorite little hen decided to hide a bunch of eggs and since I didn't think they were safe to eat I stuck them in the incubator not to waste them. She is very special to me and I would love to hatch her babies.

 

[Marty1876]

If they hatch early, you lose about 30% of the eggs at the alst day. Aim for perfect temps, and get lots of babies from your favorite lady. If its not more than a 20 minute drive, you'll be just fine. are the eggs in a auto turner? If not, you'll want to warm up your cardboard egg cartons before putting eggs into them, and back into the bator.

Good luck, let me know how it goes.

 

[Snozzle]

If they hatch early, you lose about 30% of the eggs at the alst day. Aim for perfect temps, and get lots of babies from your favorite lady. If its not more than a 20 minute drive, you'll be just fine. are the eggs in a auto turner? If not, you'll want to warm up your cardboard egg cartons before putting eggs into them, and back into the bator.

Good luck, let me know how it goes.

Yes they are in a turner right now and it's maybe a 5-10 minute drive to her house. I will keep updates coming, thank you everyone for the advice

 

[Marty1876]

It'll be fine. My mom and I do this, and we're 22 minutes apart. LOL When its time, unplug the turner when its upright. Warm up a towl in the dryer, and fold it and put it over the eggs in the turner, to keep them from moving about. Carefull not to let it hit the thermostat above, or it'll lose adjustment. I use a 2 x 3 thin dish towel folded 3x.

Good Luck! BTW, just curious, whats you special hens breed(s)?

 

[Snozzle]

Ok thank you that makes me feel better, though I may just come back a day or 2 later despite the long drive, I really want to check on my cats and bigger chickens too, I haven't been away from them this long ever.
The eggs in the incubator are from my sweet Freddy who is a solid white D'uccle and has a boy name because she was so fearless as a baby I was convinced for the longest time that she was a roo. She is the sweetest thing ever, she will come out of nowhere and land on my shoulder and make herself comfortable. The dad is a lovely salmon Faverolles boy who is a big teddy bear that follows me around everywhere and is very gentle with hens and babies. So I am very excited about these peeps hatching, I usually don't like to mix breeds, but in this case they all are spoken for already, everyone who comes over asks me if they can have a Freddy too. She is just a little snuggler and also a great layer despite her size

 

[Marty1876]

Thats awesome. Glad she didn't read the book and know shes supposed to be a poor layer and not overly friendly. Shes beautiful! Sounds like a hen worth reproducing to me.

 

[3 NH reds]

Don't forget a Broody hen will get up once a day to feed, poop get water and take a dust bath.

 

[Snozzle]

I was surprised how big her eggs are, they are almost normal sized eggs coming from this little girl.

Don't forget a Broody hen will get up once a day to feed, poop get water and take a dust bath.

Yeah I skipped the dust bath today

She never went broody, she just lays and lays, I am the broody here. I tried to hatch some silkies from my friend, but none hatched(she had a terrible hatch rate too), so I am hoping one of my faverolles will be my incubator/brooder next year.