Why can't I get my shipped chicken eggs to hatch?!?!

[Mrs MIA]

Out of 18-20 shipped eggs, I will get one chick, if I'm lucky. The last three sets saw 4 eggs still alive at day 18, when I move them to the hatcher and bump the humidity up to 75%. I've been keeping the still air at 101.5, 45-50% humidity until day 18, but it seems like every 3-4 days if I candle them, more have died. The last two eggs that I tossed died at day 18 or 19... fully developed, but yolk not fully absorbed. Never pipped. The inner membrane near the airsac seemed dried out - white and rubbery - but that can't be possible if the humidity is up so high. And my own eggs? They hatch just fine.

The airsacs do tend to get disrupted by shipping, but I have an auto-turner in my LG so it's just the very slow gentle turning, and I'm careful not to shake them up when I candle. I've bumped the humidity up to 55-60% on this current set to keep the airsacs from getting any bigger from loss of moisture, and I'll know in a week and a half if the remaining eggs will make it. I have two of my own eggs in with them as controls, and so far they're growing just fine. My quail seem to do fine, though I do lose some of them as well.

I have Blue Orpingtons coming from Speckledhen next week, and I so want to break this hatching streak... what am I doing wrong??? I'm tired of throwing away chicks!!!

 

[seriousbill]

I'm guessing that eggs shipped from the mainland to Alaska get air shipped and undergo some rough handling. And broken or loose air cells will definitely cause the hatch problems you describe.

I usually just toss the ones with air cells rolling all around when I get them. I've never been able to hatch them, even with the slow turner in the LG.

I do wish you better luck with the Orp eggs.

 

[SterlingAcres]

I can't answer, but I know what you're going through. This is my first batch of shipped eggs and the odds are atrocious. I'm down by half and I haven't seen movement yet. I'm praying they hatch.

:aww

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Oh Tori this post must mean you lost your other reds I am so sorry. I have no idea why your babies are not hatching I have been leaving my humitity closer to 80 and it seems to be working (only because I can't get it below 80) I am at a loss but I will picture you with a 100% hatch maybe that will help can't hurt. I also don't candle till day 18 because I can't tell anything till then with my flashlight and then I just see dark in the egg or not. Sorry again, maybe you light when ya candle is too hot could that be it, I don't know if that would do it just wondering out loud.

 

[gervais22]

Yeah It the air pressure inside the eggs when they go into flight, Like your ears when you go in a plane, the air pressure is probably too much for the eggs and ruins them, see if there are any farms in alaska.

 

[Guitartists]

I wonder if they are more likely to undergo x-rays because of the whole US/Canada border thing????

 

[gumpsgirl]

Quote:
This could very well be. Good idea here Guitarists! I would see if Cyn. would be willing to wrap each egg in tinfoil to try and protect it from any x-rays. I saw a post here the other day on how to package eggs for shipping and that is what she suggested to do. It would be worth a shot anyways!

 

[Carole AM]

I've had bad luck with shipped eggs this year also. Even my own turkey & duck eggs. I just tossed a bunch, and it was just like you described.

Chicks are hatching good though, so far... Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Thanks guys... I really do think it's the airsacs. The thing is, I get development up to day 7 in most of the eggs, and then they just start dying off. The most I've ever put in the hatcher was this set of 4 red Dorkings, and all 4 had movement at day 18. The last one I candled yesterday (day 23) and there was still a little movement, so it JUST died. And I just hatched a whole passel of quail eggs... you'd think they were more fragile!

I had posted elsewhere a photo of one of the eggs at 13 days, and it looks like there are two distinct airsacs in the egg...

See?
So it was suggested to me that I bump up the humidity to 55-60% to keep the sac from getting any larger. But if I'm drowning the chicks... (bad word).

Jean, yes... I removed the last 3 reds from the hatcher today.

gervais22, I so wish I had the option of buying eggs/chicks here in state, but the breeds I want are not available here... that's why I'm trying to hatch shipped eggs.

I received a shipment of 9 silver grey dorking and 6 golden laced wyandotte eggs (she only had the 9 and substituted the GLWs) and NONE of them have developement at day 6. I usually see at least some sign of veins at 3 days, so I figured 6 would be good. Nothing. Zero, zippo, nada. And believe me, I've tried ordering Dorking chicks... they're done for the season. The birds all go broody at once, and that's it. I have an order of 5 SG dorking roosters from MMH coming in 4 weeks, so hopefully the ONE little pullet I hatched two weeks ago will prove to be a good layer. That was my only option this season. I had an order for Dorkings from MMH, but it was during the AE scare and I cancelled. I'm wishing I hadn't now.

So, I'm stuck with one little Red Dorking pullet until next season.

I have the other breeds that I'm going to concentrate on, and I will just have to order chicks next winter for the Spring season. I've just fallen in love with the Dorkings, and so wanted to have established birds before winter. My chick order with Ideal was cancelled due to broody hens...

I've heard/read stories here of people having 100% hatches from shipped eggs... is it just because they don't go air? Is there a way to get around it?

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I think the bump in humidity wouldn't hurt. I have had the humidity so high on my little Hova that condensation would gather on the windows and rip off whenever I tipped the lid. And the chicks would still hatch just fine. Obviously what you're doing now isn't working so time to try something else, right?

LOTS of luck and I hope those blue orpongtons do good for you

ETA: Something else I thought of - wonder if you could maybe get eggs shipped to you in a live bird box? That would have to go in a pressurized cabin.....hum, maybe a chick box? Chick shipments can go Priority.....