Worst news possible :(( UPDATE: DANCING BABIES!!!

[Tuffoldhen]

Never say never...I've had shipped eggs that the whole hatch was a mushy mess too.... It's just something that happens sometimes with shipped eggs....

It's nothing you did or didn't do...shipping is very hard on hatching eggs....

 

[Leslie In North Pole]

Eggs tend to be pretty resilient. I don't think it was anything you did, to scramble the yolk, the eggs has to be shaken pretty violently.

I have also had the yolks go watery in old and sterile eggs. I know that the postal service sometimes x-rays packages and many believe this can adversely affect the fertility. I have had eggs from my birds do the same thing you described under a broody hen while the rest of the eggs developed fine.

Don't doubt yourself, you didn't do anything that I have read that could have harmed your eggs.

 

[speckledhen]

First, how did you crack the egg open? Did you hit it on the counter? I'm asking because when you incubate an egg, the yolk becomes very watery-like and fragile and when you hit the egg, it will scramble the contents automatically. I've learned from experience!
Now, if you didnt see any red veining, the eggs could have had development stopped before you could see it with the naked eye OR they could have been infertile, either one.
For future reference, when you want to open an egg and look for evidence of growth, you have to tap around the circumference with a knife, then gently, keeping the shell on the plate or bowl, pretty much lay that yolk into the bowl, don't drop it, or it will disintegrate and you won't be able to even tell if you had a bullseye or not.
Don't give up on shipped eggs! I promise it won't always be like this.

 

[living2ride]

Quote:
I agree. I have eggs cookin' from three different shipments right now. I'm in IL and the eggs are from N.Carolina, Oklahoma and Arkansas. I have several developing from each group. It stinks that you've had a bad experience, but you might not want to give up on shipped eggs completely. Hang in there!

 

[ebonykawai]

Quote:
I did just what you explained: I used the edge of a knife, held the egg in my hand, and gave the shell some light taps with the knife edge. Then I opened it slowly right over the bottom of a bowl and poured the yolk out. They were broken in the half shell, before I poured. I saw no veining at all except in one egg, but that yolk was also broken and nothing at all was moving.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, you did it exactly right then. You never know if people are aware of that. I'm sorry it didn't work out this time. I wish I had some extra to send to prove it can work. I've had some really good luck with my packing lately.

 

[ebonykawai]

Yeah, I work in a lab so they have me well trained, LOL. Everything I do is like major surgery. You should see me in the kitchen. It's quite sad, really.

It must have just been a bad ship day. I have 6 eggs from Gordie and they were the same. 2 out of 6 might have something, or I could be imagining things.

Well, nothing to do but keep on keepin' on, have a stiff drink, turn the remaining eggs one last time before bed, and be happy I have babies from Ideal coming on the 26th.

Thanks for the support, everyone. I never expected this. I guess that's why it shocked me so much. I had a feeling something wasn't right, though.

 

[ebonykawai]

I have at least two growing, moving, dancing babies!! Took a quick peek while turning, laying in the bator, and there is some serious movement going on in at least two eggs! And I know I saw specks in the others so...maybe all is not lost!!!

 

[speckledhen]

 

[ebonykawai]