Yay ! It's not me or my incubator

[fduncan]

I've been having horrible luck with shipped eggs so I was very excited when I discovered some fertile eggs from my bantam girls to try . And I think I can be sure it's the shipping killing off my eggs & not me or the incubator . We've got 30 out of 43 growing I broke one that was developing & the other 12 didn't even start . Not bad considering my mottled houdans doing most of the breeding & he's only 4 months old . I'm sure some are from the frizzle boy I picked up a few weeks ago but he's in a major molt so I'm sure breeding is a little uncomfortable . I cant wait to see what hatches !

 

[silkiecuddles]

Awesome! Congrats on your soon-to-be chickies!

Shipping eggs really lowers hatch rate. When they arrive they need to sit on the counter for about 12 hours so the air cell will settle.

 

[Blooie]

Awesome! Congrats on your soon-to-be chickies!

Shipping eggs really lowers hatch rate. When they arrive they need to sit on the counter for about 12 hours so the air cell will settle.

And sometimes that isn't even enough to reverse shipping damage. I ordered 12 eggs, got 15 from the breeder, and they were extremely well packaged. I was impressed! Did the counter thing. Put 15 eggs under a broody - one hatched. And of course, he was a he!

 

[gpop1]

hatching shipped eggs is always a gamble.

ive always had good luck till this last batch

The last batch I ordered was 24 and they sent 30 on a Tuesday. They were delivered on a Saturday with 15 broken. Left to settle for 24hrs then left with the turner off for 24hrs. I knew there was a problem when a egg piped on day 13-14 in the turner. moved straight to lockdown in the hatcher and had one hatch on his own (3 days to soon). The one that piped died before he was out and the rest showed no signs of trying. Quail eggs are hard to candle so on day 18 we opened the eggs. 12 quit somewhere around day 3-4 according to the chart of what they should look like one quit around day 14 he was formed but his tummy looked odd like it was malformed. My best guess is that during shipping they got warm in the box and incubation started (florida where a car can reach 140 interior temp). turkey eggs that are in the same incubator are a day late but hatching fine so I know the incubator was not running hot.

really a miracle that even one survived.

good luck with your eggs

 

[fduncan]

silkiecuddles thanks I always let them sit 24 hours before I put them in & then I dont turn on the turner for 4-5 days

Blooie isn't that always the luck that one egg can never be what we want lol I've had decent luck in past years with them but this years been rough most aren't even developing . I've probably shipped in close to a 100 eggs & I've gotten 10 to hatch .

gpop1 it is & I think I'm about done gambling lol Oh wow on those super early eggs that's one I've never had but it's a little cooler here .