Hi
I ordered 20 mixed cheaper crossbred eggs for a shipped egg test run before I buy the dearer variety! I read up on shipped eggs and ended up putting them fat end up in cartons, didn't turn for 7 days and then began tilting with a large book under the incubator 3x a day, incubator is an Rcom 20. Out of my 20 I now have 12 left, only 2 quit between day 7 and 10 the rest were clear. So I've just candled at day 18 and am ready to go into lockdown and raise the humidity to 60%. I've done three previous local egg incubations before, all with auto turn, and got 10/12 (these guys were super healthy and just started laying!) the first go, 11/20 (these chickens were week and sickly and never thrived) the next and then 2/3 (these two took 1/2 day longer to hatch) the last time. So I've candled a few eggs before, I have a rough idea what they should look like, and I'm not sure these eggs are right. At day 18 I'm noticing all but the smallest 2 eggs have ample clear space with some blood vessels in the narrow end of the egg, the air cell end looks normal with a large air cell and very dark filled egg-I'd say 3/4ths the egg is dark with this small 1/4 at the narrow end. What I'm wondering is is this normal either with incubating upright, with large eggs or with shipped eggs? I'm slightly concerned it might mean the eggs are either delayed or will hatch wet. The eggs are definitely alive, the embryos are clearly moving around in the eggs, I've learnt the worse thing I can do is start getting worried and then fiddling-but is there anything else I should/could do now? Or am I just being my usual overly worried self?
Put a crazy chook ladies mind at ease? Thanks so much guys
Vanessa
I ordered 20 mixed cheaper crossbred eggs for a shipped egg test run before I buy the dearer variety! I read up on shipped eggs and ended up putting them fat end up in cartons, didn't turn for 7 days and then began tilting with a large book under the incubator 3x a day, incubator is an Rcom 20. Out of my 20 I now have 12 left, only 2 quit between day 7 and 10 the rest were clear. So I've just candled at day 18 and am ready to go into lockdown and raise the humidity to 60%. I've done three previous local egg incubations before, all with auto turn, and got 10/12 (these guys were super healthy and just started laying!) the first go, 11/20 (these chickens were week and sickly and never thrived) the next and then 2/3 (these two took 1/2 day longer to hatch) the last time. So I've candled a few eggs before, I have a rough idea what they should look like, and I'm not sure these eggs are right. At day 18 I'm noticing all but the smallest 2 eggs have ample clear space with some blood vessels in the narrow end of the egg, the air cell end looks normal with a large air cell and very dark filled egg-I'd say 3/4ths the egg is dark with this small 1/4 at the narrow end. What I'm wondering is is this normal either with incubating upright, with large eggs or with shipped eggs? I'm slightly concerned it might mean the eggs are either delayed or will hatch wet. The eggs are definitely alive, the embryos are clearly moving around in the eggs, I've learnt the worse thing I can do is start getting worried and then fiddling-but is there anything else I should/could do now? Or am I just being my usual overly worried self?
Put a crazy chook ladies mind at ease? Thanks so much guys
Vanessa
Welcome to BYC! Shipped eggs go through a lot in transit so they can look weird sometimes. Just sit back and wait. They will probably be okay. Are you ready to assist if needed? Do you have your brooder ready? Boil some water, get some fresh towels. (These things do nothing for chickens but will keep your hands busy
) Read a book, learn to knit etc.
But I can try later on, I just don't want to cause more harm than good poking around in there! They should start to hatch Wednesday night through Thursday, while I'm home and ready to assist, I'm at uni the next two days which will stop me fiddling 
Brooder is all ready to go.....and the expensive shipped eggs are all arranged to come mid-week to go straight in after the others have hatched and I've disinfected. 
I'm particularly excited for the exchequer leghorns and blue copper marans!
