Saddled air cell - shipped eggs -assisted hatching QUESTION URGENT

[Ollie00]

Shipping stress is frustrating especially on much anticipated eggs. Glad to see you’re getting a couple chicks, just went through this with a batch of quail, saddled air cells and all. Half didn’t make it into lockdown but the heart breaker for me was the half of the viable eggs that got close to hatch and just died. I helped 3, one of which didn’t pip but was still making a bit of noise so knew it was alive, slowly got him opened up so he just needed to pop out, but he just faded away. The other two I assisted died within a day and were obviously underdeveloped (yolk sac absorbed and no bloody membranes but rather little to no down, one couldn’t stay upright, etc). Necropsied eggs showed deformed or unfeathered or underdeveloped chicks in most eggs. The box got scrambled, as did my eggs! Last year I got 24/28 (with 2 mutants) on my second hatch ever while this batch was 11/40 (1 mutant) crazy how shipping can be either a dream or nightmare!

It’s heartbreaking for sure!! I got 18 eggs total and only one hatched naturally and the other I had to help. They’re both doing really fine so far but still, “handle with care” got ignored real bad. If there is a next time I’ll try and get some close by that I can get myself.