# Advice for hatching shipped eggs!!



## SilkieBoy

Hello!
So I am expecting my silkie eggs to arrive on Friday. What procedure should I follow when placing them in the incubator? Should I let them settle for 12 hours thrn put then in the incubator in the automatic turner, as long as the air cells are good? If they air cells are not good,, what should I do? 

Please share experiences if anybody has bought eggs from E-bay, let me know if you had any success. I am expecting 8 eggs, so I hope that I will get a few chicks out of them! 

Can I feed a medicated chick starter to silkie chicks?

Thanks!!!!


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## robin416

Yes, let them rest before putting in the bator.

Mark the eggs with ruptured air cells and set them. I have had two hatch, its rare but it can happen.

Ebay eggs are a gamble, very often they have stolen pics of another breeder's birds but don't have anything close to the pics.

Yes, you can feed medicated feed to Silkies.


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## SilkieBoy

Thanks! Well, I hope these birds are offspring from what I saw in the photos! What a scam if they aren't....


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## SilkieBoy

There are no negative side affects to feeding medicated chick starter to silkies?


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## robin416

Nope, gave it to them for years before I quit using it. Raised hundreds of the little things without incident.


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## Jim

I use medicated and Unmedicated. Primary goal for me on medicated is to build up low dose resistance to cocci, however, I have seen cocci in medicated chicks and had to treat with corrid or Sulmet, and I have had same age group of chicks on unmedicated and not had issues with cocci. Either way, seems I need to keep corrid and sulmet on hand, just in case. I am not confident really in medicated, but sure gives a minute bit of peace of mind, especially when we get in hatchery chicks for resale. In my chicks we hatch out here, I have not had any run of cocci, in hatchery shipped chicks, I have. My partner down the road, has had some of the same chicks, we split shipments sometimes, and she has not had any cocci, but she starts here's on medicated my turkey feed, mine were on medicated MG feed (we had run out of H ad H), but are now getting switched back. 


Jim


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## robin416

Jim, that is why I quit the medicated. So many reports of cocci even on the medicated feed. Like you I kept Corrid/Sulmet around, just in case. Never did have any issues with it.

I think the problem may be more geographic.


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## SilkieBoy

Hello!! 
Good to know!! So my eggs arrived and they seem perfect!! One had some poop on the top of the shell so I cleaned it off. I am going to let them sit on the counter for 12 hours, then I am going to put them into the incubator. Should I put them in the automatic turner and wait another 12 hours before plugging the automatic turner in? Or should I have the automatic turner on right away? Advice us much appreciated!

Thanks!

Any other tips for hatching out shipped silkie eggs is much appreciated!


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## hellofromtexas

wait on the auto turner because of all the turbulence of shipping. After they rest then auto turner.

But auto turners are wonderful. My little cousin did an experiment on all 3 methods and they all turned out the same however (auto, hand and hen).


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## Jim

Robin, I keep thinking of removing the medicated all together too!


Jim


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## robin416

Silkie Boy, put them in the turner with it on. That is the reason you are leaving them rest before putting them in the bator. If you've got good instruments for temps and humidity, things should go smoothly for you. BTW, how did the air cells look?


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## robin416

Jim said:


> Robin, I keep thinking of removing the medicated all together too!
> 
> Jim


Jim, I think I quit using it six years ago, maybe seven. I didn't see any increase in chick losses once I quit using it. Not with those hatched by me or by the hens. I was pretty paranoid the first few months.

I spent more time arguing with the feed store that I didn't want medicated than I did buying it.


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## Jim

Thanks for that robin. 


Jim


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## SilkieBoy

Um, so when should I put the eggs in the incubator ? I was thinking of letting then rest for 12 hours, then pop them in the turner, but with it off, but in the warm incubator, then turn on the tuner 12 hours after that! All of them seem to have the air cells back at the top of the egg. They look really good actually! Lol, the eggs are very fresh!

Thanks!!


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## hellofromtexas

After marking them yes. just leave the turner off for a bit


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## Jim

I let rest 12-24 hrs, then turn the turner on, in or out of the bator. Sometimes I am not ready to set all my eggs, so I may let them set. But, I would personally never put them in the bator, and not turn on the turner. Although, people that hand turn, I guess they put them in, and don't turn right away....


Jim


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## SilkieBoy

If the temp in my house is 65 F it won't be a temperature shock to the eggs to put them into a already heated up incubator? Or am I better of putting them into the cool incubator and letting it heat up with the eggs inside? So that they warm up slowly. My incubator is pre-set, it always goes to 99.5.

Thanks!!

I left the eggs resting all night, boy I am excited to get them into the incubator!!!


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## Jim

My house is usually around 68-70, I put mine in the warm bator. Have been at this only a little over a year, let's see what others have to say as well. 


Jim


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## SilkieBoy

Alright, my incubator is heating up!! Very exciting!! I put them in soon!


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## robin416

From someone who has hatched hundreds in an incubator. 

1. Turn on bator. This gives it time to warm totally, get the humidity to the proper level.
2. Let the eggs rest for a bit. I usually let them rest 8 hours. 
3. Place the eggs in the bator, with the turner on. 

It almost a little crazy to be obsessing of the turner being on or off. Turner on means you can't possibly forget to turn it on at some arbitrary time later. 

The eggs might sweat a little going from that cool to warm and moist, that's no big deal. Its a normal reaction. They will slowly become as warm inside as it is outside.

What do you mean the air cells returned to the top? If they were intact they would always be at the top.


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## SilkieBoy

Yes, it was bad wording!! I meant to say they are on top!! Okay, my humidity is at 50 percent and the temp is 100, sometimes 99.5. I guess I have given them enough time to set, I will turn the turner on. Hopefully in a few weeks I will have some chicks!!!


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## SilkieBoy

Thanks everyone for the advice!!!!


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## hellofromtexas

good luck with your hatch!


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## SilkieBoy

Oh, I have been reading a lot about hatching shipped eggs, a lot of websites recommend not turning them for 2-3 while in the incubator. Since their air cells look good and are where they are supposed to be, I let them settle on the counter for 12 hours, then I put them in the incubator with the turner off for another 12 hours, but now I put the automatic turner on. Am I rushing things? Should I leave the turner off for another day? Probably being paranoid at this point!! I am assuming since the air cells are in good shape, I don 't need to let them rest for so long. I just want to increase the chances of some of the eggs hatching!


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## Jim

No, you are doing just fine. 


Jim


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## SilkieBoy

Thanks!!! I figured I am over thinking it now!!


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## Jim

Yup, I think so. Hopefully you will get a good hatch, the post office is not always the most gentle with eggs!


Jim


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## hellofromtexas

Jim said:


> Yup, I think so. Hopefully you will get a good hatch, that post office is not always the most gentle with eggs!
> 
> Jim


I have never heard of a gentle post office. It seems like the word fragile is Italian to them. I used to work in one of the non gentle ones.

If you find this gentle post office let me know and I will give them cookies.


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## Jim

hellofromtexas said:


> I have never heard of a gentle post office. It seems like the word fragile is Italian to them. I used to work in one of the non gentle ones.
> 
> If you find this gentle post office let me know and I will give them cookies.


Lol, one little word makes a diff. Should have said, THE post office, not THAT. 

Jim


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## SilkieBoy

Lol, at least the eggs arrived in one piece!! There must be some success to buying shipped eggs, as everybody I know seems to have done it! It is really the only way to get new bloodlines from far away!


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## Jim

Yes indeed. I try to tell my friends to ship eggs for breeds they really want, but can't get local, not to hatch and make money. Sometimes you get great hatches, but, most the time, break even is a good hatch. 


Jim


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## SilkieBoy

Well, I just candled, I see veins in 6 of the 8 eggs not bad!!! If I end up with a few chick I will be happy!!! I am amazed the cold didn't kill them! They traveled while it was - 10 C outside! I guess the packaging insulated them! I hope that they keep growing!


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