5 Factors That Affect Hatch Rate on Shipped Hatching Eggs
Shipped egg hatch rates depend on more than shipping alone. Learn how breeder nutrition, egg age, packaging, incubator quality, and incubation skills all affect hatch success.
Can You Reuse Egg Cartons or EggFoam to Ship Hatching Eggs?
Can you reuse egg cartons or EggFoam to ship hatching eggs? This guide breaks down the biosecurity risks of porous materials, cross-flock contamination, and how packaging choices impact hatch rates, chick health, and breeder reputation.
The Float Test Myth: Why Water Doesn’t Tell You If an Egg Is Good, Fertile, or Hatchable
If you’ve ever been told to drop an egg in water to see if it’s good, you’re not alone. The float test is everywhere—but it’s widely misunderstood. It doesn’t tell you if an egg will hatch, and it doesn’t reliably tell you if it’s safe to eat. Let’s look at what it actually measures and why it’s not the tool most people think it is.
Broody Hens: Nature’s Incubator (and What Science Says About Them)
What to do with a broody hen?
Can You Sell Hatching Eggs Late in Incubation? (And Why Most Breeders Don’t)
Late-term eggs don’t always look any different—but they don’t behave the same in the incubator. If you’ve ever struggled with poor hatch rates from shipped eggs, this could be why. Let’s talk about what’s really going on inside the shell and why timing matters more than most people realize.
Why You Can’t Split Marek’s Vaccine (And What Happens If You Try)
Can you split Marek’s vaccine to make more doses? No—and doing so can leave your chicks unprotected. Learn why this live virus vaccine must be handled precisely and what happens when dosing goes wrong.
Do Missing Wattles Mean a Rooster Is Missing Testicles?
Do missing wattles mean a rooster is missing testicles?
No. Wattles are secondary sexual characteristics influenced by testosterone. While testosterone is produced by the testes, the presence or absence of wattles does not indicate whether a rooster has testicles. Wattles can be affected by genetics, injury, frostbite, and thermoregulation.
Medicated vs Non-Medicated Chick Starter: What Poultry Keepers Should Know
What is the difference in medicated vs non medicated feed? Which one should I use?
Tek-Trol and Hatching Eggs: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Should Not Be Used on Eggs
What is safe to wash hatching eggs? Nothing
How We Sealed a Leaking Farm Pond Using Clay Soil and Pigs (No Plastic Liner)
Sealing a pond with pigs is an old farmer way of doing things that is rooted in science. Save money and get some bacon with your pond.
The Fabulous Fee!
The Fabulous Fee! My absolute favorite coturnix gene. Find out why in this week’s blog
Feed Trials
The Bryant’s Roost feed trial has become one the of the most talked about experiemnts in the quail world in the last few years. It is objective and helpful to so many people. 2025 added yet another feed to the list to read about.
Egyptian Coturnix Quail
The Egyptian quail is a mainstay of most quail coveys and in this week’s blog, we find out why it is so special.
The Pharaoh Coturnix Quail: The Foundation of Every Color
The pharaoh coturnix quail is the beginning of the beginning. It is the wild type, it is feather sexable and lays the larger eggs. Find out more in this week’s blog.