Rotten shipped hatching eggs?

[mwhit35]

I ordered hatching eggs from someone a few states over and they shipped them to me. They were packaged well and all but one made it intact - it had a hairline crack so I tossed it. I did notice when I was unwrapping them that they were sticky - I think the bubble wrap may have had an adhesive and they were wrapped with the adhesive side towards the egg..or maybe the eggs were sweating something sticky? Anyway, I put them in a carton to rest and about a day and a half later when putting them in the incubator I noticed 3 eggs smelled rotten. I threw those out and put the rest in and within a few days there was an egg with the oozing foam. I threw that out and contacted the farm I bought them from to see if they could possibly be old eggs - they assured me they were not and they have never had this problem on the eggs they hatch on their farm. So, I continued to incubate the rest - had to throw out 1 more for being rotten but the rest made it to lockdown - candled them and 0 growth. No blood rings, no anything but clear eggs. What could have happened? I did contact the farm again and the only reply was that it makes no sense. I get the feeling they think I am trying to scam them or something - I know there is no guarantee on shipped eggs but this is about the 6th or 7th batch of shipped eggs (from other farms) I have incubated this year and I usually get around 50% hatch rate. Could it be possible that they got too hot on their journey with usps? Or would you suspect contamination from before shipping?

 

[sdm111]

No they were old. Impossible for them to rot within a reasonable amount of time to save for hatching. You should be refunded. The shipper knew exactly what they were doing I'm my opinion.

 

[sdm111]

I'd add when hot I wouldn't let eggs rest fora day on a cold air conditioned counter after being shipped in temps that could have been warm enough to start embryo development

 

[mwhit35]

I'd add when hot I wouldn't let eggs rest fora day on a cold air conditioned counter after being shipped in temps that could have been warm enough to start embryo development

Thanks for your replies. Straight to the incubator would be best then and maybe just dont turn them for a few days? I am not going to ask for a refund as I don't think they will even consider it but I will not be ordering from them again.

 

[sdm111]

Thanks for your replies. Straight to the incubator would be best then and maybe just dont turn them for a few days? I am not going to ask for a refund as I don't think they will even consider it but I will not be ordering from them again.

I'd find a different supplier.
I ship eggs often and in the warmer months the buyer always have better hatches when they don't let them set. I know it's probably against everything you read but that's my experience and it makes total sense. Also I don't know what kind of incubator you're using but if it's Styrofoam then I'd highly suggest you research the dry incubation method. Those type incubators are notorious for having too high humidity problems. The problem is that when the humidity is too high the chick grows too big and cannot turn in the shell to hatch so they die at hatch with just a pip hole. Anyway good luck