1st time hatching shipped eggs

[1876 Farm]

There are soooo many different reasons for bad hatches. I just want to learn what works and what doesnt. Too bad there's not a way to create a survey here o in BYC that we could track (anonymously) information such as. Maybe someone from BYC could do a study?

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Number of eggs ordered
Number of eggs received
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Time of year.
Temperature of where eggs were laid.
Temperature of where eggs were shipped to.
Did it include a heat pack?
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What service used to ship?
UPS, USPS, FedEx, etc
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Time from shipped to arrival? (in days, 0=day shipped)
Condition of box?
Each egg bubbled wrapped?
Each egg tissue wrapped?
Extra bubble wrap on sides, top, bottom?
Box in box?
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Eggs arrived clean or dirty?
How many cracked?
How many had perfect air sacs?
How many had saddle shaped air sacs?
How many had rolling air sacs?
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How long did you let them sit before incubating?
How long before you started to turn them?
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Did you candle the eggs?
Candle timing #1 –
Candle #1 – how many clear
Candle #1 – how many veining
Candle #1 – how many have ring of death
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# of chicks hatched less than due date
(or should it be pipped? I’ve had chicks pip but then die before hatching – so good egg, weak chick or in my recent hatching, rolled around due to newly hatched chicks and egg ended up chick beak down)
# of chicks hatch on due date
# of chicks hatched greater than due date
# never hatched?
# infertile (open up and inspect fertility dot)

Just a thought.

 

[hildar]

My hatch rate from shipped eggs has run from 0% all the way to 100%. It's always luck of the draw. I order and have them shipped because it does not make sense to waste gas to drive even up to an hour, when I could have them shipped. It's a risk I take, and I'm willing to take.

Some people suck at incubating, so I don't believe feedback on eBay should be left on "hatch rate". I however, leave feedback based on "fertility" rate. It can sometimes be hard, and sometimes be easy to tell that eggs are fertilized or not. I know fertility can't be guaranteed either, but I sell hatching eggs and I test my fertility every 2 weeks just to be sure all is still in line, I also send extra eggs, because its no skin off my back, and postive experiences are important to me. I've been burned several times, some the fault of the seller, some out of anyone's control. I don't want people buying from me to have a bad experience. However, larger places can't keep up with people constantly saying "my eggs didn't hatch". The risk is what you take. I order live animals from larger, more established farms, and I buy hatching eggs from smaller farms (for the most part).

It sucks not having a good hatch rate, but you always have to automatically guess that you're only going to have a 50% hatch rate, ask the seller to pack well (I bubble wrap individually) it can be more expensive for shipping but when I ask for that if its not already provided I always have a better hatch. Also, ask when they last tested fertility! eBay can be a sucky place to buy eggs, so really read the comments, and contact the seller, if they have a farm page, check the farm page! Be vigilant and don't give up.

Also, check out the Facebook page "good eggs and bad eggs" you can find feedback on several farms, and even ask about others experiences with sellers!

I will have to check out that on Facebook. I also need to get our farm page up. I haven't got one up yet. Lets hope I can get one up this year sometime. Normally though when I do but fertile eggs online I expect a 40% hatch rate. However when I get more I am very happy. If I get less I accept it. But when I get 0% and know that my own eggs are hatching red lights start going off. I knew the one mans eggs most likely would be duds but having from 4 buyers all be duds that was a bit much.

 

[hildar]

I also recommend that those folks selling eggs, at least make sure that eggs are clean. I hate getting nasty looking eggs. I have clean shavings in my nesting boxes, and I would never send anything that is nasty looking. I also believe that wrapping the eggs in paper then bubble wrap is best. When folks send out eggs they should never put hatching eggs on the box, that gets way to much damage. Where if you put "Live Embryos" people are far more careful with it. Sellers need to start thinking about how they would want eggs sent to them. One thing that I do a lot of the time is I will pack the eggs the day before, then I go back and unpack and repack again just before shipping. I did that today with a grand total of 3 dozen because I wanted to make 100% sure that each one was perfect before sending it out. I even added in a few extra shavings here and there just to make sure that the eggs wont move at all.

It all depends on the seller. That is what it is. Some care more about the money then they do about how the eggs will get there, and if they will hatch. I want ours to hatch

otherwise I would do a sloppy job of it all.

 

[1876 Farm]

I also recommend that those folks selling eggs, at least make sure that eggs are clean. I hate getting nasty looking eggs. I have clean shavings in my nesting boxes, and I would never send anything that is nasty looking. I also believe that wrapping the eggs in paper then bubble wrap is best. When folks send out eggs they should never put hatching eggs on the box, that gets way to much damage. Where if you put "Live Embryos" people are far more careful with it. Sellers need to start thinking about how they would want eggs sent to them. One thing that I do a lot of the time is I will pack the eggs the day before, then I go back and unpack and repack again just before shipping. I did that today with a grand total of 3 dozen because I wanted to make 100% sure that each one was perfect before sending it out. I even added in a few extra shavings here and there just to make sure that the eggs wont move at all.

It all depends on the seller. That is what it is. Some care more about the money then they do about how the eggs will get there, and if they will hatch. I want ours to hatch

otherwise I would do a sloppy job of it all.

Do you have a breed / price list? I'd be interested in know what breeds you have.

 

[hildar]

I am mostly selling on e-bay right now. Which this month it will be few and far between I have so many buyers that are coming from people that we have already sold to. Its a word of mouth thing now.

Next year we are adding in more breeds. Including our show quality Delawares.

 

[peachncrm37]

I also recommend that those folks selling eggs, at least make sure that eggs are clean. I hate getting nasty looking eggs. I have clean shavings in my nesting boxes, and I would never send anything that is nasty looking. I also believe that wrapping the eggs in paper then bubble wrap is best. When folks send out eggs they should never put hatching eggs on the box, that gets way to much damage. Where if you put "Live Embryos" people are far more careful with it. Sellers need to start thinking about how they would want eggs sent to them. One thing that I do a lot of the time is I will pack the eggs the day before, then I go back and unpack and repack again just before shipping. I did that today with a grand total of 3 dozen because I wanted to make 100% sure that each one was perfect before sending it out. I even added in a few extra shavings here and there just to make sure that the eggs wont move at all.

It all depends on the seller. That is what it is. Some care more about the money then they do about how the eggs will get there, and if they will hatch. I want ours to hatch  otherwise I would do a sloppy job of it all.

My post office people are jerks. I can't write live embryos, they won't ship it. Don't ask why, because they really couldn't besides saying "it's on a list".

I have ducks, not chickens, so they lay wherever they want, some lay in nests and others lay in the mud, I wipe off the eggs with a dry paper towel, but I will not clean them as it would destroy the protective coating around the egg. I've never had issues hatching dirty eggs. Of course we are talking a difference, because chicken and duck eggs are quite different. Duck eggs handle better with shipping I think. I've never ordered or experienced shipping with chicken eggs.

 

[hildar]

My post office people are jerks. I can't write live embryos, they won't ship it. Don't ask why, because they really couldn't besides saying "it's on a list".

I have ducks, not chickens, so they lay wherever they want, some lay in nests and others lay in the mud, I wipe off the eggs with a dry paper towel, but I will not clean them as it would destroy the protective coating around the egg. I've never had issues hatching dirty eggs. Of course we are talking a difference, because chicken and duck eggs are quite different. Duck eggs handle better with shipping I think. I've never ordered or experienced shipping with chicken eggs.

Lucky for me, our post office allows the live embryos.

However when ever I put hatching eggs on it they end up using a sledge hammer I swear on the box. The last time I did it the box was 100% flat like a pancake. All eggs got smashed, and I guess the USPS doesn't mind me being out the cash for a dozen eggs because then I have to resend more and buyer just paid shipping. Takes the USPS about 30 to 60 days before the buyer gets their cash back for stuff like that. Yet they don't mind smashing the crap out of something.

Oh my hens will sneak eggs under trees, and even in the poison oak, I have to go get it when they do that. Normally though once they see me get the eggs they go back to laying in the boxes. I found 14 eggs in the poison oak last week. Luckily though they went back to the boxes after seeing me collecting them all. Luckily though where the poison oak is and where they normally hide the eggs it's all sandy soil. Even though I had one lay an egg 2 weeks ago on some old wet, burn can ashes, so that one went in the eating eggs. Of course trying to clean the wet ashes off the Delaware hen was a different story. She still looks grey this week.

I guess she saw the lady next door dyed her hair red, and decided she would change her feather color to grey.

 

[1876 Farm]

I threw out all the Legbar eggs tonight, started to stink.

I opened each one, it was a little disgusting, looks like there was 1 that started, but didn't get beyond 1/2" long and another where the chick reached no more than 1/4 size of a chick. All others just looked like yellow soup.

I took pictures, but I think they might be too disturbing to post.

 

[hildar]

I threw out all the Legbar eggs tonight, started to stink.

I opened each one, it was a little disgusting, looks like there was 1 that started, but didn't get beyond 1/2" long and another where the chick reached no more than 1/4 size of a chick. All others just looked like yellow soup.

I took pictures, but I think they might be too disturbing to post.

Yeah that yellow soup is when they get scrambled. I am still trying to figure out if that is due to rough handling or the air plane ride. Some folks are saying it is the plane ride, and the pressure in the cargo area, others say that doesn't harm it. Personally I would go with the pressure, because they look almost like each egg has exploded. A broken egg yolk would be different then that, this is like someone put it in a blender. Which is why I am thinking pressure. About 90% of the ones that I got were like that.

 

[peachncrm37]

Some of it is the postal workers too. My Saturday delivery lady needs to not be a postal worker. My first ever batch of eggs (keep in mind it was marked hatching eggs/caution/etc) arrived on a Saturday and she actually SHOVED the box in my mailbox! I had to YANK it out!!! Most were smashed of course, just from the pressure (duh).

I know now to try and avoid Saturday deliveries (I'm omitting some other stories mind you)

My other guy is awesome, actually asks for pictures and updates on the eggs. He's amazed that its possible to do that. Ha.