Anyone else having a problem with shipping eggs this year???

[Mxmediamom]

Mid march, I got 12 porc D'Uccle eggs from MyPetChicken, packaged beautifully, securely, marked "fragile", "live eggs" etc. Only 1 hatch out of 12!! One month later, got 10 Houdan eggs from a private breeder, the box was marked similarly, packaged beautifully and securely. 0 hatch out of 10!!!. Very depressing, but I don't think the post office or the breeder was to blame. I'm not sure, but I think maybe temperature differences in holding warehouses or delivery trucks may be to blame. Who knows, but I had some very unhappy mama hens, so I had to go to a "near by" hatchery and pick up 6 "extra" hatches and slip them under the girls to make them happy while I removed the eggs (which had a disgusting slimy black, smelly interiors. I never had the experience, so I don't know what it meant, other than they were very rotten.). I think the answer is picking up the eggs locally. Problem, of course, is one is very limited on what is available within driving distance! Would love to hear from a Houdan breeder somewhat near me here in NE Ohio. Same with fancy colored D'Uccle breeder.

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

Quote:
I got 3 dozen from her, and only 6 developed and went into lockdown. 4 hatched.. I got 1 dozen from another person, 1 hatched. 1 dozen from another person, 3 hatched. The shipped eggs range in shipping distance from across the US to a couple of counties away from me. It isn't the bator either. I have hatched my own in between with varying rates between 75 - 100% every time. So it has to be the shipping. Have 2 more shipped dozen in the bator now, to early to candle though. So

 

[emvickrey]

Ms.FuzzyButts :

Quote:
I got 3 dozen from her, and only 6 developed and went into lockdown. 4 hatched.. I got 1 dozen from another person, 1 hatched. 1 dozen from another person, 3 hatched. The shipped eggs range in shipping distance from across the US to a couple of counties away from me. It isn't the bator either. I have hatched my own in between with varying rates between 75 - 100% every time. So it has to be the shipping. Have 2 more shipped dozen in the bator now, to early to candle though. So

I'm expecting 18 more eggs sometime in the next couple of weeks. I just hope more hatch this time. With one of the shipments I do blame the packinging for the most part because there was 1 18 ct carton placed on top of 2 other 18 ct cartons and the weight and jarring broke them. They wheren't individually wrapped either. It had shredded paper under and on top of the eggs and all in the box the cartons where in. When the 18 broke and leaked all in the box the paper stuck to everything and I had to wash the good eggs. There is no way any of them would have grown from the rotten egg on them or been able to hatch if they did grow because they where paper mache. Covered in shredded paper. One of the replacement shipments produced some chicks. I have yet to get the last one. I hope all goes well. I won't be shipping out any or buying anymore shipped eggs. I'll just have to find them locally.​

 

[Doodle_Doo]

i recently ordered law grey eggs eight of them..all were very well packaged and the box arrived
great no damage and i let them set and all had their air cells settled so all looked good..tomorrow
they complete their 18th day turning so i candled them and only one looks good other seven were really clear
cacked them and were normal nothing had even started unfertile..so i gues that even though the post office
can be the cause sometimes others the eggs are just not good..but what i would like to see would be if eggs could
be shipped in this black carbon foam packing i once got from a couturnix quail breeder..the eggs came perfect and
out of 25 eggs 23 hatched

and i think thats what the material is called.. see if i can get a pic of it.it was in a lartge square
to fix a 7x7x7 usps box i just kept these pieces to take to stores and ask for it..havent founf it yet..

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Someone on eggbid has these foam shipping thingys for sale.

http://www.eggbid.com/listings/details/index.cfm?itemnum=1275676849

 

[arteacher]

I have bought probably six dozen eggs and have 4 babys then I ordered 36 from Leon Valley trading. They were sent in the awsome foam egg holders. Out of 36 all but 6 are developing. Leon Valley is a good place to do business with but I think fertility may have something to do with the shipping foam. Anybody else getting higher hatch rates from these foam egg shipping kits?

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

Quote:
I am wondering the same thing. I am starting to wonder if all of these eggs wrapped tightly with bubblewrap has anything to do with it. Maybe they can't breathe or something. I don't know. My hatch rates last year were fine. Shipped or not. It is so confusing. Is it the post office, the shipping foam, the angry chicken gods, or possibly the oil spill in the gulf is to blame???

With all the eggs I've been buying, I hope we figure it out soon!!!

 

[bird]

I have buying hatching eggs for several years and definitely this year all shipment of eggs were well ...damaged!

 

[arteacher]

Ms.FuzzyButts :

Quote:
I am wondering the same thing. I am starting to wonder if all of these eggs wrapped tightly with bubblewrap has anything to do with it. Maybe they can't breathe or something. I don't know. My hatch rates last year were fine. Shipped or not. It is so confusing. Is it the post office, the shipping foam, the angry chicken gods, or possibly the oil spill in the gulf is to blame???

With all the eggs I've been buying, I hope we figure it out soon!!!

People are probablt thinking it is my incubating skills but I have Golden and Amherst chicks running out my ears (from my own breeders)


I am wanting to buy a bunch of expensive eggs from a breeder on this forum. I am seriously considering sending her a Horizon bird shipping box to send my eggs express.

If POST Office thinks live birds are in it, it will stay upright and maybe have a little better care. You also can't stack anything on it!​

 

[DaKid]

Ok I read this whole post and I too am in the same boat as all of you as far as buying hatching eggs , this year has been the worst for me also and I purchase a ton of hatching eggs from all different people and places , some I purchase before within the last 4 yrs and some new ones , some package are in great shape , but hatching rates have been really low , due to non fertility- some due to broken air cells - and some even broken and the packing as been really good .......so what I trying to say is if ur getting 12 eggs it would be nice to hatch at lease 7-8 eggs out of buying 12 ..........

now that I been building my stock of pure breeds of chickens and turkeys , quail and ducks , I wanted to start selling some of my hatching eggs next year , but if the post office is being ruff on my ordered hatching eggs this year what is to be expected next year when I start shipping my hatching eggs to others .

I was wondering if it would be better to hatch out breeds and ship them live to customers like the large hatchery due but on a smaller scale , I was thinking if I was to ship out say a dozen day old chicks instead of a dozen of hatching eggs what the cost would be and it seem like day olds have a better chance getting to the new owner in better shape ..... only cuz if your getting ............say 12 hatching eggs of say RI Reds for say 14.00 to 15.00 ( that’s $1.16 to 1.25 per egg ) and shipping would be about another $15.00 so ur paying about $30 for 12 eggs total .

The hatcheries only end up charging you about $15.00 shipping for 25 chicks and that’s what I paid and another hatchery charge me $30.00 for 60 chicks and a 3rd. place charge $15.00 for 40 chicks . So I would think that shipping day old chicks is cheaper and that you are more able or receiving most if not all of them alive with in the 3 days from shipping date which is what it take from the hatcheries


So again If I send out 12 + RI Reds for $1.75 - $2.00 each that’s like $21. - $25 plus say 15.00 shipping so for the high end of say $40.00 you would have a better live rate of chickens getting to your home ......with shipping hatching eggs you be paying $30 total and not sure how many will make it as with live baby chicks ur live arrival rate should be a lot higher and only costing you about $10.00 more


What ur option on something like this , this is what I’m thing on doing next spring-summer along with maybe shipping out hatching eggs



Alan