Are shipped eggs worth it?

[PioneerChicks]

I have heard mixed results about hatched eggs. Considering the breeder has a good reputation for safely sending off eggs, are they worth it? I'd love to hear your experiences!

 

[KingD]

Yes

 

[MysteryChicken]

Yes, shipped eggs are worth it. Had nothing but good, to great results.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I would say yes, even though my recent experience has not been great.
If you are looking to get certain breeds that are not available in your area, can be the only way.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

I would say yes, even though my recent experience has not been great.
If you are looking to get certain breeds that are not available in your area, can be the only way.

This I agree with. It depends on the availability of the breeds you want, the shipping price, etc. I really don't think it's worth it unless there is a specific breed you can't find near your location.

 

[Dinoroar]

I’ve had abysmal luck with shipped eggs. I’ve gotten them broken cracked shaken scrambled and infertile. Out of half dozen batches of shipped chickeneggs (usually 12 an order) I have 3 chickens. I’ve had marginally better luck with quail. Marginally. I’ve had sellers swear up and down they pack well only to have eggs arrive cushioned with wadded up paper towel or plastic bags. Sellers (not all of course) can be rude and deceptive. Post office claims are sometimes a pain.

However.... there are chickens I want that I can’t get elsewhere so there are shipped eggs in my incubator right now. Is it worth it? If you have luck like mine Probably not but who knows maybe you’ll be lucky

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I’d say like others have said it depends. Frankly I would say it’s not worth it at the moment unless you are looking for a very rare breed or have absolutely no other way of getting eggs or chicks. The post office has been doing a bad job with shipping eggs lately. Broken eggs, eggs 2 weeks late, eggs shipped upside down. And frankly I don’t have much ore faith in companies like UPS or Fedex. Fedex took a week to ship my priority package 200 miles and left it sitting upside down over the weekend. It said this end up. UPS gave me a box marked fragile smashed to half its size untaped 2 weeks ago.
You also can’t get the same guarantees on eggs as you can on chicks.

 

[droy1028]

There's always an inherent risk in receiving a perishable commodity in the mail. And if you live in thr US, you know how reliable USPS, which is the cheapest and most often used shipping method, can be...or not. There is an element of luck involved with shipped eggs, but there are things the SHIPPER can do to ensure your eggs arrive viable. Sending ONLY the freshest eggs, packing eggs well, priority shipping, marking the box with stickers or marker "Live Embryo" or "Hatching Eggs" or "Perishable" or a combination of any.

My last eggs were marked that way by the shipper and someone from the USPS facility drove 1 hour in their personal vehicle to ensure they were delivered safely. Not saying that's always gonna happen, but can't help but think its the reason why he did it.

Shipped eggs are totally worth it if you want to diversify you flock from other local flocks or provide a niche breed no one else in the area can provide.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's so helpful! I think I'll give shipped eggs a try, but I won't put all my eggs in one basket.

 

[Dinoroar]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, it's so helpful! I think I'll give shipped eggs a try, but I won't put all my eggs in one basket.

Fingers crossed you get awesome results!