Bad hatch rate with shipped eggs- RANT...

[western edge]

ordered three different orders last spring. one box clearly marked" fragile, hatching eggs" was crushed, two eggs broken and air cells were all messed up. none developed. 45 dollars. other orders about the same. out of 32 eggs 3 hatched . very expensive chicks. no more mailed eggs!

 

[Nodaksnakelover]

I've only ordered eggs through the mail once. And when I got them, I put them in with a pile of eggs from a local farmer. Hatched out almost all the farmer's eggs and ONE out of 24 Marans and red laced wyiandottes hatched...ONE! And yeah, I spent a small fortune! But that bird sure was pretty! A very nice red laced blue wyandotte hen. Was it worth it? Nope! Not unless I was a breeder looking for some fresh blood from some specific line. And since I'm not anywhere near that... I'll just buy chicks...

 

[PepsNick]

Hatching eggs are hardly ever successful. Not the shippers fault at all. I'm afraid that some egg shipper will be offended because of this thread. I've seen them post their sorries and how people shouldn't blame them for it. Now, close your eyes and take a deeeeeeeeeeep breath.

 

[galanie]

After having worked for a while inside a major post office sorting facility, I can certainly see how it happens that some are buggered up and others aren't. Mostly it's luck. If the packages get on the conveyor and all goes like it should, well packed eggs should be fine.

BUT. There's always some that fall at odd places or get hung where they shouldn't or something, causing ones behind them to suffer rough treatment. It usually isn't human failing, but sometimes it is. When I worked at a station carrying the mail, I once saw a clerk carefully carry a package marked "Fragile" over to a container and set it down, only to have the next clerk chunk a box of encyclopedias on top of it! Thank God they don't ship sets of encyclopedias in the mail any more (and thank God that package wasn't one I had to deliver!). Point of this is, the poor guy that delivers said package to your door and has to listen to the rants is almost never the one that caused the damage in the first place. After all, he knows he's the one that has to hear about it

 

[dwegg]

I was not really ranting about my shipped eggs...just wish I had at least one more BLRW hatch. I am very pleased with my very first hatch and I have 10 amazing fluffy butts to prove it...I must admit that having them shipped in December through the post office, a first time hatcher here, a 4 hour power outage... I think my eggs were pretty awesome and I do think they were all fertile.I think that some just decided not to go all the way.
I would definitely buy my eggs again from where I got them from. Sorry for everyone who had a bad hatch...

 

[sourland]

Simply the reality of shipped eggs as they face so many variables in transit.

 

[rockinpaints]

I have to agree with CityGirlInTheCountry. I think I have most everyone on here beat though, my highest one was $280 for a dozen of coronation eggs last spring. ZERO (yes zero) hatched and the seller stated in her auction that she absolutely did not replace eggs. (And she did not replace them).

We've done multiple experiments with eggs to see what works (from driving them around in a f-250 over rough terrain for 3 days to incubating eggs from the frige). Nothing is more brutal than shipping eggs. It is a hit or miss. I had 7 of 12 from a seller to hatch, ordered 12 more from the same seller and 1 hatched. I've received eggs that were all completely destroyed in the box except 3 eggs covered with egg yoke and broken shells stuck to the outside of the 3 eggs like glue - I incubated the 3 eggs with egg shells still stuck on and all 3 hatched????

There is no simple answer, the bottom line is don't take your grocery money to buy eggs. It is fun and exciting to hatch the eggs but sometimes it is very disappointing. Most of the time I believe the reason we purchase eggs is because they are not available locally or we wanted the bloodline and chicks weren't available to purchase. I will continue to buy eggs and take my chances..........

like most of you will too, just remember it is rarely the sellers fault. If they have done a good job with packaging and get the eggs off to you then they have done all they can do.

Good luck with all your hatches!!

I'm patiently waiting for my Silver Sussex eggs to hatch

(Yep, shipped...)

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday!

 

[BCB]

When Seramas first became popular, we paid $150 for a dozen eggs... none of them hatched.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
Thats not too bad for shipped eggs, you cant expect much

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
I heard Seramas are hard to hatch, and dont usually do well with shipping