Bad hatch rate with shipped eggs- RANT...

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
This is very interesting. Thank you for posting it!

 

[mandelyn]

I did great with Quail, 90% hatch rate. I found a flock of Pekin ducks at a local cemetery, and they left their eggs laying around on the ground, so I went daily and picked them up. No shipping at all, 5 of 11 hatched. (would not have done it if they were brooding them in a nest)

Chickens, have been a trial. The last two times, I ordered 12 Wheaten Penedesencas, 12 Light Brahma, and 4 Golden Lakenvelders thrown in for free. Only 3 of the Lakenvelders hatched. Then I ordered 12 Marans, was sent MANY extras. Ended up with 2 chicks. 3 hatched, one had issues and didn't make it. 3 others pipped but didn't finish. And 4 others developed but never pipped. It would have been a decent hatch if I didn't have that dang temperature spike towards the end of it. I don't know what went wrong with the 1st group, only the Lakenvelders even bothered to develop.

After it was all said and done with and I had $75 into it, I have 4 pullets and 1 rooster. Not too bad since I ended up with a trio of Lakenvelders and 2 Maran girls.

With shipping eggs how they are, I think it's a mistake to order a small number. If only one chick hatches, that's no good. I like to either order a lot from the same seller, or get several small orders due to arrive the same day. Just to avoid that lone chick issue. Or worse yet nothing at all.

Backfired when I ordered 75 quail eggs and something like 65 came out, I didn't want that many!

 

[geebs]

I think of it like buying scratch off tickets in the lottery....No one would expect a refund... Read what the chances are and plan accordingly...If you don't have the extra "capital" than you probably shouldn't gamble... As for me...I throw the dice once in a while...I just came up with "snake eyes" during the week of Christmas... Go figure... I can't blame the seller... UH DUH... IT WAS CHRISTMAS!!! the shipped eggs were a couple days late and appear to have been opened. They arrived worse for wear but it's all good...I enjoyed the throw of the dice... I will throw it again... And then buy chicks in the spring!!

 

[secuono]

I think I beat all of you. 4 boxes of about 12-16 eggs each, 4 chicks hatched, 2 died within 3 days. I am never buying shipped eggs again. Never.
Out of all my own Jap eggs, nearly all hatch and grow...
I'll only buy local eggs I get myself.

 

[RoRoinGA]

I would like to take up for shipped eggs and people like me that ship and care. I do all that I can from gathering the eggs, to storing them at the right temp, in an egg turner, to wrapping each carefully and securely. I mark the box, and I know exactly what time my rural post office picks up priority mail. I bring them in, chat with my friend at the post office, and say a little prayer. I know that my eggs are handled with care at my post office, I believe its when the box gets to the distribution center or the HUB like someone else said, when the insanity begins. In the bigger cities, I dont think they know, nor pay attention to my box when there are thousands of other boxes looking to get to their destination. 3 days later (OK, Im giving the PO this one), your eggs arrive. I would hope none are broken and they didnt wait outside for you for a few hours. After you open your eggs, a simple email to me to let me know that they arrived safe, or if some are cracked, would be appreciated, cause we all know that stupid tracking number aint worth a flip. Then I put it in your hands. If everything went smoothly up to this point, its still a gamble that incubation will go perfectly. I do believe that the eggs are a lot tougher then we give them credit for. I have hatched eggs that I was sure had been killed cause of temp spikes or lows. Now that being said, If your hatch rate is poor, I have no problem sending you more eggs. Its what I do, and I have eggs everyday. I might not be able to get them out the next day, but you will get more. I want you to get chicks, I want you to be happy with your transaction. I know there are a lot of factors that weigh in on the outcome but as a seller, I want you to be happy. I have had buyers get eggs and not tell me anything about how the box arrived, if they were broken or how the hatch went. I try to keep a record and email buyers about the hatch when I calculate they should hatch. Like I said, its all part of the business of selling eggs. There are a lot of sellers out their that assume when the box leaves their hands, its no longer their concern. I dont feel like that. Anyway, just thought I'd put my 2 cents in, I have gotten eggs and had a horrible hatch, contacted the seller and told that they dont replace, outta their hands etc. I dont want anyone else to feel like I felt after obsessing over an incubator of quitters for 21 days. Thanks, I feel better now.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

That's the risk you take. I'm sorry. I've lost my share of shipped eggs, but you can't get mad at the seller. You assume the risks.

 

[yotehunter]

i watched the mailman walk up to my house and drop the eggs right in front of me, then ask if he could buy some chicks when they hatch

 

[teenchik]

Wow so how do you know who is a good person to buy from

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

This thread by debiraymond shares my thoughts on this matter. This is like beating a dead horse. There's a post on here nearly everyday!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=419705

 

[growinupinfl]

I am so happy this thread began. I actually need advice whether I should be PO'ed or not. But I'm leaning toward should... Here is what is going on.

I ordered 18 mottled bantam cochin eggs from Pennsylvania, 6 bantam frizzles from Texas, 6 standard blue black splash frizzled cochins from Florida. I ordered them so they would all arrive on the same day. Gave Texas and Pennsylvania orders a day head start over Florida, being that I live in Florida. The plan worked they all arrived the same day December 13, none were broken and none of the boxes damaged.
I candled them all, and many of them have very jiggly air sacs. After reading about others who have hatched chicks from eggs with jiggly air sacs I place them in cartons at an angle to incubate, instead of on their sides.

Here is their current standings. The lady who I bought the mottled cochins from sent 36 instead of 18 OH MY, that was a few extra

! Now I have 17 that are developing very well from that batch. Texas sent 7 and 5 are developing so far from that

.. I am very happy with these orders. I am very impressed with the ones from Texas

.

Now the ones from Florida is what I'm angry about. 7 eggs, 7 nothings.. Not even a blood ring. They are still in the incubator with me hoping I'm wrong. They are medium brown eggs, but I have candled brown eggs and even green eggs before and have been able to see something. I see zip not even a shadow of anything. These eggs traveled a short distances, shorter shipping time, went through better weather conditions. But the eggs that were sent are not shaped well. I couldn't even tell which end was the big end on some of them.

I understand the whole ship at your own risk thing. But to me it just seems odd to not have ANY development. Not even a blood ring. So Should I email this person or just take my lumps and never order from them again? I am actually wondering if I was sent eggs that had never been fertilized.

Now I would like to hear everyone opinion on this.

Christal