Buying ebay eggs

[JacinLarkwell]

I've bought eggs once on ebay and had an okay hatch (3 to full development, 2 hatched. The other 7 were mostly stopped at day 7-11). But they also came from the other side of the country and we didnt set them correctly the day before incubating.

I hadn't even known birds could get sick before they hatched, so I hadn't worried about getting sick eggs.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I get hatching eggs, once, or twice a year. Most of my hatches are great, occasionally I get hatches that aren't the greatest.
I always try to double the amount of eggs I'm buying to insure that the majority survive to hatch.

 

[Egg Blues]

When you order your eggs. Is not the time to be researching and getting an incubator. Have a known, reliable incubator set up and running. At least two days before your eggs arrive.

Indeed. Especially the humidity can be a little tricky to work out, and take a little trial and error to get it properly adjusted. I bought two old-fashioned mercury thermometers of the type to be most sensitive to human body temperatures--which also coincides with proper incubator temperatures--and used them to set up a very accurate wet-bulb test to measure the humidity. The incubator had a humidity gauge, but I wanted to verify its accuracy. Likewise for the temperature itself, including putting the thermometers at several heights inside the incubator. Fortunately for me, the incubator's gauges were found to be quite reliable. I had the incubator running for nearly ten days by the time the first batch of eggs arrived, and had checked the auto egg turner and everything. I wanted to see how consistent its temperatures would be, so I monitored those with a separate thermometer.

Waiting for 24 hours before starting them in the incubator took patience. Not only are you wanting to see the chicks hatch sooner, but you know that the older the egg is, the less chance of it successfully hatching--and it grows older as you wait. But I followed the advice which seemed so pervasive online. I do wonder, though, how much good it does. I wonder why three hours would be so much worse than 24.

When my first batch of eggs arrived, they had been in the mail for three days, and each egg had been wrapped and taped up in bubble wrap. I was peeved because eggs are living organisms that need a certain amount of oxygen, too. I worried that they might be DOA. But even though the seller agreed to wrap them differently in the next shipment, I didn't see much of a difference in hatch rates. I later figured that the rough handling while in the mail was the primary cause of the trouble. None of the eggs that didn't make it even began to develop--they were just clear eggs.

 

[ArcticHorse]

I’ve bought off eBay twice now, same seller. Seller has an NPIP facility and even posts a picture of her certificate, did a great job of packing, excellent reviews (curiously, none of them on hatch rates), and she marks the packaging well. My first round was 6+2, 1 broke, and 2 duds, 2 seemed to have quit halfway, 1 was chirping but never hatched, and 1 chick survived who is a rooster. My second round I’m on right now 12+3 for ‘better odds’. None broken on arrival. One dud, 2 hatched so far between day 21-22, waiting until day 25 to investigate. I don’t know if I’ll buy again, all these beautiful eggs and nothing.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

wonder why three hours would be so much worse than 24.

The thought is that it gives the airsac time to reattach and stabilize

 

[Egg Blues]

I’ve bought off eBay twice now, same seller. Seller has an NPIP facility and even posts a picture of her certificate, did a great job of packing, excellent reviews (curiously, none of them on hatch rates), and she marks the packaging well. My first round was 6+2, 1 broke, and 2 duds, 2 seemed to have quit halfway, 1 was chirping but never hatched, and 1 chick survived who is a rooster. My second round I’m on right now 12+3 for ‘better odds’. None broken on arrival. One dud, 2 hatched so far between day 21-22, waiting until day 25 to investigate. I don’t know if I’ll buy again, all these beautiful eggs and nothing.

Those are about the typical odds I've seen as well. The first batch, one chick had to be helped to hatch as it seemed to have been shrink-wrapped, even though the humidity post-lockdown had not dipped below 60 and the incubator hadn't been opened. But only three of that batch survived, and we eventually opened the other eggs very carefully, and found that they were all clear, as if they had not been fertile (but I think they simply had not made it past the shipping saga).

Basically, I would say if you buy shipped eggs, expecting a 10% hatch rate, you should be less disappointed when this is what you actually get. Be prepared to pay for 10 eggs to get one or two chicks. If the price of those eggs is worth the low numbers of chicks that they will produce, go for it. If you would feel highly disappointed to get a 10-15% hatch rate, then find another way to acquire what you're wanting. Shipped eggs can sometimes be 100% DOA, and, on the other hand, it is possible that you might get as much as half to hatch, or more. Expecting more than 50% hatch rate on shipped eggs is a sure way to be disappointed, and even a 25% hatch rate may not be yours. Anything above 50% is a lucky fluke of the mail system and/or a credit to the seller who packed the order. But the dismal hatch rates are unlikely to be the fault of the seller in most cases.

 

[Jaime918]

I've bought eBay eggs twice. My very first try at hatching were actually eBay eggs.

I definitely recommend data-3783(eBay username)
Awesome communication, doesn't shy away from questions and LOVES update photos. Particularly sells seramas, easter eggers, barnyard bantam mixes and will happily mix and match. My bantams and serama are stinkin' adorable!

My second seller the breeds were as described but subpar birds. Still super sweet birds though. (Dominique and Barred Rocks)

Never sold eggs anywhere.

I chose NPIP sellers both times in hopes to avoid bringing anything into my flock. So far so good!

 

[janiedoe]

I buy some eggs off eBay. I always check for NPIP. I also contact the seller. I feel that if they readily answer questions and talk with enthusiasm about their birds. That it eliminates some of chances of getting taken. As always, fresher eggs produce better hatch rates. I don’t like for eggs to have to travel across more than two states. Which usually has them in transit no more than three days. Since doing so, my hatch rates have improved dramatically. I have even had a few 100% hatches. I have the luxury of having chicken facilities on two separate properties. That are a few miles apart. I quarantine all new poultry away from my existing flocks. Which lessens the chance and fear of introducing disease to them. From reading some post on the site. When you order your eggs. Is not the time to be researching and getting an incubator. Have a known, reliable incubator set up and running. At least two days before your eggs arrive.

Sounds like you have had a great experience with shipped eggs. I like that you keep the chicks seperate, that isn't an option for me. I almost, always use broodies to raise chicks.

 

[janiedoe]

I've bought eggs once on ebay and had an okay hatch (3 to full development, 2 hatched. The other 7 were mostly stopped at day 7-11). But they also came from the other side of the country and we didnt set them correctly the day before incubating.

I hadn't even known birds could get sick before they hatched, so I hadn't worried about getting sick eggs.

It's my understanding that mycoplasma can be passed to the chick through the egg. From reading and talking to others, I believe it is a pretty common illness around here.

 

[janiedoe]

I have a great incubator, but it is very small. It is a Brinsea. Only holds 7 eggs. That was an intentional buy. I knew I'd be overpopulated, if I bought a larger incubator.
I have considered buying a Nurture Right 360 and hatching more, but then I'd have to sell chicks. I hate the idea of chicks going to irresponsible owners who don't take security seriously. I'm pretty careful about checking people out before rehoming any of my chicks or flock members.