CROSS-COUNTRY HATCHING EGGS

[velvetchicken]

Just wanting to know everyone else's hatch percentage with eggs shipped cross country. I live in California, and most of the eggs I get are from the east coast. I use a Brinsea Eco 20 and a Hovabator Genesis 1588. They have automatic turners. I have humidity between 50-55% with temp around 99. At lockdown I have humidity around 70%, temp about 98-99. When I get the eggs in the mail, I let them sit upright for 12-24 hours before I put them in the bator. About half the eggs make it to lockdown, and about half of those end up hatching. Would like to know if everyone else in a similar situation gets about the same percentage, or if there's any suggestions to improve hatch percentage. Thanks!

 

[AlienChick]

Sounds like you're doing everything right.

Hatching shipped eggs is always a gamble. Sometimes you may get a good hatch rate and other times none of them will hatch.
It depends on so many variables: fertility, postal handling, weather, age of eggs, etc.

From my own experience I have hatched eggs shipped from all over the US, and I usually get maybe a 40% hatchrate.
With my own eggs from my flock, I get a 97% - 100% hatchrate.

Anyway, here is another thread that you might be interested in regarding the hatch rate of shipped eggs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/145662/shipped-hatching-eggs-whats-your-experience-been

Good luck!

 

[Sphinx]

I've only done shipped eggs once.

They shipped 2,000 miles in December.

Set 9, two immediately started weeping and were tossed.

7 went into lockdown, and 6 hatched. The 7th was dead in shell, never pipped, though I heard it chirping inside the shell the day before.

I think that works out to a 67% success rate.

 

[velvetchicken]

I'm guessing it's the getting tossed around so much that causes a lot of the eggs to not develop. I'll probably find out when I start getting to hatch some from my own. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[pawtraitart]

I've improved my hatch rate with shipped eggs by letting them rest at room temperature for 24 hours, then put them in the turner in the incubator.....but leave the turner OFF for 48 hours. It made a big difference for me. Also, I always hatch shipped eggs in egg cartons instead of on their sides.