dont buy eggs from ebay when for 2 reasons. more inside and pics

[asher]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:
Do you do anything special with your shipped eggs? I am running at 0-5% (meaning maybe 1 out of 20 eggs) on all shipped chicken eggs. After about 12 sets of shipped eggs, I finally got 2 out of 12 eggs, which is my best hatch yet for eggs that have gone through the postal gauntlet. How do you do it?

Yeep! I do nothing other than let them sit large side up for at least 8hrs once they arrive.

There are so many variables in why you may be getting such poor hatches, anything from where they go through post office wise, how far they have to travel, temps, particular p.o policies that they may go through.

It IS such a gamble (rofl I tried to put something else (a gambling term) and it edited what I don't consider a swear word to be something that sounded incredibly silly! rofl). I'm sorry you haven't had more luck at it.​

 

[klf73]

Quote:
Do you do anything special with your shipped eggs? I am running at 0-5% (meaning maybe 1 out of 20 eggs) on all shipped chicken eggs. After about 12 sets of shipped eggs, I finally got 2 out of 12 eggs, which is my best hatch yet for eggs that have gone through the postal gauntlet. How do you do it?

Yeep! I do nothing other than let them sit large side up for at least 8hrs once they arrive.

There are so many variables in why you may be getting such poor hatches, anything from where they go through post office wise, how far they have to travel, temps, particular p.o policies that they may go through.

It IS such a gamble (rofl I tried to put something else (a gambling term) and it edited what I don't consider a swear word to be something that sounded incredibly silly! rofl). I'm sorry you haven't had more luck at it.

I wanted to type it in just to see what it would say

crap shoot

Krista
sorry, I know it's juvenile

 

[klf73]

Ahem, am I in trouble?

 

[asher]

I was going...HUH? What? I don't say that. Poop shoot?! What?! I didn't type that!

DUH!

 

[goatkeepers]

Wow, I must be slow. I've been racking my brain trying to think of the gambling term....

Lol. It just won't come to me. What does it rhyme with?

Can someone explain what's wrong with his ducklings please? I am a total beginner, but they look fine to me. Trying to learn, so any help is appreciated!

 

[Mrs MIA]

It was typed in as cr@p shoot...

I like poop shoot (or is that poop shute?)

I've been taking lots of notes trying to figure out exactly what it is that's damaging the eggs, since I DO get one or two chicks out of some of the hatches I know it's not my technique (and my own eggs hatch like a charm). I like to think I got the strongest birds of the bunch, but, well... um, it's been REALLY expensive to try to hatch from shipped eggs. A few very VERY nice people have helped me out (you know who you are! mwah!) and helped me hedge my bets, but I still have just ONE blue/black orpington, one red dorking, and until I got chicks, just ONE silver grey dorking...

It's been a wild and crazy spring/summer for me hatching-wise. Mostly I've noticed that it's the airsacs that are all wonky by day 14... looks like there are several in there vying for space. Or the yolks have broken. It has been a learning experience, and I don't get so stressed out over hatching anymore. I have enough birds now to start my breeding program next spring, except for red dorkings. I may break down and buy chicks next spring for that.

 

[Gatekeeper]

I have made 21 purchases on eBay since May 12th. Some were good others mediocre to outstanding.

I have made and received 4 purchases from folks here at the BYC. I am not sure what the difference is between getting eggs from eBay and from having them shipped from anyone on here. In fact there are a lot of folks on here that sell on eBay.

The numbers were very similar when it came to hatches. Some of the eggs I bought or received from people here were both excellent (Pheasant) to poor.

Some of the eBay eggs I bought:

Example: 30 Chukar eggs - 6 hatched, 44 Tennessee Brown Quail - 36 hatched. Lady Amherst Pheasant 24 - 19 hatched. Golden Pheasant 15 - 3 hatched.

One thing I have noticed is that eggs within a 1-2 state area of where I live did better than the ones from states further away.

Somehow I can't see any difference between buying here or eBay.

Gate

 

[LoneCowboy]

I don't have great luck with shipped eggs, probably not even 50%, but I've been paying close attention to the posts, and I think this is what you have to do.

1. Only buy eggs from somebody fairly close to you. So if you are in CA, don't buy eggs from somebody in NY. Buy from people in WA, NV, OR or someplace close to you.

2. Make sure you sanitize your bator per MissPrissy's directions in another post.

3. Let them sit and rest for 12-24 hours before setting them.

4. make sure your bator is running and at the right temp before (like at least 1 day totally stable) setting your eggs.

5. Don't mess with them a lot. Only candle on days 7, 14, 18 and it would be best to do that without removing them from the turner.

6. Oh yeah get a turner.

7. Hatch them in an egg carton or put something to keep the eggs from getting bowled around by the other hatching chicks.

8. Buy hardy breeds. Not Blue orps, cus they don't like to be boxed up.

Ok, having said that, I still need to put all these things into practice for myself to see how much of a difference it makes.

 

[SusanJoM]

I disagree with the OP.

I have had just as good and just as bad luck with from eBay as from anywhere else, including both BYC sellers and even local sellers, when the eggs weren't even shipped.

You just have to be willing to accept that it's a gamble. You do your best. You ask questions and check the experience, and then you lay your money down, hope for the best, and don't worry about the rest.

Today I have the second half of a dozen silkies from a BYC seller. 6 hatched; six didn't. I also have 12 silver sebrights from a BYC seller, and it looks to me as if not a one is going to hatch. It's no one's fault. Shipping eggs is hard on 'em....even when they aren't even treated badly.

So....you've just got to have a tough skin and be willing to lose a whole lot of eggs if you want to get some...but it's just not an eBay specific problem....

'nuf said.

Susan

 

[2manyhats]

Thank you all for honestly admitting to bad hatches. I have been feeling like a failure. My husband keeps telling me to relax and expect less from the hatches of shipped eggs. My first hatch of Polish hatched 2/11, but I got none of local Cuckoo Maran eggs. So I figured I messed up. Then I got 0/10 EE' from shipped eggs due to PO scrabbling them (almost quit) I got 4/9 BB orps (lost 1 later) and then I got 4/14 Buckeyes. Feeling a little better by this point. Got 4/20 turkeys (1 died) Then 0/8 Cuckoos again. Found out that the cuckoos were too wet and didn't hatch. Now I'm trying again with Giant Bobwhite quail, EE's (local), mixed batch (ebay), and have SLW on the way from ebay and local cuckoos for one more time.

I was very disappointed at first, but I love the birds that I have hatched and am learning so much. I'm betting that greater experience will help with better hatches.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences.
Kimberly