Egg viability timeline

[oliverj102]

Hey there,

I know this is essentially how long is a piece of string but I need advice from more experienced hatchers then myself!

I ordered some exhibition Buff Orpington hatching eggs last week, they were shipped on thursday. I dont know the age when they got packed but worst case lets say 48 hours as I ordered 12 from a small breeder.

They were sent via MyHermes (a courier company who outsource to other drivers in this area) It was meant to be next day, but friday came and went, as did saturday and sunday (yes some of the drivers deliver sunday here) and its still currently monday so they may yet arrive but the day is getting on now as its already dinner time.

Couriers vans and storage rooms are not ideal for egg storage especially as friday/saturday and sunday where in the low 20s so almost tropical for scotland. They also could have been drop kicking the package like a football into vans but lets say "Fragile" was treated as such.

Normally when I order eggs they are next day delivery so arrive within 48 hours.

The eggs are now 5-6 days old, spending 4 of those days in transit.

1. How viable can I expect them to be?
2. If/when they come today or tomorrow can I do anything to help them prior to setting?
3. Is there any benchmark for the expectations of timely delivery for shipped eggs? I can claim the costs off the courier as they clearly didnt heed the "Next Day" stamp but it will be easier to say it was to the detriment of the content if I can reference something.
4. If I do set them will I have to just wait till day 7-10 to candle them and check their progress? I prefer to keep the incubator sealed almost the full 23 days to avoid fluctuation, I have pipes set up for humidity control so once the lid is on it doesn't need opening till the chicks come out, so I dont normally candle until day 17 when starting lock down.

Thanks for any input

 

[Tonyroo]

If and when you get the package open it immediately, just in case you have to file a claim for potential losses. Check each eggs for cracks and determine hatchability.

If you still wanna try to incubate the eggs, put them in the incubator fat end up and don't turn it for 2 days. Make sure you humidity and temperatures is right on target.

On third day, turn it once in the morning and once in the evening.
Fourth day, turn the eggs on a regular schedule.
Fifth or Sixth day, Candle every egg to know for sure there developing.

That should give you the best possible viable eggs for hatching but its not a guarantee.
Hope that helps.

 

[NatJ]

It's usually considered fine to store eggs ups to 7 days before setting them, with the success rate dropping off after that (but a few eggs have been known to hatch if stored for up to 3 weeks.)

Of course shipping reduces the rate of hatching, but no-one knows how much for each batch of eggs--I've read of shipped eggs that hatched at 100% and at 0% rate, and everything in between.

I suggest setting the eggs, as Tonyroo suggested, and then candling after 7-10 days. Candling them once should not hurt them at all.

Unless you prefer a situation with a guaranteed outcome: if you eat the eggs or throw them away, I can confidently predict that none will hatch.

 

[FloorCandy]

I ordered quail eggs from a stranger on eBay. They were lost in the mail for 6 full days, by the time I received them, they had been traveling for 8 days. I basically did what Tonyroo recommended, setting the eggs on the evening of day 9 from being laid. I set 36 eggs and received 19 healthy chicks, so all hope is not lost. Your biggest enemy is the heat, I would get them into the incubator ASAP in case they have started to develop.

 

[bycjohn]

Shipped eggs spending a long time in trucks or in hot humid conditions do tend to start developing. So it's better to candle them once you get it to know if they are as per the picture attached.
If they are not, you can incubate them and then make a final call on the 7th day by candling them.

Do not wash the eggs. Check that they are of normal shape with no bulging etc.

Prepare the incubator by letting it run a few days prior to setting the eggs so that the temperature and humidity are under your control.

 

[oliverj102]

Still no eggs... they have been out for delivery for 3 days now... starting to wonder if they are gonna be delivering a box of eggs or scrambled eggs in this heat...

 

[Chicalina]

You've got nothing to lose by incubating them anyway. And def candle on day 7 or 10 because you don't want bad eggs exploding over any good ones later on.

 

[FloorCandy]

Still no eggs... they have been out for delivery for 3 days now... starting to wonder if they are gonna be delivering a box of eggs or scrambled eggs in this heat...

I filled out the lost package form online for USPS, it said it would take a week to hear back. The box arrived on my doorstep the next day, never heard anything on the tracker.

 

[Chicalina]

rubbish service. Hope the eggs didn't suffer too much. The jostling is more detrimental than the delay. And they'd get that anyway being posted. Good luck!

 

[oliverj102]

They just arrived, cold as ice. No idea how as its 15 degrees outside even now.

I've candled them looking for cracks, all shells are intact, a few have dark masses inside, all are detached.

It's their core temperature that is concerning me most, eggs from the fridge feel the same temperature!