Eggs... Shipping distance VS Hatch rate

[budkingston]

I have read all the information on how to store/prepare eggs for shipment. Don't jostle. Keep 50-65 degrees, incubate at 10, no more than 14 days.

However, once that box is packed at the post office, all bets are off. They could sit on the tarmac at ice station zebra, be taken 4 wheeling, or who knows whatever.

For this reason, it would appear that eggs from a closer supplier would have a better hatch rate/success.

I have seen some chickens from back East and would like some of their stock. Does anyone have knowledge, anecdotal or otherwise that would suggest where I should get my fertilized eggs?

 

[emvickrey]

They also get x-rayed. I have better hatch rates from my own flock. I had 62 eggs in my bator at one time and only got 8 chicks and 4 of those where mine. The rest where shipped eggs. Then I had 17 quail eggs and got 3 chicks and they where on crack I think. They didn't stop running until they died 3 days later and tried to kill each other not long after hatching. I had to separate them. None of the 6 turkey eggs worked out and I got 1 silkie mix.
Another time I got 6 eggs out of 3 dozen.

I would try to get local if you can. Your hatch rate is more likely to be higher.

 

[longranger]

Ordering from well thought of BYC breeders and using a dependable bator your hatches should be not that much different than the same eggs without shipping. Maybe I have just been lucky but almost all of my hatches have been well over 50% with additional developed birds that never pipped.

The orders that did not do well may have been xrayed or handled badly by the usps but I am skeptical that has played much of a role. More likely they just were not great eggs. Not fertile, old, below standard for color etc for that breeder, take your pick. This is particularly true for ebay. For certain many of the ebay sellers provide excellent eggs but others just don't care.

If you get good eggs feel free to use that source again. Most good sources are uniformly good and will send replacements if you get mostly duds.

All the above assumes you have a good bator, calibrate, follow humidity etc..

Larger birds like turkeys and peafowl are more challenging. Hatch rates on these eggs are often under 50%.

 

[mulia24]

worse, i can't buy any egg from US, i want those cute silkie and blue-egg-machine amercauna.

i think incubate with *abnormal* power outages, about 4-8 hours power outages will be more challenging, try it, maybe not in US, come here and try that *challenge*.

 

[farrier!]

I find no problem with long distance eggs. The problem is more from poor packing or poor nutrition on the sellers end.
Mostly packing. Often the first look at how the eggs are packed will give a good indication on hatch rate.
I have also received non fertile eggs from an ebay seller, packed with a second auction that were fertile so no way to blame shipping or incubation!

 

[lauralou]

I have only hatched shipped eggs twice. One batch came from GA, the other came from WA. Both hatches were great, despite the fact that the box from WA looked like the postal workers had played football with it.

When I emailed the WA sender to tell him about the hatch, he was quite relieved. He had feared that fertility would be less because of the time of year. (Autumn.) His fears prompted him to include an extra half dozen eggs. He wasn't advertising his eggs, by the way, I contacted him out of the blue about them.

So, my experience has been good from near and far. The big difference with me is that I don't use an incubator. I use broody hens. So there was never an issue with power outage or loss of humidity, or anything like that. I don't know how much of a difference that makes, but I suspect that it does make a difference.

 

[speckledhen]

IMO, distance has no bearing on hatch rate. What actually happens to the pkg in the P.O.'s hands is what influences that. Folks across the country in California and Washington have had good hatch rates from eggs I shipped from GA. I live right at the NC line and the closest P.O. is in NC. Once I shipped from that NC P.O. to inside NC, about 4 hours away. Took them 3 days to get it there. Should have been the next day, but oh, no.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have eggs shipped from the east coast (2 different sellers) to CA right now in my bator. I can let you know in 10 more days.

Of course, this is my first attempt at hatching, so if I don't get a good hatch rate it's because of me, not the breeder. But so far, everything looks good.

ETA: my eggs from the first seller arrived in 2 days and from the second seller in 3 days.

 

[possumqueen]

Quote:
Hey, Mulia,

Do you mean shipping overseas is too complicated, or is it against the law to buy eggs from outside Indonesia?

Just curious. I'd bet that anyone here would send you any eggs you want.

 

[corancher]

I have found about the same as everyone else has said. It depends a lot on how the package was handled. I have received eggs from the same people and same breed with great results and not so great results.

I do find I get better overall results from my purchases from BYC members then I do from unknown to me sellers on Ebay or Eggbid. Although, I have gotten some nice hatches from those sources also.

I have also shipped eggs all over the country with the same type of results. Some have gone all the way to the East Coast and have done very well and others to Kansas with not so good results.

I guess we all need to remember that shipped eggs is taking a risk because even with the best, freshest fertile eggs & great packing the post office can be tossing the eggs around. We need to ask if it a risk that we can take even if we get no chicks before we decide to purchase. I have some lovely stock because I took the risk but I have also spent a lot of money.