Hatch Rates for Shipped Eggs (Specifically Mille Fleurs, Speckled Sussex and Marans)

[Trisseh]

Definitely the shipping is the main concern and not the breed. Personally I’ve found the bantam eggs to handle shipping better, with the LF eggs having more air cell issues and more early quitters or clears. No idea why that is, but that’s been my experience. The d’uccles I’ve hatched have all hatched well, usually over 50% hatch rate, I’ve had 100% hatch rate on red jungle fowl, and other smaller eggs. The ones I had the most trouble with were croad langshan and legbars, for whatever reason. Duck eggs seem to be the exception to my “rule” that I’ve been seeing - the bigger eggs are sturdier than the smaller eggs. It really depends on the handling, temp fluctuations, and pressures put on those eggs during shipping.

 

[Tonyroo]

Shipped eggs are always 50/50 hatch there's a lot of variables to consider, but I still prefer hatching a chick on my own.
About 12 years ago I bought 6 Porcelain D'uccle eggs off Ebay and back then I didn't ask the seller to much questions. I just assumed it would be a iffy hatch, but all 6 hatched and grew up to be very healthy pretty chickens. 1 roo and 5 hen.
Flash forward today I definitely struggle with every hatch I've done this year.

Started with 6 wyandotte eggs 2 hatched, but I incubated that in a aquarium plus the eggs looked very dirty.
Then did a dozen Serama eggs, those got cooked in the still air incubator.
Next was Swedish Flower eggs, I got 5 useable eggs the other 3 looked very old and 1 had a crack, 4 hatched. 2 roo and 2 hens.
I tried another Serama dozen, half was infertile, 5 had bloodrings, 1 hatched but died on the 3rd day.

Even though my hatches seems like a disaster, I learned from those experience. It doesn't deter me from hatching more. My next will be Swedish flower from a different seller.