Hatching shipped eggs

[Chic Chick]

I've heard that the xray scan for airlines can kill the embryos and wonder if anyone has had luck hatching eggs that came by plane from 1/2 way across the country. I'm leary about spending big bucks for special eggs that don't stand a chance but thats the only way to get these eggs.

What to do?

thanks
CC

 

[chickedydoodaa]

My eggs have been hatching all day and they were shipped eggs.

 

[Katy]

On shipped eggs I've had everything from 0 out of 18 eggs to a much better 11 out of 13 eggs hatch. There are so many factors that figure into it. The temps they were exposed to, how they were handled, whether they were packed well, etc. Shipped eggs are a gamble, but sometimes that's the only way to get a start of the breeds or colors that aren't readily available. You just have to decide if it's worth the risk.

 

[Akane]

All my chickens came from shipped eggs from various coasts. I get alot from georgia for some reason. I'm in the middle of the midwest so everything is half a country away to me. Many put on the box "Do not xray". Somewhere you can purchase labels that let you mark certain possible items and say do not xray. Dunno if it works. I can't imagine they'd fail to xray a possibly suspect package just because someone put do not xray on it but who knows.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
USPS Priority Mail generally goes ground. Also, I don't think mail is routinely scanned.

In any event, you can get labels that say *Live Embryos - Do Not X-Ray*

 

[Chic Chick]

So Akane what would be the percentage of the eggs hatched that you got in the mail? Would you say it's at least 1/2 the eggs hatched?

 

[Chic Chick]

Quote:
Thanks twigg, but Usps is not used here in Canada. We use Canada Post and I'll be the receiver and not the sender. This is the first time I'm buying shipped eggs and I can only hope the senders label them appropriately.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had good hatches from eggs that came from California to here in GA. Actually, seems sometimes those are better since they have to go by airline or no way they'd be here in two days. It's not the distance, but how long it takes to get to the destination. It's taken three days to get from one part of NC to another, but most places on the west coast get them in two days. Makes no sense. The longer it takes to arrive, the more handling and temp changes it seems to go through. I never put anything except "Extremely FRAGILE" on a box.

 

[Chickapooh23]

Quote:
Shipped eggs are a gamble, but sometimes its a necessary one. The best hatch I have had from shipped eggs is 9 of 15. Most are about 1/3 eggs hatch. There is just no way of knowing who is doing what to your eggs.

Anyone remember the Ace Ventura movie when he was delivering a package. That is what I think of and then pray, pray, pray for my eggs.

Also, I am picky about how far away I order my eggs from. Usually this side of the Rockies. It tends to keep them on the ground.