HELP!! I'm not stupid please advise

[GatorChickenRanch]

Hi everyone, I know it sounds stupid, I bought hatching eggs off eBay, there was no disclaimer about hatch rate, I've been incubating eggs thru a friend who is a breeder for quite a while and we have a 82-86% hatch rate, so I wanted a new hard to find breed so I paid quite a bit for 12 eggs, my friend went to the post office picked up the eggs, put them in his dickies professional incubator,set the temp and humidity and we candled the eggs after 18 days, guess what no chicks!! So I contacted the seller, offered to pay a reasonable shipping rate for replacement eggs, $15 but after this he wants to double his shipping rate to $30, feel like I'm being ripped off, anybody have any advice for me? I know buyer beware but you would think a professional poultry farm would want to please there customers.

 

[mstricer]

It doesn't seem like he's going to come through. He's raising the shipping so you pay for the eggs again. Probably not fertile. But also thats the price we pay to have them shipped in the mail. I've done 4 hatches in the past month and half and only have 8 chicks to show for it. Half of those were hatched by a hen who set on 5 and I put the other 5 in incubator and got 1, she got 4, goes to show mother nature knows best. Good luck with your dilemma. Michele

 

[jm93030]

Sorry to read about your story , but you are not alone in this situation.

Last month I spend $100 in 2 dozen of silkie eggs from 2 diferent breeders

the first one
I asked her several times if she could only send me white silkie eggs, she said yes , when I got the eggs they were all mix colors
out of her dozen only 2 made it to lockdown

from the second breeder 6 made it to the lock down , but still dont count on the chicks until they hatch.

Sometimes I realized that buying chicks is cheaper, less stress and less headaches.

Once you have your own flock , hatching eggs is full of enjoyment.

 

[nurse_turtle]

Live and learn. After 2 bad experiences, I avoid shipped eggs. If I want a more unusual or hard to find breed, I'll find a breeder who ships chicks. No more shipped eggs for me.

 

[Katy]

Shipped eggs are a gamble and poor hatch rates unfortunately go along with them. I've never shipped free replacement eggs nor do I expect to get them when I have a poor hatch from them.