High quitter rate. Did I screw up?

[tumnus]

I've hatched shipped eggs a few times now and I usually get a 50-60% hatch rate. This time around, I started with 35 eggs, only 23 developed. That's about what I'd expect. On day 10, I candled again and found that all but 9 had quit. I'd never had that many die on me after they began developing, but I rolled with it anyway. Today is lockdown, I decided to candle again just to make sure everyone was still having a good time in their shells and 3 more had (very obviously) quit. So I'm down to a 17% hatch rate. Abysmal.

This order was shipped on the 1st of November but didn't get to me until the 9th. There was some big delay at a USPS distribution center for reasons no one could really figure out. Could that delay be the culprit for this high quitter rate? I've been incubating right at around 100-101 degrees and 35-45% humidity just like I always do. The only thing I did differently is I used an egg turner this time instead of doing it by hand. Any ideas?

 

[17 chickens]

Could be to long at the usps where it's really cold... I have always had great luck using an egg turner, they are the best!

 

[tumnus]

Could be to long at the usps where it's really cold... I have always had great luck using an egg turner, they are the best!

Appreciate the response. It's day 16 and I decided to candle again. They're all dead. So this was just a total bust. Honestly, I'm pretty unhappy. I know it wasn't the distributor's fault that the package got delayed, but at the end of the day, it is kind of on them to make sure that I get my order on time.

 

[17 chickens]

I would get a hold of the company and talk to them about it, They should have some insurance on the order or replace order?
It is hard to go through all that work and hope to have this happen!

 

[NevilChick]

What kind of eggs were you hatching?

 

[lazy gardener]

The shipper has no control of the USPS conditions. That is why they have a disclaimer regarding shipped eggs. It's often not even possible to tell if an egg failed to develop due to infertility, or any other cause. Unless the eggs were insured, and arrived with obvious damage (broken eggs, maybe even scrambled yolks, most air cells broken or saddled) there would be no insurance recourse. Check "hatching eggs 101". There is an article there dealing with shipped eggs and insurance claims. There is also lots of information re: special handling during incubation of shipped eggs. I've heard it said that an egg turner is harder on an egg than hand turning. An egg that is already compromised is going to be super sensitive to any movement stress.

 

[NevilChick]

I always use a turner with my Dickey incubator. I haven't noticed a difference and I buy a lot of shipped eggs. One key element is letting the eggs settle before placing them in the incubator....anywhere from 12-24 hours. I usually go on the long side to let the air sac develop. You are right that there is no recourse on eggs not hatching. (Lazy Gardener)The only way eggs are usually replaced is if they are broken on arrival. It's always best to take a picture. I'm really sorry about your eggs. I have lost a few batches myself and it's very upsetting to wait on those special eggs. Unfortunately it sounds like several factors could have played into your loss. It never hurts to contact the seller though in a nonthreatening way to ask for advice. I just received a box of 12 chicken eggs today and two were crushed. I will of course tell him because he may want to package differently. Good luck with your future hatches.