Getting shipped eggs is the only way I can get the breeds i'm looking for and the better quality one too. I do alot of the swaps here at BYC. The hatch rates are poor though. It's the chance I'm willing to take to get what im wanting. Around here people don't have silkies separated by color. They're mixed colors. I started out with mixed colors and working on putting together colored pens with the silkies. The sizzles are mixed colors that I have. I have gotten some blue ones that I plan to put a blue pen together with as soon as they are ready to start laying.
I got a black orph last year that was the only one that hatched out of 12 eggs. Now i've been trying to get him a couple of girlfriends. I think I finally do after many tries. Other than those I have a pair of oegb's and i've started getting duck eggs. So far I have 1 pekin, 1 swedish and 3 indian runner ducklings. Still more to hatch. It's been a busy day. Tending to the bators and chicks. I hear peeping so there will be or is another.
I believe the post office and the handling and storing of the eggs of the shipper have alot to do with it. They get shook up from the post office and sent thru the xray. When I gather eggs to be shipped I handle them like fine china. I store them in a cool room and turn then twice a day. I don't send any that are older than 4 days and I carefully wrap each egg in bubble wrap and lay them on their side in the box and layer them with shreded paper between and I tuck shredded paper along the sides of the box to cushion against bumping. So far from those that let me know the hatch rates have been good. I don't know how they all did but those that did let me know have been good.
I get 90 - 100% hatch rates from my own eggs but of course they haven't been thru shipping. I've gotten boxes of scrambled eggs ready for the pan. When a box arrives stained yellowish orange I know it can't be good. I"ve had broken and sisplaced air cells. Right now I have a box somewhere out there that was due on the 9th. I still haven't gotten it. I really hope I don't either. I'm sure it has a bad aroma to it by now.
I got a black orph last year that was the only one that hatched out of 12 eggs. Now i've been trying to get him a couple of girlfriends. I think I finally do after many tries. Other than those I have a pair of oegb's and i've started getting duck eggs. So far I have 1 pekin, 1 swedish and 3 indian runner ducklings. Still more to hatch. It's been a busy day. Tending to the bators and chicks. I hear peeping so there will be or is another.
I believe the post office and the handling and storing of the eggs of the shipper have alot to do with it. They get shook up from the post office and sent thru the xray. When I gather eggs to be shipped I handle them like fine china. I store them in a cool room and turn then twice a day. I don't send any that are older than 4 days and I carefully wrap each egg in bubble wrap and lay them on their side in the box and layer them with shreded paper between and I tuck shredded paper along the sides of the box to cushion against bumping. So far from those that let me know the hatch rates have been good. I don't know how they all did but those that did let me know have been good.
I get 90 - 100% hatch rates from my own eggs but of course they haven't been thru shipping. I've gotten boxes of scrambled eggs ready for the pan. When a box arrives stained yellowish orange I know it can't be good. I"ve had broken and sisplaced air cells. Right now I have a box somewhere out there that was due on the 9th. I still haven't gotten it. I really hope I don't either. I'm sure it has a bad aroma to it by now.