I Quit!!!!!

[scruffysmom]

Do you have a livestock auction in your area? That's where I got my dozen Ancona eggs. Only 9 were fertile, but all nine hatched. They cost $1.

 

[Hennypen]

I bought 16 Ameraucana eggs from peachick. They started hatching this morning. So far... 8 have hatched, 3 more have pipped, and two I don't know about. I'll get at least 11 out of 16. Not too bad IMO.

When you order eggs, TELL the shipper to double pack them. This is what peachick did. She bubble wrapped them individually and stacked them in a small box. She put that box inside another box and surrounded it with pine shavings. I think packaging makes a HUGE diffference!!!!

 

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Not to mention if there are an outbreaks of the flu in certain states, then shipping live birds is not even an option.

 

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
EXACTLY! I had one seller send me eggs in just a single small box and they all arrived with detached or broken air cells. Only one chick hatched and it was deformed. I bought more of the same eggs and asked him to package them in the little box inside of a larger box. He only charged me $2 extra and they ALL arrived in perfect condition. I just picked them up yesterday so it is too early to tell how they will hatch, but I think I will get some chicks out of them. Compare this with the first eggs that I received shipped: 0 out of 13, 1 out of 8, and possibly 1 out of 9 (the hatch date is Monday)

 

[pkw]

We have one chick that has survived. The others were too weak and died. Until the one surviving chick gets strong enough to walk, eat and drink then it is in a brooder in our bathroom. I have some shipped eggs in the other incubator right now that I bought from nava and gumpsgirl here on byc that I am hoping for a better hatch then I am putting away the incubator until next year.

 

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

I too was about to quit on hatching eggs...but, hatching fertile eggs I bought from trader joe's that have been SHIPPED AND REFRIGED I had a 7 out of 11 hatch, but one died hatching, one was to weak and had to help it hatch and another was just weak...so now its only 4 of the 7

 

[jossanne]

I've been discouraged hatching shipped eggs as well. My first hatch came from Utah to New Mexico, so they didn't travel far, and 8 of the 12 hatched. The chicks were cute, but not the quality I was hoping for. I got nothing that I could use to start breeding.

My second batch of eggs came with all detached air cells and nothing even developed from those eggs. So the seller sent replacement eggs (really nice seller), but 2 were broken in transit though they seemed really well packed. Two developed and hatched, but still not the quality I was looking for.

My fourth batch of eggs, I bought 6 and the seller sent 11. They came all the way from Indiana, and must have had a rough trip. They were packed beautifully, and all arrived with air cells intact, but only 3 developed. One baby hatched, and she's sitting on my shoulder as I type. I think/hope she's the quality I've been looking for (hard to tell at 6 weeks old), and I plan on getting more eggs from the same seller, but she's had a roo in with them right now that I don't want chicks from. Hopefully 2-3 weeks from now after the hens have been away from the roo for a while, I'll have a broody hen and can get the eggs I want. If I can just get a cockerel from those eggs, I should be (hopefully) set to start hatching my own.

So for $68 worth of eggs, I've gotten 11 chicks, one of which is the quality I want. But I've got good broodies who will help me hatch out more babies, and some cute eye candy running around the yard.

I've got my eyes on a breeding pair that would have to be shipped to me, and they'll be $100 plus shipping. I'm about to decide it's worth it to buy them!

 

[BawGock]

Shipped eggs are a gamble but it gives you access to breeds and bloodlines you may not otherwise have access to.
You're going to get crappy hatches and not-so-crappy ones.
Look around and you'll probably find another silkie breeder within driving distance that you can buy eggs or chicks from.
Carolyn

 

[Tim63]

Its certainly a gamble. There are sooo many variables involved. How long does the seller save the eggs before they ship?? What temperatures were they exposed to in shipping? How were they handled in shipping? How well were they packaged?
I have been lucky at times hatching shipped eggs. Other times not so much. It helps to do as much research as you can on the seller. I usually check the ABA and APA yearbooks to see if they are members. I check the breed club of the breed they are selling to see if they are members. I check to see if they have done well showing the birds, and if they are master breeders or exhibitors. Most of this info is avaliable in the yearbooks.
I have good stock now and don't have to take the gamble any longer. I think when starting out it is worth the risk. Three of my best breeding birds are from eggs I got from a man in Florida. With shipping, I paid about 35 dollars a dozen for those eggs. I got three dozen eggs from that particular breeder. Thats an average of one quality bird per doz. Those 3 birds as proven adults would easily run 50-75 dollars. I was lucky, many are not.
In summary; do the reaserch on the seller. Don't set your expectations too high. Be thankful when it works out good. Tell people about sellers you have had good luck with.
Hope this helps
Tim

 

[Cetawin]

Wow...I am sorry you are having this kind of trouble. I have only received shipped eggs once...a dozen. They took 3 days to get to me and had to wait 3 days for the incubator to arrive...my broody kept rolling them away from her.

I had 4 out of 12 hatch and only 9 of them were fertile.