I'm new, bought eggs from Ebay

[mekat49]

I have read a lot on here, it seems the hatch rate on Ebay shipped eggs is poor or non existant.
Is this true? I bought 26 eggs, two breeds I wanted really bad and am now worried I have wasted my money.
I am doing everything right as far as temp, humidity and turning, I did leave half the eggs in cartons(paper)
with the lid torn off, hoping this upright position would be a good thing.?? I raise the bator up on a side and
hand turn the loose eggs. After reading a lot on here it seems hatching eggs in a bator is difficult. My eggs have only gone in the bator on Thanksgiving day, after an upright rest in a carton (after shipping) for 20 hrs.
Any help or tips to help get a good hatch. I am trying to use common sense with this new adventure, but the more I read the more nervous I get. thank you

 

[enola]

Hatching shipped eggs is a gamble. But don't give up yet. I usually buy my eggs from someone with a high rating. That said I have good luck with shipped eggs with hatch rates from 20 - 90 %. One order was for 12 cuckoo marans eggs, received 18, 1 was cracked, 2 were not fertile, 2 just stopped developing, 2 didn't pip. I ended up with 11 chicks 3 male, 8 female, one of the cockerals died in the first week. The eggs were a beautiful dark eggs and the pullets laid even darker eggs.

 

[One Chick Two]

Hi! Welcome to BYC!

It's only been a few days, right? You can candle them in about a week I believe to check on progress. (Others will have more info.)

Hmmm... I'm not experienced with this, but, I tend to think it wouldn't matter where eggs originated. Just as long as the seller had healthy chicken parents, guaranteed fertile eggs shipped in a timely manner, with excellent packaging, so eggs don't crack and membranes don't have issues. Eggs should be clean, and sent bottom sides up. (Isn't there a rest period too?) There is probably more criteria, but after these are met, the rest is up to the buyer to have just the right conditions. Someone with much more experience can fill in more details.

Just a few more thoughts on Ebay or any other venue- did you read the seller's feedback very well or About Me pages/ website/ see photos of their current chicken parents, and ask about their lineage? Also, ask questions. If a seller won't answer emails, or be helpful and forthcoming with questions, I just wouldn't buy from them. Feedback and unresponsive sellers can be very telling.

Hope your hatch works out!

Here's an excellent thread on shipping eggs:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738943/the-great-egg-shipping-experiment

 

[mekat49]

Thank you, I bought from reputable top Ebayers. I wondered if I would be able to candle the marans eggs because of the dark brown shell? Theses eggs came packed in an upright position.
The other eggs I bought were creme legbars, they were small eggs, packed nice but helter skelter in the packing material.
Do you think my carton idea is a good choice or not? I don't have an egg mat or turner?

 

[gimmie birdies]

is your incubator homemade? mine is and I hand turn. I don't keep them in a carton with the lid off or the bottoms torn out, I understand why you do.

it is hard to candle marans they are very dark. maybe after the 16th day or so when light only shines through the round part of the egg- air cell-you can see something.

since my incubator is a still air, I hatch at 102


degrees as recommended for a still air bator. I dry hatch. at lock down I stop turning and only add a damp paper towel torn in 1/2 and wrung out after the first pip.


after the first pip I wait 24 hrs more for the chick to fully come out of the egg,

they come out moist from their own fluids and my bator is small so they don't dry out.
then 24 hrs later when fluffed up I move to a brooder.


then out to the coop.

 

[kthankzbai]

I'm in California and I bought off eBay before from Oregon. Ordered 12 Saxony duck eggs and had 11 (1 was infertile) of them hatch. I had no trouble whatsoever and it was my first time.

Two years later, I decided to eBay off 6 Call duck eggs. Seller packed them very nicely but most of them came scrambled. They all had detached air cells and a few started seeping. Had to throw away all of them. It wasn't the sellers fault, it was from NC so I took a big risk. But I really wanted the sellers eggs because the Call ducks were gorgeous and they were Butterscotch Call ducks. Oh well. Got too greedy.

So I decided to order closer and ordered 6 new Mallard eggs from Arizona. All of them arrived safely, well-packaged. But 2 have detached air cells. Since that's a better rate than last time, I was a bit relieved. They're in the bator for Day 3. Two are sitting upright in a carton w holes for airflow.

Since I had such success in the beginning w shipped eggs, I thought it was gonna be a breeze. Guess not. It's always a gamble!

 

[mekat49]

Thank you, I guess it is just the luck of the draw and on how they are handled by the post office on their trip.. My eggs traveled from Texas and Oklahoma
to Kansas, not to far, cross your fingers. I will try to candle on day 7, not that I know what I am looking at.

I see these yellow egg mat/things for sale to put in incubators, are they a good idea rather than cartons? Is it better to invest in an auto egg turner ? I have
a used Hova-bator, of course--no instructions.

This site has been so helpful, the people are so nice, I really enjoy it.

I have never had chickens before, I was given 3 free chickens which got me started

 

[gimmie birdies]

good luck! I had eggs shipped from Ohio, to WA state the hottest time of the year 105 degrees ,my eggs were shipped by air then brought home. all had floating air cells. I kept them upright a few days then stuck'm under a hot hen needless to say the contents melted. I have had luck with eggs closer to home, and your eggs probably came by truck. so they should be fine.

 

[gimmie birdies]

anything yet? here is my detached cell baby shilo I got him from a farm up the road. he was the only detached.
I got him from a fridge, under the very best conditions with fridge eggs maybe 50% is the result. I started out with 9 eggs from the fridge and not knowing how long they had been there. plus one egg from one of my hens a blue splash

3 of the 9 hatched plus the blue splash. I really wanted the blue- the others were to keep it company.

 

[mekat49]

Today is day 23 and NOTHING, I am so disappointed, I had hoped a few baby chicks would hatch out of 26 eggs!!! These were eggs from Ebay, from 2 different farms and not that far away, the eggs got here fast. I am going to leave them in the bator a while longer then I am going to open them up and see what was in there.
I tried to do everything right, no baby chicks!!
It has been an expensive lesson, although I don't know where I went wrong, wish I did.

Guess I will buy pullets from now on.