Incubating Shipped Eggs

[fins-feathers-furs]

Hi All,

Just found your website two days ago, started reading various forums-everyone seemed so friendly and helpful-so I decided to join!

I’m considering purchasing eggs online for incubation and would like to know how things turned out for anyone who has done this.

Is there a better time of year to do this due to temperature during shipping? Does how they’re packed make a lot of difference (other than breakage)? – I’ve read some use bubble wrap on each egg. Yet, another seller swears that using bubble wrap on an egg will kill it because it can’t breathe.

Anyway, if anyone has purchased, shipped, and incubated eggs, any information you’d like to share would certainly be appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[yomama]

Sorry, no advice on that here,but thought I would just say

Don't worry, someone will chime in here pretty quickly. Just a warning, this website is very addicting!

 

[halo]

Theres a lot of information in this very forum about all your questions. Sit back and relax and do some reading here. You'll find more information and actual experiences than you'll ever want or need to know. Good reading, too.

 

[Marthab1953]

Welcome!

I think Spring is better because it is cooler. I have bought eggs before at different times of the yesr, and the shipped eggs do not hatch as well for me as my own eggs, but that is common with shipped eggs. Summer is the worst time for me as it gets so hot.

 

[DIYSeattle]

Im working on replacing my hens that I have at the moment so I have some shipped eggs in the incubator now. I dont want to have to wait until the fall to start laying so thay can slow down. Hopefully these will be laying inthe spring instead of sitting in the brooder. They have to sit in the brooder regardless of whether its 80- or 40 outside dont they? I havent done this in a long time so Im starting again.

 

[Criskin]

I've had several batches of eggs shipped to me...sometimes with success and sometimes not. For instance, I once hatched 5 out of 6 hatched eggs that were shipped in from New Jersey. Most recently, I had 12 eggs shipped from California and none hatched! In fact, only one even developed and it died before it could hatch. I seem to have better results with eggs that are bubble wrapped, then put in an egg carton, then well padded with the top of the box marked to keep them upright as much as possible. Also, I think eggs do better in Spring and Fall when the temperature extremes aren't so extreme. There are so many variables, though, that even the most fertile eggs packaged carefully and sent in the right season may not always hatch. I see it as the gamble I make for the chance to get birds or a kind or quality I wouldn't otherwise be able to obtain. Whatever you decide, welcome to BYC! There is so much information here and so many helpful people to help you along the way!

 

[gryeyes]

Welcome to BYC!

I'm currently in the middle of an obsessive-compulsive incubation cycle - or few! - and I am new enough to incubating to consider ANY hatchling surviving is a "good hatch." I have only tried to incubate shipped eggs thus far. My first hatch, 6 of 7 hatched. Second, 3 of 7. Third, 3 of 7. Fourth, 6 of 7. I have a boatload more eggs in various incubators.

One batch of 18 eggs arrived "well packed" and in individual bubble wrap, yet four eggs on the bottom of the carton were still smushed or cracked. The remainder are currently incubating, so I can't tell you the success rate for those egg are, yet. However, the two "6 of 7" batches of eggs were in individual bubble wrap and I think those were EXCELLENT hatches. I'd never heard about the eggs not being able to breathe, before... but... doesn't mean it isn't sometimes true.

I am using nearly fool-proof incubators (or I wouldn't have attempted this at all), made by Brinsea. I'm thrilled with them and recommend them to ANYBODY who asks.

 

[BunnyMomma]

Welcome,

I just joined a few weeks ago, it is so wonderful it is to have such a great group of people to share their eggsperiences with us.
I have had chickens for years, but I am back into them now as a hobby / business. We just built our first incubator today, and I have eggs coming on Oct. 12th.

This will be my first eggsperience with incubating eggs. I did some research on hatcheries and individuals and I decided to buy my eggs from an individual that had really good reviews. I believe previous customer satisfaction was the most important thing for me. Wish me luck!
Good luck to you and enjoy the BYC!
Bunny

 

[racuda]

One factor may be how far the eggs travel. If you have a choice of sellers, closer is better.