Interesting Results -- shipping versus hand-delivery

[SkyWarrior]

Well, well, well... I'm learning a LOT about how shipping affects hatches.

7 EE eggs -- 1 exploded.

2 hatched. 1 supposedly hatches tomorrow. Looks like a quitter.

4 BBS eggs -- 3 duds. 1 supposedly hatches tomorrow.

4 Merriam turkey eggs. 3 look like duds. 1 I can see the heart beating.

12 BCM eggs from friend. At day 14, 8 to 10 appear to be viable (as much as I can tell candling BCM eggs...).

Even though I am fairly new at this incubating thing, I still get hatches, albeit, low. The chicks that come out are healthy and the incubator runs a consistent 100F (still air). The hatch happens spot on the day they're supposed to.

The telling thing is the BCM eggs from a friend were hand-delivered. I figure I'll have some peeps from this clutch and the number should be much higher than the others. I can only guess that the shipping is at fault with the other eggs and has screwed up the viability of the hatches.

With this in mind, it's insane to spend a lot of money on shipped eggs, no matter how well the seller packs them. They can't guarantee fertility or handling, and apparently even with bright red warning stickers on boxes, the "gentle handling" the eggs receive isn't enough. As much as I want to hatch really cool birds from different folks, the post office will obviously make my success rate somewhere around 25% as opposed to what appears to be closer to 80% with hand-delivered eggs.

Sigh.

 

[Wolfwoman]

I had ONE out of 29 eggs hatch from PO delivered eggs.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I'm wondering if it's where we are that makes such a difference.

 

[OSUman]

Well ive had an experience of the opposite once. I had eggs shipped and got a %60 hatch but the eggs that i set from my own hens i didnt get one egg to hatch. It depends on not only the PO but the way the eggs are shipped. The marking on the box really doesnt mater because they are all put through the same procedures weather theyre marked or not.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
I'm wondering if it's where we are that makes such a difference.

I'm sure it does when they are a week in transit.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I'm wondering if it's where we are that makes such a difference.

I'm sure it does when they are a week in transit.

Okay, well how long does it normally take people to get their eggs? I'm stunned if I get them within 3-4 days. Usually takes about a week.

 

[Wolfwoman]

I've seen most get them in 2-4 days, which is normal priority mail. Express would be overnight, but it's expensive.

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
Express mail is generally 2-day out here anyway. The post office won't guarantee overnight around here. I just got Fed-Ex and UPS to recognize where we live.

 

[wolftracks]

See....this is why we started the Egg Train.

My eggs here are fertile and hatching at almost 100%.

I spent hundreds of dollars since March and Have only had a couple hatch since may out of untold shipment.

I did get 2 hatched from a shipment resently, but one didn't make it but 3 days.

But did that smarten me up? No

I have eggs I let set till just a little while ago and have 2 more orders on the way.

Now if someone will just come from the areas I need and the Egg Train will move again.

Did get a few through this summer, but I had a very very bad summer, so wasn't on it until now.

I sure hope some of these eggs are going to make it. Would be nice to have a really good hatch from shipped eggs again.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

mine shipped on wed got them friday, and I wouldn't put it past postal workers to shake the boxes they see fragile stickers on, the eggs probably get delivered scrambled in their shells. my 1st hatch and its bad enough I don't really know what I'm doing. fingers crossed any of them hatch.