My shipped egg hatch rate

[tjb]

First dozen I bought that were shipped only one hatch, but it was a pullet!
The second dozen below, 2 hatched yesterday.. praying for pullets to make the cost worth it! {above-Sapphire Super Blue}
I have the last dozen in the incubator now. It looks like 10 are developing nicely, one blood ring and one scrambled.

 

[007Sean]

Yep, that's the trouble with shipped eggs. You don't know how long they have been collected, how they have gone through the shipping/handling process (x-rayed, shaken, thrown around) sometimes 1 hatches, sometimes all and sometimes none. It's just a toss up.
Then theres the incubation process where so many things can and will influence the hatch rate.
I order eggs every once in awhile (mainly pheasant eggs) and usually have pretty good results. You also have to take in consideration that some breeds/species have low fertility rates to begin with....this is especially true with pheasants.
Congrats on your 2 that did hatch, nice looking chicks.

 

[Snoozeys]

I have always believed if you get 50% on shipped eggs your doing extremely well ... for me if i get 2 females 1 male i am happy !!

 

[tjb]

Yep, that's the trouble with shipped eggs. You don't know how long they have been collected, how they have gone through the shipping/handling process (x-rayed, shaken, thrown around) sometimes 1 hatches, sometimes all and sometimes none. It's just a toss up.
Then theres the incubation process where so many things can and will influence the hatch rate.
I order eggs every once in awhile (mainly pheasant eggs) and usually have pretty good results. You also have to take in consideration that some breeds/species have low fertility rates to begin with....this is especially true with pheasants.
Congrats on your 2 that did hatch, nice looking chicks.

You are so very right on all accounts... After buying from a distant, I recently found some from about 45 miles away, however, the seller will not meet or let me come pick them up. Totally understand in this day and age... but the shipping will only be one day. May try in the spring from them.

 

[007Sean]

I have always believed if you get 50% on shipped eggs your doing extremely well ... for me if i get 2 females 1 male i am happy !!

Snoozeys, your just about dead-on! A 50% hatch rate is very good for shipped eggs. I've found that the eggs I've had shipped and that I have shipped have a better hatch rate if they were shipped in foam, versus being bubble wrapped, packed in saw dust, wrapped in paper towels, etc...I've noticed those in foam packing tend to have 75% plus hatch rate....this all being with no change in the incubation process, in other words, I didn't change the way I incubate in regards to humidity and temperature.

 

[tjb]

Well, one of the two didn't make it to 2 days. Thankfully, I had a single chick hatch next and they keep each other company.

One the bright side, the current set of shipped eggs. 12 -- 2 did not progress to veining and on day 10, the remaining 10 are growing and moving very well.

They are Crested Cream Legbar. Of the eggs I have incubated, they seem to be ahead of the rest in development. Is that normal for this breed?

 

[Snoozeys]

My last batch i bought were all duds so i am investing in some pullets

 

[Nksg75]

Well, one of the two didn't make it to 2 days. Thankfully, I had a single chick hatch next and they keep each other company.

One the bright side, the current set of shipped eggs. 12 -- 2 did not progress to veining and on day 10, the remaining 10 are growing and moving very well.

They are Crested Cream Legbar. Of the eggs I have incubated, they seem to be ahead of the rest in development. Is that normal for this breed?

Can I ask where you purchased the eggs?
I can't offer help in regards to that breed, I am just interested in buying eggs myself. I am looking at places in Texas only, to reduce transit time.
Thanks

 

[tjb]

Ebay -- I narrow the search at the left of the listings.
I actually found a seller less than an hour from my home, but had already purchased these.
you enter your zip code and it brings up the listings within xxx number of miles.

 

[tjb]

My last batch i bought were all duds so i am investing in some pullets

I totally understand. this is my 3rd try at shipped eggs. This is the best I have had going into lockdown. But, I really want to get more color to my eggs and shipping on pullets is so expensive.