Need help troubleshooting bad hatch rates from shipped eggs

[Stacykins]

Seriously, I am pretty sure that the people who handle the mail this far north play kickball with package I receive. Nearly every single egg (including the araucana eggs I got from Lanae, which I had a successful hatch with!) came with detatched aircells. I actually candle them immediately when they arrive and label the ones with detached aircells. After I allow them to settle at room temperature for 24 hours, I then set them in my incubator and typically go TWO DAYS without plugging in the turner. I want those aircells to settle, to reattach. It works for most. The ones that never attach usually show no development by day 7 and I pull them. Right now I have 16 eggs in my incubator, and I started out with 24, but pulled the right non developers on day 7. I cracked them open to analyze the contents, and they were indeed fertile.

It isn't the sellers. I am sure if you crack open the eggs that don't develop, they will have a fertile bullseye (that is what I do with non developers, in the name of science

). But the embyro can only handle so much abuse and the mail system is very rough with them. As long as the sellers accurately represent their stock, and package fertile eggs to the best of their ability to they arrive intact, the rest is up to you. It is a serious gamble, and I am definitely sorry you are having bad hatch rates. If I were you, I would try and get hatching eggs locally, or from your own stock (if you can) and incubate them. If you still have terrible hatch rates, you might need to recheck on your incubation practices. How do you clean out your incubator after hatches? One thing you didn't mention.

 

[classicsredone]

One thing that you can do is to try to locate eggs as close to you as possible. The less the package has to travel, the less opportunities there are for rough handling. It also helps to check the feedback for the seller, and ask how the eggs will be packaged. The sellers can't stop the post office from playing kick ball with the packages, but proper packaging at prevents some damage.

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Have you calibrated your hygrometer? That sometimes is the biggest issue, especially with cheaper versions.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

What's your humidity levels been at? How long have you been letting them rest?

When I get shipped eggs, if the eggs arrive warm, I put them in right away but do not turn the first 2-3 days. If I order eggs in the fall and they arrive cool I let them come to room temp and then put them in the incubator, again leaving the humidity off the first 2-3 days. Humidity stays around 20-30% the first 18 days then up to around 70% or so.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I sent a batch of 30 eggs to Oregon a about 2 weeks ago. The customer just emailed me and out of the 30 eggs, 26 are growing. So I don't think distance has anything to do with it.

From NY to OR, all the way on the other side of the country.


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Proper packaging is key!!! Always email the seller and ask how they wrap their eggs. I prefer my eggs to be packaged the way I ship eggs. Individually wrapped in bubblewrap and cushioned with lots and lots of shredded paper. Also, proper nutrition to the breeder stock is also vital.

 

[classicsredone]

It may or may not. It is such a gamble with shipping. I have had better luck with eggs from in-state compared to across the country, but why we'll never know.

 

[chicken delighted]

i have bought eggs this year the frist 2 doz came from michigan and south caroline. i put them under my broodys and 7 out of one and 6 out of the other the last 2 orders came from same places put in incubator lost the whole batch

sicking so hear i am agian trying the incubator thing if this does not work i will not buy eggs untill my broodys are ready or i will just chicken out and order

 

[MobyQuail]

Quote:
smart. I placed a control group of our birds eggs that I had already had very successful hatches with this year, in with my $hipped eggs. Had very bad results with the 5 different sets of shipped eggs from near and far, same great results with the backyard birds.

I do not blame the sellers, I got from the best. Could have been heat, rough handling, xrays, altitude sickness, moisture evaporation...

but, I agree, shipped eggs are a little bit of a gamble. imho.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
Me too I have had the best luck with close at a certain point away from me nothing hatches close to me I have had 80% plus on shipped eggs the less the PO gets to touch them the better I have delivered some eggs on my motorcycle just a coupla states away and folks have had 100% hatches. So it can be done the PO gets paid whether they take care of folks property or not they do not care as a whole.

 

[cmom]

On shipped eggs I have let them sit for 24 hrs and longer before I put them in the incubator and have put them in as soon as I got them. One thing that worked well for me was to put them in the incubator when I get them and don't turn on the turner until the next day. The eggs will take quite awhile to get up to temperature so while they are heating up they are stabilizing too. Just my opinion.