Ok so I started with 24 eggs and I'm down to 11.... is that bad?

[Biddylover]

I ordered mine from two different people on ebay, I've lost almost all of the barred rocks that leaves the delawares. don't get me wrong I'm hoping the delawares make it but gosh. Is this normal? I've been checking the eggs that I am loosing and they aren't even fertile

Should I say something to the girl on ebay about it? What would you do? It didn't cost me an arm and a leg I think 19 bucks for 12 eggs, it's just the principal of it. Well keep your fingers crossed today is day 10 and all 11 have clear squirming little ones in them. I hope it stays that way

I think if this doesn't work I am going to order off mypetchicken.com just so I have eggs this spring

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Just because they don't develop does not mean they aren't fertile and trying to check an egg that has been in humid hot conditions for over a week for a bullseye is pointless. Shipping is very hard on eggs.....I've always thought if I get anywhere close to 50% on shipped eggs it's great...honestly I'm just happy if any hatch at all. I'm glad for the most part I'm done with buying shipped eggs. It's much more fun to hatch my own but it was the only way I had to get some of the breeds and varieties that I wanted.

 

[Mahonri]

It's weird.

I've had eggs shipped from GA, SC, MD, TX , WI and WA.

My best hatch rates came from MD and SC and the closest in TX were the worst.

I think it all has to do with local postal workers and how they handle packages. Seriously.

 

[mypicklebird]

If you get ANY healthy chicks from shipped eggs- be happy. I get 50%- 0% when I use shipped eggs. 80%-95% with fresh home grown hatching eggs. Shipping is really hard on eggs- I expect 0%, so get HAPPY when I get anything from a shipped batch. Sure- tell the seller, but all they can control is the health of the eggs going into the box and how the eggs are packed- but they can't control what happens in the mail, or what happens after you get them. I base my feedback for shipped eggs on how clean and well shaped/colored they are and how they packed them (and if there are extras!) , but not so much on how many hatch.

 

[Biddylover]

ok I understand lol I will incubate my own eggs from now on, I don't like the gamble with shipped eggs. There is no guarantee the 11 I have left will make it and I am trying not to get attached but..... I am . One thing the barred rock seller didn't send extra's it's ok though I understand what ya'll are saying. I'll just order day old's, i'm not going to tractor supply. Did that last year and paid for something and ended up with EE's, if I go through mypetchicken.com I'm getting buff orfingtons (spelling?) or LF blue cochins. I need to think positive about the 11 I have it's hard to do that. Oh well. Thanks for responding everyone.