Question about shipped eggs I received

[kennedyscochins]

I bought some eggs off ebay for the first time ever. I bought 2 dozen. It has been a week and I just candled them. 7 of them are obviously not fertile. Those are the light colored ones. I can not see through the dark ones, so I feel like a lot of them aren't fertile either. I do have some that are developing from the same shipment. This was an assortment, so many different breeds of eggs. On some, all of the eggs from one breed were not fertile. This was the case on 6 of the 7 eggs. My question is this: were these not fertile when they were shipped by them being the same breed? I know they can get x rayed and stuff, but wouldn't that make them all infertile?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

They may have all been fertile when beginning their travels. A lot of things affect fertility prior to incubation. Xray would have killed them all. Rough handling AKA scrambled eggs could have killed the ones that appear infertile at this point, btu that does not mean they were never hatchable eggs. Shipping is rough on them, plain and simple.

 

[kennedyscochins]

Quote:
okay thanks. That's what I kind of thought. Just seemed like they would look different when candled. They are just clear. I would have expected to see something different if they were scrambled from shipment.

 

[debilorrah]

This is one thing that drives me nuts!!! The seller has absolutely NO WAY to know 100% for sure that they are fertile. YOU are taking a chance buying eggs. If the sellers roo is active, they can ASSUME the eggs are fertile. Also, the way the post office handles the eggs can make them never even start to develop. They probably ARE fertile, just got knock around too much.

 

[kennedyscochins]

Thanks for the replies. I don't really think it's the seller's fault and I wasn't going to complain to them about it. I have never bought eggs online. always used my own, but thought I would give it a try. Just seems weird that certain breeds are clear and the others are developing. Maybe a coincidence I guess.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! If a seller is selling 'eggs for hatching', it's an implied guarantee that the eggs are fertile (I don't know what percentage of clears/inferiles others find acceptable from their breeding pens and include extras to make up for those possible non-fertile eggs)

Fertility versus viability in shipped 'eggs for hatching':
At 7 days into incubation, the eggs are 'fresh enough' to 'crack out' to check 'fertility VS infertile'. There is a thread with pics to check fertile vs infertile.
Fertile / non-fertile is an issue of whether the roo mates the hen and it is a healthy mating.
Those FERTILE eggs may be rendered non-viable by improper handling at any point from 'lay' to 'delivery'.
Non-viable eggs eggs may have been fertile, but don't grow, because of damage. Non-fertile eggs were never fertile (viable) to begin with and would not grow anywhere.

Lisa

 

[kelseygirl707]

Quote:
Always expect shipped eggs to have 50% hatch rate at best. If you get better, thet is great, but 50% or less is realistic. My first shipped eggs, I got 1 chick out of 14 eggs. But I have gotten great results too from eggs shipped from closer states.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

have you also checked to see if the air cell is shifting in the egg? if that cell has detached that can also be a reason that the eggs do not develop. i have had that happen on occasion. also why i don't suggest using FedEx to deliver eggs! (i think they had a fun time kicking my box of eggs around but didn't damage the box or shells on the eggs!)

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
For the record, my comments were not directed at you per se. Just in general. I would like everyone who buys shipped eggs to know ALL the variables there are as to why they don't hatch. With an active roo, fertility is low on the list.

 

[kennedyscochins]

Quote:
For the record, my comments were not directed at you per se. Just in general. I would like everyone who buys shipped eggs to know ALL the variables there are as to why they don't hatch. With an active roo, fertility is low on the list.

No offense taken. I sell eggs too so I know the risks that are involved. I'm just surprised that only certain breeds were clear. That's what I'm really questioning. I don't think they were fertile to begin with or there would be a mixture of breeds that were clear and some that developed.