Question about shipped eggs

[mlward]

I should add that I also had 8 shipped bantam cochins in this batch. 2 went bad in the first week and a half, and the rest never did anything that I could tell. Pulled them at lockdown after candling. And I sent pics of the candling to the seller. I'm thinking many of them weren't fertile and maybe I can get a few more?

Can't have anything to do with the incubating process because the ameraucanas are hatching okay.

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
I agree with you.

There is a university study on turning eggs and this was the premise I was using. Since I don't have a control group to compare to I cant tell you if this is the cause but I will say that using this method I had more developing embryos than I have ever had before with shipped eggs.

Cmom that is a great hatchrate for shipped eggs!

Brown Sheep--your hatch rate is usually what I get with shipped eggs. Such a bad feeling

Now I only buy shipped eggs if I have to. If I want a specific breed I buy day olds

It is MUCH cheaper that way

Destiny, keep me posted with the outcome! I am very interested to find out!

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
So it's not anything to do with your incubation process, but that still doesn't neccessarily mean it's the seller's fault and the eggs were definitely infertile. The eggs could have been fertilised just fine but still failed to develop if they were handled roughly in transit. When you get a hatch like that it all comes down to whether you trust the seller when they say they check regularly for fertility and they know that their eggs are fertile...

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I agree with you.

There is a university study on turning eggs and this was the premise I was using. Since I don't have a control group to compare to I cant tell you if this is the cause but I will say that using this method I had more developing embryos than I have ever had before with shipped eggs.

Cmom that is a great hatchrate for shipped eggs!

Brown Sheep--your hatch rate is usually what I get with shipped eggs. Such a bad feeling

Now I only buy shipped eggs if I have to. If I want a specific breed I buy day olds

It is MUCH cheaper that way

Destiny, keep me posted with the outcome! I am very interested to find out!

When I get shipped eggs, if they are warm when I unwrap them, they go straight into the incubator. But I leave off the turner for the first 2-3 days. Works for me.

 

[destiny_56085]

Well this is the auction I listed for eggs.... My first time selling. Not my first time buying, so I am familiar with packing eggs and shipping. I just got word from the buyer that they all arrived intact and she'll be putting them in the incubator later tonight.

I'm sending her another batch on monday as well.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=512856&p=1

 

[Bravo]

Quote:
Holy Moly! That is some auction!!!

Congratulations!!

 

[destiny_56085]

There was some crazy bidding going on.... Anyone that has ever gotten silkies from me knows how long the waiting list is. 3 of the people that were bidding were former customers already. That fact alone put a smile on my face. The fav's, peafowl, and geese are a nice addition, but I know the high bidder pretty much wants mainly the silkie eggs.

What bugged me was that I ran estimates... It cost $82 + $10 for the box for express mail shipping. It would have cost $34 for priority mail shipping. Express was guaranteed by 2nd day and priority was a probable by 2nd day, but no guarantee . Lets see if the price difference for same arrival time is compensated by better handling of the package....

 

[destiny_56085]

Update on those shipped eggs.... Overall 154 silkie & faverolle, 14 peafowl, and 5 goose eggs. 2 shipments, both in Horizon boxes with express mail just like they are live birds. Total shipping cost with 2 boxes $165. All were individually bubble wrapped and then taped in cartons so they had to stay large end up. Boxes were stuffed with shavings and bubble wrap so nothing moved at all. The first shipment went out when it was in the 70's up here and the 2nd went out on a day when it hit 103 here. The buyer got back to me with some results already. Only 1 egg out of all of them was cracked, rest were all in great condition. No air cells broken. She even shipped 2 dozen of those first eggs to a friend of hers as well. I personally get about 70% fertility here at home. On the 1st batch of shipped eggs, the buyer reported 60% for herself and 65% for her friend (the double shipped eggs). On the 2nd batch, she's reported 73% so far.

I think if you are willing to spend the extra money on express mail and ship like you would live birds, those packages aren't bounced around on a conveyor belt. Even on a day where it hit 103 here, the post office treated them like lives and didn't expose them to extreme temps back in a cargo hold or rear end of a truck all day.