She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[FridayYet]

With as many birds as I've had, I've experienced probably every poultry reproductive issue out there. From my experience, shell quality issues fall into three types, dietary, transmissible, organic.

Dietary generally affect more than one bird in the flock and are typically caused by low dietary calcium, excessive dietary calcium, or general poor diet. Underdog hens who don't get enough food from the feeders also fall into this category. Even though I have a lot of feeder space, I also have some real butthead alpha hens.

Transmissible, such as IB, affect some of the birds and often comes on suddenly. Some birds may be affected for life and should be culled, others make a recovery and resume normal shell quality and rate of lay.

Organic includes poor shell quality during early and late molt, tumors, reproductive injury, nest crowding, old age, parasite loads, and other non-disease, non-dietary issues. While you can correct some of these, others require time and some cannot be resolved. A bird that begins to lay eggs with a single defect, such as a spiral at the large end or a groove along the length, may carry that flaw forever, and it makes for a unique egg basket.

I have one hen that lays an egg that has a flat spot on the bottom and wrinkles along the sides, as if it was dropped soft and tried to "splash" then hardened. She doesn't lay many, but they are all like that.

Thanks - nice explanation.

I don't mean to sound like I'm trashing Legbars, because I'm not. Since I got mine relatively early and when they were newer to the US, I wonder how much inbreeding was done in the ancestry of my particular birds. They were all hatchmates, so did they inherit a weaker reproductive system or errors in calcium metabolism? Guess it's a possibility, since all 3 have had somewhat similar issues. Of course it's all speculation. I did love my almost round, blue eggs from them.

My OE's have been tougher than nails though. Reliable layers, no illnesses, and no shell irregularities except one who lays a thickened ring about 2/3 towards the pointy end. You can see it if you look hard or run your finger along it. It makes it easy for me to tell her eggs apart.

 

[scflock]

I wasn't gonna quote your multi-quote, lol... yes, it is like free advertising and I have no issues sending out a couple boxes free... but if I send 5 or 6 or so, shipping costs add up... don't know if I'll be able to afford that so I may offer some extra batches for ship cost, if you think that'd be ok???
Just wait til you have people wanting 'perfect, sky blue' Am eggs...

That's why I'm only doing 2 or 3. I'm footing the bill to practice, and a few of my friends will get some nice eggs, but after that I'm taking orders. I still got farm to feed

 

[frmboyinthecity]

That's why I'm only doing 2 or 3. I'm footing the bill to practice, and a few of my friends will get some nice eggs, but after that I'm taking orders. I still got farm to feed

So as far as shipping, do most individuals just go with priority mail?

 

[Ravynscroft]

That's why I'm only doing 2 or 3. I'm footing the bill to practice, and a few of my friends will get some nice eggs, but after that I'm taking orders. I still got  farm to feed

Exactly... I want to help and send eggs to ones who want them, but still gotta feed those egg producers, lol... was trying to word that without sounding like I expected anything back...

 

[Ravynscroft]

So as far as shipping, do most individuals just go with priority mail? 

Eggs have to be sent Priority Mail, at least... Express is up to recipient and should be covered by them if that's what they want...
Due to viability, time and shipping damage the way it's done is...

3-4 days for collecting, 2-3 days in shipping and 1 day for resting to keep eggs within approx 1 week old by set time...

 

[FridayYet]

That's why I'm only doing 2 or 3. I'm footing the bill to practice, and a few of my friends will get some nice eggs, but after that I'm taking orders. I still got farm to feed

We know, we know! Rub it in every day why don't you!

But seriously, I was thinking that if it's a swap, each person could pay shipping on their end. But if it's a one-way deal, the receiver would pay shipping. (Unless of course, the sender "gifts" it to them.)

Just some ideas to kick around. But don't be surprised if I offer to buy eggs or if others offer to sell eggs. I'd rather support someone I "know" than a stranger.

 

[scflock]

Exactly... I want to help and send eggs to ones who want them, but still gotta feed those egg producers, lol... was trying to word that without sounding like I expected anything back...

Meh, just say it. Facts is facts

 

[frmboyinthecity]

Eggs have to be sent Priority Mail, at least... Express is up to recipient and should be covered by them if that's what they want...
Due to viability, time and shipping damage the way it's done is...

3-4 days for collecting, 2-3 days in shipping and 1 day for resting to keep eggs within approx 1 week old by set time...

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[scflock]

We know, we know!  Rub it in every day why don't you!  

But seriously, I was thinking that if it's a swap, each person could pay shipping on their end.  But if it's a one-way deal, the receiver would pay shipping.  (Unless of course, the sender "gifts" it to them.)

Just some ideas to kick around.  But don't be surprised if I offer to buy eggs or if others offer to sell eggs.  I'd rather support someone I "know" than a stranger.

I understand what you are saying, and if I were on the receiving end I would totally offer to pay shipping, but at least on my end it would be a lot easier to just box and ship a few. No need to start sending checks across the country yet. If it works, I may look into setting up a PayPal or something

 

[lazy gardener]

I've had eggs shipped to me in cartons that did well and some not so well... personally, I don't like balled up paper as a packing insulator... leaves too much air space for the carton to shift around in...
Some pics are doctored, some is just lighting... I don't believe any pic can really show accurate egg color... I have 2 pics I'll post later to show you... eggs can get a good, pretty blue, but a true Robin's Egg blue is beyond expectations in my opinion... if there's a greenish tint, the blue comes out better as the laying cycle goes on...
Too much emphasis is put on egg color... type is way more important and egg color is last to worry about... my favorite saying is 'You gotta build the barn before you paint it'... blue eggs are doable, but depending on stock and introducing new blood, etc, can take generations to perfect...

I also think that if the poster takes pics of the eggs when they are wet, they appear darker. The pure blue eggs that I've had look washed out compared to the ones that have a little bit of "brown paint" thrown in. Those are a nice dark aqua.

With as many birds as I've had, I've experienced probably every poultry reproductive issue out there. From my experience, shell quality issues fall into three types, dietary, transmissible, organic.

Dietary generally affect more than one bird in the flock and are typically caused by low dietary calcium, excessive dietary calcium, or general poor diet. Underdog hens who don't get enough food from the feeders also fall into this category. Even though I have a lot of feeder space, I also have some real butthead alpha hens.

Transmissible, such as IB, affect some of the birds and often comes on suddenly. Some birds may be affected for life and should be culled, others make a recovery and resume normal shell quality and rate of lay.

Organic includes poor shell quality during early and late molt, tumors, reproductive injury, nest crowding, old age, parasite loads, and other non-disease, non-dietary issues. While you can correct some of these, others require time and some cannot be resolved. A bird that begins to lay eggs with a single defect, such as a spiral at the large end or a groove along the length, may carry that flaw forever, and it makes for a unique egg basket.

I have one hen that lays an egg that has a flat spot on the bottom and wrinkles along the sides, as if it was dropped soft and tried to "splash" then hardened. She doesn't lay many, but they are all like that.

Good post.

I've had eggs shipped to me in cartons that did well and some not so well... personally, I don't like balled up paper as a packing insulator... leaves too much air space for the carton to shift around in...
Some pics are doctored, some is just lighting... I don't believe any pic can really show accurate egg color... I have 2 pics I'll post later to show you... eggs can get a good, pretty blue, but a true Robin's Egg blue is beyond expectations in my opinion... if there's a greenish tint, the blue comes out better as the laying cycle goes on...
Too much emphasis is put on egg color... type is way more important and egg color is last to worry about... my favorite saying is 'You gotta build the barn before you paint it'... blue eggs are doable, but depending on stock and introducing new blood, etc, can take generations to perfect...

I think an other thing that's often overlooked is quality of the interior of the egg. Nice albumen, thick yolk membrane, no meat spots. Those are the best eggs to set. Unfortunately, it's difficult to identify them, till they land in the frying pan. But, if you id a hen who lays watery or meat spotted eggs, she'd be a good one to cull.

Exactly... I want to help and send eggs to ones who want them, but still gotta feed those egg producers, lol... was trying to word that without sounding like I expected anything back...

It only makes sense that some of you have superior eggs or breeds for the shipathon. And it only makes sense that you should not be shipping out eggs to all of the rest of us. That's why I think it's important for someone to take control of the shipathon. I believe that WV has accepted the challenge? We all need to understand that there should be fair distribution, and after that, payment at market value... or perhaps friendship discount, only if the shipper is so inclined. It also makes sense that the recipient should be paying postage. (unless it's set up like a round robin or what ever the term is, so that every shipper is also a recipient)