Shipped eggs

[Erin80]

Those of you who have received shipped eggs through the mail, what was your hatch rate like?

I’m looking at ordering some....but the breeders website says hatch rate for shipped eggs is usually around 35-50% with 70-75% being considered a good hatch rate. This is making me second guess ordering online for eggs. It’s hard because they have all the breeds I want and they’re in Canada!

 

[MGG]

Those of you who have received shipped eggs through the mail, what was your hatch rate like?

I’m looking at ordering some....but the breeders website says hatch rate for shipped eggs is usually around 35-50% with 70-75% being considered a good hatch rate. This is making me second guess ordering online for eggs. It’s hard because they have all the breeds I want and they’re in Canada!

It's really a gamble. Some people have really good hatch rates and some don't. It depends on the chickens, the seller's packaging, the post office, your incubator, etc. You can't control if the delivery guy drops them or something, and that would affect the hatch rate. You would probably be better off ordering chicks. I have hatched shipped eggs and had really good hatch rates, 90% being the lowest, but my eggs were packaged really well and from good stock. Good luck!

 

[TSP]

Last winter, I ordered 24 eggs to hatch. They shipped in the middle of a harsh Wisconsin winter. I hatched out 10 pullets and 9 cockerels. I candled at 7 and 14 days and 2 seemed to be duds from the get go. The other 3 just stopped developing between days seven and 14. The incubator I used was a nurture right 360. This was my first try at “shipped” eggs. The guy I bought them from did a super job of packing and added a little heat pack to keep them from getting too cool. If my experience of one is any guide, I say go for it.

 

[Jraba1315]

I’ve only hatched one batch of chicks that were shipped (another in the incubator now) and i got 6/10 chicks hatched. Out of that i don’t think one of them was fertilized so that makes roughly 6/9. At least from what i saw. Hope that helps a bit! I’ll let you know how many of the batch in the incubator actually hatch.

*those eggs were hatched in november so it was cold when they were shipped

 

[TSP]

Funny story...
when they shipped, I asked that the seller mark them to hold at the post office for me to pick up. He labeled the box “live embryos” “fragile, handle with care”. I’m a surgeon in a small town. Everybody knows me. When I went to the post office to pick up, the mail lady knew me and was clutching the box with an anxious look on her face. She said “Dr. Tim, what in the world are live embryos? You know it’s illegal to ship some things through the mail”. With a complete deadpan straight face I told her they were fertile alligator eggs and that I was trying to breed a cold hardy variety to release into the lakes in northern Wisconsin. When I got home, still giggling, I thought my wife was going to club me. She said “when the Department of Natural Resources guy bangs on the door, I’m not covering for you”. The DNR never did show up, so the mail lady must have known I was pulling her chain.

 

[Erin80]

I think I might try my luck. It’s a very reputable hatchery, very honest...they said straight up not to expect amazing hatch rates, and from pictures it looks like eggs are very well packed.

I was going to order:
2 buff Brahma (hoping for one rooster)
2 Lavender orpingtons and 1 buff
4 black, blue or splash silkies
2 black or blue Ameraucana
1 cream legbar

I can double that order to increase my odds......lol

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I think I might try my luck. It’s a very reputable hatchery, very honest...they said straight up not to expect amazing hatch rates, and from pictures it looks like eggs are very well packed.

I was going to order:
2 buff Brahma (hoping for one rooster)
2 Lavender orpingtons and 1 buff
4 black, blue or splash silkies
2 black or blue Ameraucana
1 cream legbar

I can double that order to increase my odds......lol

Hi there!
Wondering what you ended up doing. Have your eggs arrived yet? I am also incubating shipped eggs. I have marans, silkies and lavender ameraucanas. Just set the first two earlier this week, and the last ones arrived today, so are sitting overnight in cartons. I tried candling as recommended, but could not really see anything, so gave up on that and put them all in the incubator.
The silkie breeder ships all over the world and has a high hatch rate, so hoping that holds true for me too. As a rule, I understand you can not expect more than 50% at best. I have a total of 38 eggs, all were beautifully packed, each breeder packed their eggs differently. Only one egg was cracked. I have been reading every thread on BYC and driving myself crazy, making sure I do everything "right". We will see! Good luck with your hatching!

 

[Willawong Hill]

I have ordered 12 eggs, hoping for 3 pullets, fingers crossed, though i could end uwith 12 or none! I guess that's chicken maths for you...

 

[Erin80]

Hi there!
Wondering what you ended up doing. Have your eggs arrived yet? I am also incubating shipped eggs. I have marans, silkies and lavender ameraucanas. Just set the first two earlier this week, and the last ones arrived today, so are sitting overnight in cartons. I tried candling as recommended, but could not really see anything, so gave up on that and put them all in the incubator.
The silkie breeder ships all over the world and has a high hatch rate, so hoping that holds true for me too. As a rule, I understand you can not expect more than 50% at best. I have a total of 38 eggs, all were beautifully packed, each breeder packed their eggs differently. Only one egg was cracked. I have been reading every thread on BYC and driving myself crazy, making sure I do everything "right". We will see! Good luck with your hatching!

I haven’t ordered yet, I have 7 that are supposed to hatch tomorrow (not shipped eggs). I might order them after that, but there is a local guy with some breeds I want to try so might do that first! Good luck with your eggs! I have two silkies right now and definitely want more!