Shipped eggs?

[Mother Hen to 6]

Thinking about getting some eggs from ebay. Anyone had any luck with eggs from there?

 

[CrazyChickens09]

out of two dozen fertile hatching eggs purchased off of ebay I had two chicks hatch. One died a few days after hatching and one still going. I have learned that shipped eggs are for people who have money to spend, and I will never do it again. This is strictly my honest opinion.

 

[hildar]

With the luck I have had through folks on e-bay and many of the folks either sent me eggs that were not fertile or, the eggs go so banged around that they were scrambled. I sell eggs on e-bay, and I do everything possible to make sure that my eggs get there 100% safe. However the USPS is always banging those boxes around like they are throwing sacks of potatoes around. However so far so good with our eggs. we did get one dozen last week that got to the buyer that the box was 100% squashed. I did a resend for the man once again and am waiting to hear on how they got there.

However I have bought so many eggs over the past 2 years even from hatcheries that either didn't hatch because they were not fertile, or due to the fact that they were handled so badly. I have a few Delawares that I hatched out that in total cost me close to $300. I have one NN and did have a BO that hatched out of eggs that the lady in Florida sent me from a hatchery and they were not the breed I had paid for. So then I paid another $20 shipping and she sent me another 48 eggs, not a one hatched out. Out of 96 eggs I got 2 chicks. Total paid for 2 chicks?? $500

Your best bet at this point is to buy eggs locally. Go to a place where they sell fresh eggs straight from their yard and put them in the incubator. $3 to $5 a dozen that way and they will hatch.

 

[CrazyChickens09]

I agree 1,000% with Hildar.

 

[donrae]

Shipped eggs are a risk, but some folks do well with them. I'd be more concerned about the ethics of the seller than the eggs being shipped. We see lots and lots of "what the heck is this chick?" from ebay eggs...not the breed advertised by any means. You'd have to choose your seller very, very carefully. Personally, if/when I do shipped eggs, I'll get them from a byc member

 

[hildar]

If you want to do a trial on shipped eggs, maybe try with the trade thread, that way you will send them something for the eggs? Or even go on e-bay and find something cheap that the most you wont be spending over $15 including postage, and have it as a trial. However I would recommend trying locally first. I spent about $100 this year on eggs through e-bay, that included postage. However I forced myself to stop, otherwise I would have bought way more then I did. But you have to limit yourself. I didn't last year and I lost lots of money in spending and believing a hatchery was better then an e-bay seller. well we shall see. I am fairly sure that the e-bay eggs will be just as good and maybe even a few extra chicks then what I got last year.

But I still say check locally even try craigslist.

 

[Bryam]

I bought 8 silkie during the early spring and 6 hatched! I think it depends on how well they are packaged and shipped! You must have fertile eggs too! That helps!!

 

[Mother Hen to 6]

Ty all.... I will try local when we get ready

 

[hildar]

Ty all.... I will try local when we get ready

The good thing about trying locally is that you can see what moms and dad look like, this way you will know what you are getting. I had a lady tell me the other day she ordered Delaware eggs from someone and all of the chicks were brown and red chicks. Not Delawares at all. So this way you can pick what you want from someone locally and know what you will get. Plus it will help them out by selling some eggs. I am going to try the folks up here at the corner next week. They have a sign up for fresh eggs, and it's an old couple. i figure why not they can use the money, and I can see what they are breeding and see what chicks will look like when hatched. "Like I need more"

 

[AvianEgo]

It is kind of like gambling.
However, It is a risk some are willing to take when they want a breed that they cant find locally.
Last year I bought duck eggs on Ebay. This year chicken eggs.
I have gotten about 20-30% hatch rate on all of them. Which was 5 different batches from different people.