shipped hatching eggs - what is expected?

[snugglepup]

I guess this is not unusual?

Out of 12+ silkie eggs (I think there were 14 maybe?), 4 were clear at 1 week. Ok, no problem. Candled again around day 18 when moving them to the hatcher, 2 more appeared to have stopped developing. Day 21, 4 pipped, 3 hatched and one of those died immediately (was real small and had a lot of yolk sac material). One still has a red thing at his navel, but is eating drinking and pooping and seems as active as the others. The last chick is completely normal.

I also set some eggs from my own chickens along side. Only one was clear, everyone else hatched healthy, no problems. So I don't think it's the bator.

 

[tiffanyh]

Probably shipping.....they get beat up a bit in shipping.....did you let them et for 24 hours when you got them?

Sorry you didnt get better results.

 

[Katy]

My experiance with shipped eggs has varied from 1 out of 18 to 11 out of 18 or so. All except the first time I did shipped eggs I put some of my own eggs in too and they always hatch well, so I really feel like it's the shipping they go through...not my incubating that's at fault.

 

[snugglepup]

Yep, I let them sit big end up for about 36 hrs. This was our 3rd attempt with shipped eggs. First try yielded one chick. Second try none developed at all... I assume something really bad must have happened in shipping. This was our best effort yet.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I also have had great luck with shipped eggs down to nothing hatching...this last batch I put in the bator none of the shipped eggs even developed, my eggs that I put in along side all hatched..so it wasn't bator problems but shipping.....

 

[Crunchie]

Last batch I had shipped I got 7 healthy chicks from 15 eggs. They were packaged well and none were broken, but I did have 2 loose air cells--so, they probably did have a rough transit. I consider myself very lucky to have the 7 hatch that I did.

Unfortunately, you gamble every time you buy shipped eggs. You can have the freshest, most fertile, most nicely packaged eggs on one end, and a great and reliable incubator on the other end....but it's that pesky shipping business between that gets you!!

 

[snugglepup]

yep. it's a bummer. *sigh*

 

[ginasmarans]

Yeah, that's the problem with shipped eggs. I have both shipped and received eggs. I must say the eggs I have shipped have hatched better than the eggs I have received,but who knoes why? I usually have a decent hatch rate on my own eggs. There are just so many variables. Some people only get 4-5 chicks to hatch, but I've had a few people get close to 90%. I'd say 50% is good for shipped eggs.

 

[crysmom]

Two seperate breeders I have bought from have told me if all goes well to expect a 30-50% hatch rate on shipped eggs, and this has been my experience as well 30 eggs 13 hatched, and the following time 16 eggs 9 hatched (although two died)

 

[Poison Ivy]

Out of the last two batches of silkie eggs I've had 0 hatch. Then I've have delaware eggs shipped from Texas 9 out of 16 doing great so far. Then the EE's I bought are doing great 2 were broken 1 clear. Plus 11 days ago I bought 12+ silkie eggs from a well known breeder out of NY and not one has developed. So I know it's not my incubator I hatch my own eggs great & some of the shipped eggs do good while others are a no go from the start.