Shipped Hatching Eggs

[pnelms]

Has anyone noticed a difference in the embryo survival rate of hatching eggs that have been shipped from the "normal" 50/50 split of hens and roosters. Based on my limited experience with 5 batches, it seems to me based on my statistics that the rooster eggs are surviving the shipping process better than the hen eggs. For example, in the first batch I got 4 eggs that hatched out of 10 that were shipped. Of the 4 eggs, 3 turned out to be roosters. In the second batch, out of 16 eggs, 7 hatched. Of the 6 chicks that were "normal" (one was injured during the hatch process and has never fully developed), 4 are roosters. In the third hatch, 8 of 16 hatched. Of the 8, 5 are roosters. So I am blessed with a bunch of beautiful roos, but wished for more hens as we do chickens for eggs. Has anyone had a different experience with hatched eggs? Or are there other possibilities that are causing the preponderance of roos in my batches?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

This is completely anecdotal but my "findings" with shipped eggs concur. Whenever I've had a terrible hatch (1/12) it's almost always been a rooster. I can think of one hatch where all 3 chicks were pullets. But for that 1 hatch I can think of 4-5 other bad hatches where I got only 1-2 chicks and they were roosters.

I do think there's something to it but as I hatch more shipped eggs and collect more date points it does slowly seem to be evening out. At the moment it is too heavy.

 

[pnelms]

Thanks for your reply. I've only done 5 shipped egg hatches so far and I have the 6th in one of my incubator right now. I'm hoping for all hens... (because I already have a roo for the breed). I am keeping data points too and that's what raised my concerns as to whether the numbers I'm seeing are just me.