Shipping eggs? Help!

[randerson846]

I am going to start hatching chicks again as I have for the past 3 years and I was wondering whether or not I should buy them from the internet and get them shipped would they be alright or would it be a lost cause?

 

[Kelsie2290]

Shipped eggs are a gamble, around a 50% hatch rate seems to be considered good. How the USPS handles the eggs is the big question mark that you can't control. How well the shipper packages them and the age/quality of the eggs are two other big questions. If you pick experienced BYC shippers (check Feedback), with any luck you should have a reasonable hatch...E-bay eggs seem to be more of a gamble. If you haven't seem them there are a couple of huge BYC threads on shipped eggs that might be helpful. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs

 

[cvstable]

This is my first attempt at hatching/incubating. I ordered from 3 different breeders. Candled most recently on day 17. The breeder closest to my home did the best job packaging and I have 100% fertility. The other 2 were several states away and I have maybe 2 out of 10 that look like they will hatch. Next time I will order close to home, good luck with your hatch, what site are you looking at ordering eggs?

 

[randerson846]

Thanks you Both I might ask someone locally for eggs if my first attemp of this fails but I was going to use eBay

 

[Farmer Viola]

I would definitely search on craigslist for local eggs first
You might get 11/12 hatchrate with non-shipped compared to only 2 or 6 of 12 if they are shipped (just my experience!) so plan accordingly (over-order!)

Other places to try - here on BYC sometimes there are eggs for local pickup. This is where I get my shipped eggs too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/36/chicken-hatching-eggs

Also on BYC there is a thread for your state/location, try posting in the thread for your state and see what the locals have available
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you