Shipping eggs question

[KDailey]

I'm new to chickens. I have heard of shipping eggs and live chicks etc but it never occured to me to question how it is done. I don't mean the packing process, etc. I mean, don't the eggs have to stay warm or else they die? Can they stay room temp?

Does this mean that if my hens lay eggs and I bring them in I can wait a few days to collect more eggs before putting them in an incubator?

I guess I'm just curious about fertilized eggs in general. How long can they go without bein in an incubator or under a hen before the egg dies?

I'm so full of questions!

 

[mandelyn]

When a hen lays an egg and walks away, she'll come back and lay another one, leaving the first and subsequent eggs in the nest unattended. When she goes broody (IF she does) she will start setting on all of them at once. This is what causes them to all hatch on the same day.

A fertile egg won't "activate" until it's been warmed up to 99.5 and that temperature maintained consistently. So by the hen leaving the nest, or by you leaving collected eggs on the counter top, you can save eggs for about 10 days. Some folks say 7. Some say 5 days. Set them all at once, and they'll all hatch on the same day.

When shipping, it usually takes 3 days for them to arrive and another day to rest after the trip. The sooner the seller can get them shipped after being laid the better.

The eggs still need turned twice a day while waiting to be set, and the ideal temp for storage is 65 degrees.

The yellow yolk of the egg, is absorbed by the chick at the end of the incubation cycle. This the chick lives on for the first 2 days or so. So with fast enough delivery, this is how the chicks make the trip.

 

[KDailey]

ohhhhhh I see! Thanks so much!

 

[OkChickens]

Shipped eggs are a risk, but there are many risks in buying eggs and shipping them. I personally have had a 90% hatch rate and a 25% hatch rate from shipped eggs. The great thing is that I am able to receive rare breeds this way.

Incubating eggs can be stored for 5-7 days and still have the potential to have a good hatch rate. To make a hatch easier I would set all the eggs on the same day. This in turn would let the chicks hatch around the same few days. If you have a broody hen then try letting her raise them for you.

Nate

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

It is a lot easier than it seems. I have some info on shipping eggs on my button quail page of my website. They don't need heat. Infact you want them to stay somewhat cool so they don't begin to develop but not to freeze either. Ship them priority o they get there as fast as possible too. Wrap them idividually so they don't bounce off of eachother. Don't place them in an egg carton and expect them not to bounce around either. Tight and snug is best with lots of padding.