SHIPPING EGGS, TO DO OR NOT TO DO????

[Babushkamama]

Hi,
I want to hatch some Ancona eggs. They will have to travel from the Nrth Island to the bottom end of the Sth Island of New Zealand. It will be about 18 hours on the road. Does anyone know if they can possibly survive this trip? The seller says she will wrap them carefully and has done this before. Its a long way to go. There is no one around Dunedin advertiseing these hens eggs. And I really want to keep this breed. I think they are beautiful.

 

[Bryam]

Well, if you buy like 24 eggs, you should end up with a few that hatch! If the seller is sending it through USPS, the eggs will most likely be flown in. But hatching shipped eggs is a gamble! You won't know if you don't try! A 50 percent hatch rate is very good for shipped eggs, I usually get a 15 percent hatch rate. Shipping is hard on the eggs.

Best of luck!

 

[silkiecuddles]

x2 on what Bryam said. I've never tried to hatch shipped eggs, but from what I've read, I don't think I'd ever do it.
When the eggs arrive, let them sit on the counter for 24 hours so settle the air cell or whatever it's called.
Good luck!

 

[Babushkamama]

Hi
They will be travelling by road, courier post. I don't know whether to try or not. The breeder says she has not had any disasters along the way with any she has sold. And the hatch rate has been good, she says.
If I don't try, I will always wonder. They should be transported, small end down, I have read.
Its just so disappointing if it fails.
As she doesn't have many eggs. it will be 6. So she has to collect them over a few days. then say, two days travel. 24 hrs settling. This should be okay for the length of time before incubation. What do you think?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I've been really into shipped eggs lately. I'm waiting on my 3rd batch to get here. My first attempt gave me 4 chicks out of 18 eggs, my second 6/18. I'm hoping my results continue to improve with this next batch. I say go for it. They are a gamble, but its VERY rewarding when you're successful!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

It's more than worth the gamble. Considering she's had good hatch rates for that shipping route then you'll likely also have a good shipped egg hatch rate. It's your personnel incubating hatch rate that will be more a factor.

Distribution centers are the real factor of hatch rates. Where I lived previously the postal service hatching rates were abysmal. Moved only an hour away and that changed everything. Some shipping centers have extremely bumpy conveyer belts that virtually scramble the inside of eggs. That hour move for me took the problem distribution center out of the route. In four attempts 3 of 18 hatching was my best rate, now I'm 70%+ with shipped eggs.