So what is the deal???

[MissPrissy]

Line breeding is very common in chickens. They don't have the same problems as other animals do. I seriously doubt that is the issue.

 

[speckledhen]

Hard to say for sure what the problem is; I have never had that type of deformity from shipped eggs. I have only received mine from a few very reputable sources here on BYC, so I cant say it doesn't happen, but just never happened with any shipped eggs I have incubated.
I do know of someone who had a horrible hatch with ill chicks and the cause was determined to be ecoli contamination of the nests of the breeder. Let me say there were chicks from other breeders in the same incubator and none of them had these problems at all. This is someone with many successful hatches under the belt and a necropsy was done on a chick that didnt survive. It was what most would consider a reputable breeder, too, so it could be a number of things you had no control over other than shipping.

 

[Promiselandfarm]

Yes the incubator is being cleaned. Even if it was not why would it only happen to the shipped eggs? But again it is cleaned with bleach and sun cleaned.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA204

Sign: Malformations. Causes:

Improper egg storage.

Jarring of eggs or transporting large end down.

Heredity.

Nutritional deficiencies, e.g., biotin, riboflavin, zinc, or manganese.

Inadequate turning.

Improper egg orientation, e.g., small end up.

High or low incubator temperature.

Breeder diseases.

Inadequate ventilation or shells with low porosity or permeability.


Sign: Crossed beak, twisted beak. Causes:

Heredity.


Sign: Short beak, missing beak, face abnormalities. Causes:

Incubator temperature too high during days 1 to 5.

Heredity, lethal genes.

Developmental accidents.

Nutritional deficiencies (niacin).


Sign: Ectopic (exposed) viscera. Causes:

Incubator temperature too high.

Heredity, lethal genes.


This covers only the deformity issues. This site is excellent for other issues as well.

 

[ginasmarans]

I know this is a hot issue and I have to say that I don't know why it happens,but it does. I have shipped eggs and have had a few reports of this happening. Once I labeled the box"DO NOT X-RAY LIVE EMBRYOs", I stopped getting reports. I don't know if they are x-rayed or not and whether this would affect them, but someone's Vet said it would. I am convinced it has something to do with shipping. My chickens are healthy and not closely related and NONE of the chicks I have hatched from my eggs have been less than perfect. It's just too coincidental that so many people have had hatches like this, all from different receivers and suppliers,all shipped eggs. There has got to be a reason.
Oh, one person that reported these problems to me received replacements,this time marked as I stated and had a normal hatch. Same parent birds,same supplier,same receiver. You tell me.

 

[Promiselandfarm]

I guess I'll go with jarring of eggs. I would think that all eggs or a greater percentage would have issues if it was the other items such as temp to high ect... We have a very good hatches with our own eggs and NO deformities in the same batches that do have deformaties so I gonna go with jarring of eggs for $100

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I think I'll go with "transporting large end down" for $100. I actually never thought about this. I always let them with upright for 6-8 hours after they get home, but heck, the package could easily be upside down for much of the journey. Maybe we could tape a pointed hat on the top of the box so the PO can't turn it upside down and stack it!!

 

[kenman]

I'm kinda new to the forum, but I would like to add my 2 cents, for what it's worth. I know that even no matter how well you mark the shipping package as "breakable," or "fragile," or "please, be extra careful, these are eggs that will hatch and hopefully grow up to do chicken type things, so try to keep it level, with the top at the top, don't shake it, or throw, toss, pitch, chuck, Frisbee or anything else that will involve this box flying threw the air or landing with a thud, please," invariably, the thud can happen and you can get malformed chicks. On the other hand, when you think about all the shipped eggs and chicks that hatch and do fine, it is a testament to how much people through out the mail system care, from the packager who sells the product to the local amil delivery person who takes special care to put the box on your door step.

 

[WRBH]

My Guy helps his Mom and Dad run a business hatching out and selling chickens, turkeys, peacocks, quail, etc. This year they had a chick hatch out with 4 legs. 2 were normal, and it had no problem walking with them, the extra set came out from it's rear area, and kind of hung there with the feet curled in, the extra pair didn't move at all. It's vent/tush sat on top of it's back, instead of under it's tail. Was definatly twins that fused together, here's a pic of it, it only lived for about a week.

Hope the pic works

 

[WRBH]

Well looks like I now have another reason to post here as well. One of the eggs I bought online on Ebay hatched out today at 19 days, thought all was well, till I got a good look at it tonight, It has a crooked beak. Also only has half of it's outside toes. Feel like crap, not sure if it was the heat, or being mailed, or what.