The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[ladycat]

The first "real" post on my chicken blog.

How I pack my eggs for shipping.

http://agricommunity.com/packing-eggs-to-ship/

 

[Alaskan]

This is my first time incubating shipped eggs (i have incubated before, but only my eggs, neighbor eggs, and local eggs).

Anyway, this is the first time I have had a hatch drag out so far! I have two pips today, from the same set of eggs, that started hatching on Friday.

The chicks that hatched Friday are healthy, the four that hatched Saturday were ALL a little "off" with various "not quite perfect" navels. But I really thought that three of those looked good enough that they would be fine. Anyway, three of those have now died.

Is this normal for shipped eggs?

I HAVE incubated before, and I just have never had such an outcome, at least never in such a large percentage.

So, my question......

Which is more likely:


1. I have just TOTALLY messed up the incubation this year

2. Shipped eggs are inferior at ALL stages (more blood rings, more dead in shell, more problems hatching etc).

3. Combination of 1 and 2

 

[LindaB220]

The first "real" post on my chicken blog.

How I pack my eggs for shipping.

http://agricommunity.com/packing-eggs-to-ship/

Love your site ladycat. I have it bookmarked for later. (When I get my incubator). I'm interested in the Wheaten Marans. I'm close out of Shreveport. Yea

 

[hildar]

The first "real" post on my chicken blog.

How I pack my eggs for shipping.

http://agricommunity.com/packing-eggs-to-ship/

Looks awesome, however that box is bigger then what we get around here for large priority boxes.

 

[ronott1]

This is my first time incubating shipped eggs (i have incubated before, but only my eggs, neighbor eggs, and local eggs).

Anyway, this is the first time I have had a hatch drag out so far! I have two pips today, from the same set of eggs, that started hatching on Friday.

The chicks that hatched Friday are healthy, the four that hatched Saturday were ALL a little "off" with various "not quite perfect" navels. But I really thought that three of those looked good enough that they would be fine. Anyway, three of those have now died.

Is this normal for shipped eggs?

I HAVE incubated before, and I just have never had such an outcome, at least never in such a large percentage.

So, my question......

Which is more likely:


1. I have just TOTALLY messed up the incubation this year

2. Shipped eggs are inferior at ALL stages (more blood rings, more dead in shell, more problems hatching etc).

3. Combination of 1 and 2

Shipping causes stress on the eggs, and that is after who knows what has been going on at the Breeders place.

An egg is a closed system. It has a finite amount of energy in it. Old eggs and eggs from flocks with bad health and or nutrition will have less energy in it.

Recovering from shipping stress uses up the energy in the egg. If there is too much damage, the eggs will not have enough energy to hatch. They will often get right up to zipping and not make it. Along with hatching problems, they will often not absorb the yolk correctly and that is where the naval problems come from.

I have had nice hatches with shipped eggs though.

 

[Alaskan]

This is my first time incubating shipped eggs (i have incubated before, but only my eggs, neighbor eggs, and local eggs).


Anyway, this is the first time I have had a hatch drag out so far! I have two pips today, from the same set of eggs, that started hatching on Friday.


The chicks that hatched Friday are healthy, the four that hatched Saturday were ALL a little "off" with various "not quite perfect" navels. But I really thought that three of those looked good enough that they would be fine. Anyway, three of those have now died.


Is this normal for shipped eggs?


I HAVE incubated before, and I just have never had such an outcome, at least never in such a large percentage.


So, my question......


Which is more likely:



1. I have just TOTALLY messed up the incubation this year


2. Shipped eggs are inferior at ALL stages (more blood rings, more dead in shell, more problems hatching etc).


3. Combination of 1 and 2

Shipping causes stress on the eggs, and that is after who knows what has been going on at the Breeders place. 

An egg is a closed system. It has a finite amount of energy in it. Old eggs and eggs from flocks with bad health and or nutrition will have less energy in it.

Recovering from shipping stress uses up the energy in the egg. If there is too much damage, the eggs will not have enough energy to hatch. They will often get right up to zipping and not make it. Along with hatching problems, they will often not absorb the yolk correctly and that is where the naval problems come from.

I have had nice hatches with shipped eggs though.

Thanks, I appreciate the input.

So, way too many variables with shipped eggs, probably just 'shipped egg syndrome', not incompetence on my part, but I will of course review all of my incubation techniques before I do this again.

 

[wicket 07]

UPDATE!!!! On 4/4 my 7 eggs arrive from Brian they were wrapped in bubble wrap and put in a box with shreaded paper box arrive look perfect, inside 2 eggs were broken, set for 24hrs, set the eggs in bator 100.1 degrees , turn 6 hrs later started turning , fill the one side with water, cooling 60 mins a day, candle on day 8th couldn't tell much one look clear, candle again on the 14th day pull the clear one no development the other 4 look ok, lock down 4/23 (day 3) turning stop and cooling down, both side of pot was fill . 2 peeps at 4/24 one hatch 10:00 am on the 25th, 3 other peep on the 25, and hatch that day, the first one to peep had still not hatch after the last hatch at 11:45 p.m. that one had peep at the narrow end with no progress, I help him out at midnight on it was completely backward, as of this morning he is still a little weak (still in bator) but seems ok chripping and resting.

my next eggs same breed came from a hatchery in IL. they arrive 4/16 they were shipped in a egg carton narrow end pointed down with paper towels place in between eggs and on top and carton tape shut and roll up newspaper paper stuff in box all those eggs (8) arrive un broken and candle look good, Only thing I did different with these eggs is I started turning and cooling on the first day. I am not going to candle these eggs until day 14th.

The first shipment was a 100 percent hatch rate, the second shipment waiting to see.

Last Update.
Six out of seven chicks hatch, seventh died late, was completely form but had not assorb the yolk.
for me the egg carton shipping way work best for me even though one died I didn't have any broken eggs upon arrival.

 

[bamadude]

I wonder how the postal workers would handle eggs if the box was marked " warning. Live bees. Handle very carefully. I was just on a website that really does ship honeybees via usps.

 

[ladycat]

Haha put a recorder in there that makes buzzing sounds.

 

[chickensnbees]

[quote name= "bamadude" url="/t/738943/the-great-egg-shipping-experiment/1950#post_13470761"]I wonder how the postal workers would handle eggs if the box was marked " warning. Live bees. Handle very carefully. I was just on a website that really does ship honeybees via usps.[/quote]
I also keep bees. I wouldn't suggest putting live bees on any egg boxes. Believe it or not, I've lost way more bee shipments to USPS and UPS than eggs! And bees aren't nearly as fragile as the eggs are.