The woes of shipped eggs

[Azriel]

I have found that the more you pay for th eggs, the less you hatch out. My free eggs from my home flock 100%, $25-$30 eggs about 50%, $60.00 eggs 10%

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I leave mine to sit pointy side down for about 4 hours. Then they go directly into the incubator and into the auto turners.

What is your humidity at?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:

So I wonder if the hatch rate is - something if the eggs are $200.00 a piece like those Crele Orpington Imports on eBay?

 

[dretd]

I am 100% convinced failed hatches are due to horrible handling through the mail. This may be complicated by how the eggs are wrapped. If they are not wrapped well they will break, but if they are too locked in, then any forces will be absorbed by the inside of the egg and not the packing.

I have tried several batches of mailed eggs, the best result was from one sent in a camping egg holder with news paper. 4/12 were smashed in transit and several more had cracks, but they developed whereas others send that were wrapped tightly had detached cells and zero development. I have decided to go express/overnight with any future shipments.

While in line at the PO waiting to talk to them about overnight, I watched the clerk take a stack of 2 large priority boxes from counter-height walk over the bin and drop them from that height with a very loud *clang*. He then get the other two boxes from his station and repeated the maneuver dropping them onto the other two in the bin. He then walked back and said 'next please'. And that was in front of a line of customers. There is no the embryos would have survived that sort of rough handling.

I would hate for vendors to stop selling eggs. I am just thinking that we, as customers, need to start paying for express mail to get them to us safely. Considering the money put in to failed hatches, it would be worth the extra money to get the eggs there safely.

 

[chicknerd]

When I buy shipped eggs I always want about twice as many as I expect to hatch.

I think it is a combination of things that when you receive eggs, you have had no control over. I have never received a cracked egg. They were all well packed. My PO has delivered the eggs several ways, often ignoring the LARGE letters saying call when arrive. Heaven only knows how they were handled.

This year my first hatch was project eggs. My rate was 20%. My second group were unusual eggs. My rate was 50% which is what I expect from shipped eggs. I use the dry incubation method with an LG wth turner. The last shipper even put the date each egg was layed. Some were almost a week old but some of them hatched.

At the same time for each batch I hatched some of my own eggs. They were 100% hatched from fertile eggs (ie I dont count non fertile eggs as part of the percentage).
So I think it is simply a gamble when you buy shipped eggs.

I will buy eggs again - its the only way I can get certain varieties and I accept the 50% rate.

 

[paddock36]

I hate to be negative but I have given up on puchasing shipped eggs. Don't get me wrong I have had some good hatches in the past but it seems that this past year if it is eggs that I really really wanted hardly any or none at all hatch. Last couple attempts have been the nothing at all. I have bought cheap eggs at the auction and have had great hatches so I know it's not the incubator. I just can't afford to buy eggs anymore. I'm done, but good luck to everyone else.

 

[meepitqueenie]

Im am new to incubating and getting and hatching shipped eggs.

my first batch was in a lg still air and my own eggs. half of my eggs were infertile it was just too early and the roo was older and not doing his job (white ones).
the mottled ones were fertile i had 2 blood rings and then I got 8 of 14 to hatch. but i raise japs and the short legged gene if the chicks get both short legged genes will die before hatching and it is to be expected not to get some to hatch. i thought i did pretty good.

now i have 2 brinsea eco 20s and a mini advance.

I got some jap eggs off ebay 40 in the box set them i have 19 developing. 2 more weeks until hatch- thats less than 50%

I got some swap eggs off here received 10 - have 5 developing. 50%

I have more swap eggs in the incubators.... so it seems that about 50% of mine are developing - from what I reading 50% Is good.

the only eggs i have spent quite a bit on are the ebay eggs. other ones about $7-8 shipping. so if i get 4-5 chicks thats about $2 a chick. not bad.

But I dont think i would be willing to pay $5 an egg plus shipping and then get a 0-50% hatch. Just something to consider.

Oh and so far I have gotten eggs from OK, UT, IN, MI and NY... and the ones from NY had the most broken eggs.

 

[1muttsfan]

I too have had very mixed success with shipped eggs, but there are few alternatives up here if you want really good genetics. I would hate to see breeders stop shipping eggs. The post office certainly does a lot of damage, my last"priority" shipment took 6 days to arrive, including sitting for 2 days in a PO in the completely wrong direction- the tracking number confirmed this. overall this year (so far) I am at around 50%, including one batch of 10 welsummer eggs that hatched 100% (while only 2 of the 8 BLRW eggs in the same package hatched) .

Hope you breeders keep shipping eggs for people like me who so appreciate it!

 

[MobyQuail]

its a bugger, but we all know the risks, Im gonna try and roll with it, whatever breed hatches the most of my shipped eggs is my new focus

 

[klf73]

shipped polish egg have been close to being the most unlucky shipped eggs for me. I bought multiple batches last year, got one white crested chocolate...this year I only bought one batch of gl, all 8 started developing, none hatched. I did notice some breeds are hardier. I got ancona a couple years ago because I wanted to have a few..got almost 20 eggs and had a 95% hatch...I only wanted 3

. This is the 3rd year I have tried working with true araucana....I have hatched 90% roosters(when I get any to hatch) and one of the 2 hens I hatched got taken by a coyote.

I am sticking with some breeds ship better than others.....and of course how they are handled along the way

btw- after spending over $1000 in the last 2 years on eggs I bought chicks this year.....got some cool ones too!