ugh, proved my point....re:shipped eggs

[klf73]

I vowed this year that I wasn't going to buy shipped eggs, chicks only. I have 35 healthy chicks(shipped), most rare breeds and it cost me what I spent all last year on shipped eggs, got very few chicks and high roo ratio last season. Well, I caved and have 3 batches of shipped eggs, one I wanted because I got 2 of that breed in my chick order and wanted a few more, one I needed to work on a project I have been trying to work on for 3 years, and the last was to just hatch some more of a breed I already have. The first batch I got 8 eggs, one broken, 7 into bator....one definitely developing and one maybe, rest nothing

. Second batch got doz and a half(I think..), 3 developing, not holding my breath on the rest. The last batch about half are developing....

I have 7 of my own oegb eggs in there and all are developing great. I am just so sick of being disappointed in shipped eggs...anyone else fed up???

Am gonna see if I can prove a different theory I have.....my theory is hen embryo are more delicate and/or more sensitive to certain factors...In batches that I have few hatch almost all are cockerals, only time that changes is when I have a good hatch(one 100% had more pullets than cockerals). I will put $$ on it that the 3 and 1(if they hatch) will be at least 3 cockerals...will try to update when they hatch and then when I know gender....

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I know your pain and I'm both an egg seller and an egg buyer. The post office is doing a job on shipped eggs lately. I mean really badly. I have gotten goose eggs shipped to me that the air cells were ruptured, the same with chicken and duck eggs.

As a seller, I do everything in my power to try to keep my eggs from being broken and the air cells ruptured. I ship my eggs with the eggs upright so that the air cells aren't sideways and being ruptured but who knows what the post office is doing once they get the packages.

I recently bought a dozen bantam Columbian Wyandotte eggs. The seller sent 15. Only 3 started to develop. To say I wasn't happy is an understatement. I paid big bucks for these. No ruptured air cells on these eggs. I cracked a few open, I didn't find any bullseyes. I contacted the seller. After an original email to me saying, "what do you want me to do about it?" I explained to him that I'm an egg seller too and that I was a bit upset with the fertility rate. We agreed after a few days of going back and forth that he would ship me more eggs and I would pay shipping. Fine. That's all I wanted.

He told me if I would pay extra shipping, he would include all the eggs he had. GREAT!! He sent 36 eggs!! I was over the moon! After a fertility check one week into incubation...how many eggs were fertile and developing??? 6...out of 36 eggs.

UGH..talk about frustration?!? I'll buy chicks and if I get excess roos, so be it.

With me, if a seller complains to me, I ask them, "What can I do to make you whole?"

Laurie

 

[youngbiddy]

I had great success with my first few sets of shipped eggs..and the last two have been terrible. Like, bad enough to turn me off of buying anymore. Eggs packed in foam were broken and some that had no external damage had ruptured air cells. These eggs could not have been packed better and I'll be surprised if I get 6 to hatch out of 20 eggs.

 

[GAchick]

You know, everyone, you might want to consider not shipping eggs anymore. The post office is being pushed to do things faster and faster with fewer, and fewer people. Dispatch schedules are tight, and someone is always standing over watching, and pushing for greater and greater productivity. As long as the goal is to run the place like a for-profit business, rather than a system of universal mail service for the entire country, things will not be getting any better. So, I would suggest carrying them for yourself, or having the purchaser come to you. If you know what you are going to get, and keep doing it, I really don't know what to say.

 

[youngbiddy]

Quote:
Yes, I'm sure that capitalism is the problem.

 

[Emmalion]

A little good news on the shipped eggs thing..

I got sent one goose egg and 5 duck eggs last month. The goose egg was infertile and the 5 duck eggs are still kicking today... Due on Saturday. Yes I had bad aircells and that still worries me but the fact that they are growing and doing great is just pure awesome. OK so I think I may just have super eggs or something because my dog stole one last week out of the bator and dropped it on the floor. Huge cracks but no leakage so I waxed it up and behold its still growing with the rest.

Not all shipped eggs are bad. But maybe I got lucky this was my first time setting shipped eggs.

 

[hennypenny99]

I don't know if mine will hatch or not but I bought eggs that were shipped though the post office. The first batch had 10 silkie eggs in it. I am on day 10 of incubating these guys and only had to toss 2. 8 of them are definately developing and I can even see the baby swimming around in the egg! The lady shipped immediately Priority mail and packaged them very well. I received them really fast. The second batch of silkie eggs had 12 eggs (10 silkies and 2 white crested polish) now 7 days into incubation on these and only 5 are doing anything. This person was slower to ship and I received my eggs on a Saturday and it was unusually hot for this time of year. When the mailman brought the eggs they were in the floorboard and the box was very hot. I have noticed that on the eggs that didnt do anything alot of them were scrambled. The yolk and the white was all mixed together.

It probably is more expensive to buy shipped eggs vs. just ordering day old chicks. 6 out of 36 does sound really low to me.... maybe their roo had too many hens to cover or something?

 

[rarely bored]

Just out of curiousity... how do you pick the eggs you purchase?? do you make sure the feedback of the egg seller's previous clients include people who were happy with the hatch rate??

I'm asking cuz I'm just about to buy my first batch of shipped eggs (since I've had two great hatches from my own hens, with the third hatch looking pretty good) and I've picked my seller based on type of chicken I want PLUS positive experiences by happy clients. I'm really, really hoping those two criteria will help the hatch slide into my favor.

Hope your hatch goes very well! and you can post pictures... love the fluffy pictures.

 

[TexasVet]

Quote:
I had the same thing happen... the eggs looked great, none broken, but the insides were scrambled. My theory is that the egg itself can't move, so the liquid inside absorbs all the shock. Best luck I've had (shipping and receiving) are eggs that are individually wrapped in bubble wrap with the ends open.

Kathy in Texas
www.ChickenTrackin.com, www.CountryChickens.com

 

[midget_farms]

Quote:
I've bought a ton of shipped eggs - I first look for the breed I want. Then I find the BEST feedback - either here or on eBay or where ever. Then I pick the closest eggs to me to minimize the shipping.

I just set 38 eggs yesterday - 26 came from eBay - they were delivered in less than 2 days - traveling 200 miles. The rest were purchased here - but they had to take a plane so I'm not holding out hope they are all good. None scrambled though.

On a side note - I've had poor hatch rates, but I beleive its been caused by my home made incubator and working out the bugs. I learn something new each time I run it. I think I have it figured out this go round (thought that before too).

Oh - the only issues I've ever had with a seller came from here BYC - on the eggs I set yesterday - they arrived several days early - I thanked the seller only to find out she sent me the wrong eggs -these are an order for someone else. She was great in agreeing to send me my eggs next week - but now I have a staggered hatch.