Why didn't shipped eggs hatch?

[HallFamilyFarm]

Received this email today from one of my egg customers. An earlier email thanked me for how well packed the eggs were. I have offered to replace the eggs for the cost of shipping.

jim,
sorry for the delayed response. I have been thinking about what I wanted to do about it.
Day 25 came and went so I took out the eggs and I performed an "eggtopsy" on them. Of the 11 I received from you, 8 went into the incubator. Of those 8, 5 had fully formed chicks that died in the shell around day 17 as the yolk was not absorbed at all. The other three had stopped developing early on. I'm letting you know for your own statistics. Since my other hatches had 100% and 85% hatch rate on shipped eggs, I have a feeling there was more that happened with the buckeye eggs than just shipping. But, you never know.

A friend suggested that there may have been a spike in temperature for a few minutes. She also suggested I start this thread and get others opinion. Another suggestion was to point out we have had no problems hatching the Buckeyes in our Genesis incubator. Nor has there been any issues from other buyers of some 10 dozen Buckeye eggs. We shipped three orders of Buckeyes the same week. No issues with the others. Our Buckeye chicks look healthy, as does our flock. Our NPIP flock inspection was last week and we passed with flying colors.

Any thoughts and suggestions?

Jim​

 

[justtoni44]

Hi Jim, I do not know that I can be that much help but did have a simliar situation recently.

Ordered serama eggs............The packing was great..actually the best I have ever recieved.
The seller was wonderful and helpful.
I was so excited about the eggs I spent extra care making certain everything was perfect for them.
I had one blip that I still cannot explain..humidity jumped to 80 temp dropped.cannot remember how much.
Could have been as much as two hours..No hatch.not one out of 20...
Talked to the seller trying to figure it out.
She thought perhaps they were xrayed??????????
I don't know.
I offered to pay for a reorder, she insited she replace them.
Might have been my fault.
The eggs were.3 full term, 4 quit about day 10, the rest were clear.
She had been having up to 85% hatch from her other shipped eggs.......I'll be interested to read other feedback.
I'm sure you did a great job.....
Love buckeyes.do you have an auction going?
Toni

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I would tell this person that yes---there was more that happened with the buckeye eggs than just shipping--there was an incubation issue! If the eggs developed that far and then the chicks died--it's either a temperature issue or a humidity issue or both.

 

[BooBear]

How far were these shipped?

Honestly do not know what to say as I have been having a bad hatch rate from shipped eggs so far. From mediocre packing to excellent packing and still low hatch. I make sure the incubator is running perfect (use Brinsea 20 Eco with auto turner). Monitor for proper humidity and temps. I even got some local mixed eggs to see if there was any difference and to check to see if it was me or just the rough handling from being shipped. Out of the local eggs I got 7 out of 8 hatched!

For whatever reason the carrier services used are just being awefully rough on shipped eggs. From crushed boxes, crushed eggs, detached air cells, and scrambled yolks the chances for a good hatch just slim.

As a seller if you packed really well to were the eggs are snugg, each egg individually buffered (wrapped), have the kind of packing that helps absorb shock, mark the box as fragile, and this side up, then you have done everything possible to make sure the goods arrive safely. Make sure to put in your clause that you cannot guareentee shipment and hatch rate do to variables outside of your control.

Been seeing alot of threads over badly received shipped eggs and low to no hatch rates. Even from my own experiences it probably will not stop me from buying hatching eggs as 1) I am addicted to hatching and 2) to get breeds and lines not available locally, 3) to hatch chicks for friends looking for a specific breed that they have not been able to get.

 

[lockedhearts]

Quote:
I agree! Here's why and mine were not shipped. I had 2 hatches recently fail 100% . First batch from my flock and second I picked up from a friend a few miles away. Mine was a total humidity issue, even though I did calibrate my hygrometers, apparently they are just wrong.
I did an eggtopsy on the second batch and had varying problems, some were completely shrink wrapped with no liquid, some had thick gooey liquid like glue. All chicks appeared to have died day 17-18.

Now, all this guy said was the condition of the chicks i.e. they had yolk , he did not indicate if they had liquid around them, or anything else.

Based on my recent experience, I think he has a humidity issue and he is not telling you the complete condition of the eggs.

 

[fatbassetvineyards]

My first batch of shipped eggs are hatching as I type. I bought from 3 different BYC sellers, mailed across the country. 38 bought - 29 went into lockdown. 3 total were cracked from shipping but all were packaged very well. 2 clear, the rest blood ring or stopped developing early.
So far I have 16 chicks hatched on day 20 with 5 more pips. I did dry incubation and am happy so far. I hope this helps.

Denise

 

[BawGock]

There are so many things that can happen to a shipped package of eggs.
I purchased a couple of dozen well-packed fresh eggs once, almost all of them started to develop and had half end up as quitters.
Used a hovabator1588 rock solid temps measure with my brinsea spot check and a calibrated hygrometer.
An incubator I used many times successfully and sanitized between uses. Total mystery to me why so many quit before day 18.

Carolyn

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

The eggs traveled from Monticello, Arkansas (SE Arkansas) to near Oklahoma City (central Oklahoma). It is my understanding the box showed no external damage.

As for the question about my current auctions, please see my website.

Thanks for the input. I look forward to more opinions......

 

[Titania]

So, I am the "person" who had the problem with the hatch rate. I don't know what to say...incubation went as well as any other. I had the buckeye eggs in at the same time as some shipped Ameraucana eggs and were in a staggered hatch with some d'uccle eggs. All of the eggs were shipped. 100% of the d'uccles hatched and then 85% of the ameraucanas hatched. But not one of the buckeyes hatched. For that reason, I am reluctant to believe it was a humidity problem or a temperature spike. You never know, I guess.

The Ameraucanas and Buckeyes experienced the exact same conditions and on day 21, 12 of 14 ameraucana eggs hatched. I waited until day 25 to take out the Buckeye eggs and open them. When I said the yolk was not absorbed, I am just describing what I saw. The chicks were formed, their beaks and claws were hard, their eyes looked normal and were shut, feathers were formed, etc. Yolk was not absorbed which is why I estimated them to have died around days 17-18. I don't know if there was liquid around the chicks. I wasn't paying attention in particular. I was mostly looking to see around what time point they stopped developing. They definitly had not perforated the air sac as I opened that end first.

If I incubated them in a wrong way, I'd love to know. I incubated the eggs in a brinsea until day 18 and then put them in a hovabator for lockdown. I kept all the eggs clustered toward the middle so none would be off in the corners. I did the same method I've used on other shipped eggs and I usually hatch at 80-90%. I once had a 15% hatch on shipped true araucana eggs from Ann Charles of Blue Sky Eggs. I've never had a 0% before.

And, yes, Jim is right. The eggs arrived in perfect condition with no visible damage done to the box and no cracked eggs.

 

[chickened]

I don't know if this helps but I hatched 80 to 95 % all winter on about 10 breeds that I have but my Penedesencas were about 20% hatch rate and 50 % fertility rate. I tried everything and can only say that it was due to the confinement as I never see the roosters breed except when they are freeranging and they seem droopy when penned. This may be part of the problem as I am unfamiliar with Buckeyes.