Shipping Hatching Eggs

Hey all,

This post is to link up to the 'Breed of the Week'. To also give you the knowledge of the warnings, of shipping hatching eggs. We'll be talking about how to:

• Prepare the eggs to ship.
• Once the eggs arrive, what you do.
•  The warnings what can happen if you try to hatch the eggs.

To start, the chicken lay's the egg. The eggs should be the min. Size of medium size egg. If you use a peewee. The chick will out grow the egg before it's even ready to come out. To top that off the air sack and the yolk in the egg is too small for the chick. If you do, you may end up with killing the chick, having a deformed chick, or the embryo could die early. There will be more on this later.

The seller of the eggs, puts the eggs in bubble wrap and puts them in a egg carton. When all eggs are placed in egg cartons, it gets put in a box with filler. Normally paper shreds, or Peanuts. It depends on the breeder/seller. The seller, makes sure the eggs, and cartons can't move, or can't move to much. They then weigh the box, than measurements. Then off to the Post office.

The Buyer of the eggs, picks up the eggs. Once you pick it up, you need to check for any broken eggs, cracked eggs. If you do, depending on the seller, they might replace them. Before you put them in your incubator, warm up the incubator, make sure it's the right temp for the type of species. It's different for every species. While the incubator is warming up, you need to set the eggs in a cool location. Not too cold, not too warm. The eggs need to set, after the long journey for twenty four hours. After those twenty four hours, you can put the eggs in your pre-warmed incubator.


The warnings I've heard with having shipped eggs sent is that the air sack moves, causing problems with hatching. Others like all eggs cracking or all broken. With the seller not replacing. More also to go with not having the eggs fertile. A lot of breeders sell eggs 'Hatching eggs' if the egg is not fertile, it's not their problem. Which is okay. I'm keeping you from having the annoyance of thinking some things may be good and bad. You have to candle your eggs. Sometimes an egg can burst in the incubator, costing you, your whole lot of eggs. If that happens, warm up a towel in the dryer. Once warm, remove the eggs, put them in the towel. Turn off the incubator and clean. Once dry, put the eggs back in. You may loose some of the eggs, But it is better than losing all.

Just keep this in mind, don't make it ruin your fun of hatching shipped eggs. And most of all have fun!
Happy Hatching!!!
NM