Bad hatching experience

Latest Articles

Bad hatching experience

Downsizer Forum Index -> Poultry

Author

Message

planetman

Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 198
Location: Somerset

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 10 9:07 pm Post subject: Bad hatching experience

I bought some hatching eggs off a couple of sellers from Ebay 3 weeks ago and have been incubating them since. I got 6 cream legbar eggs from one seller and 12 Appenzeller from another. Four out of the six of the legbars hatched ok and are doing well, but NONE of the Appenzellers hatched. Zilch. I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything wrong, even though it is only my second attempt at hatching. I contacted the seller who fobbed me off with "well they're all hatching here", so I'm a bit cheesed off. I'm loathed to leave negative feedback on Ebay, and I know that hatching is a bit of a lottery, but I feel it might be justified in this case. What do you reckon?

Many thanks

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 10 9:11 pm Post subject:
If they've been shaken in the post you can end up with none hatching. Not necessarily the fault of the seller.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 10 9:37 pm Post subject:

You can check the sellers feedback as a seller...are all the eggs he supplies duds?

have you candled them to check if they were in fact fertile at all?

Leaving negative feedback is something I would be reluctant to do. You have already said youve only limited hatching experience. Ive had over 60 seperate hatches, and it can still go wrong.

There are dubious sellers on ebay, but also good sellers. Why not try some eggs you can collect locally and try another hatch?

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Nov 11, 10 9:58 pm Post subject:

The further they travel the less chance they have of hatching.
So the closer to home they are the better.
As Lorraine says if you can collect them yourself & rule out the middle men all the better.
Always insist that they are delivered via next day special delivery.
Ordinary first & second class are put in the sacks with the other mail & get chucked around like rugby balls.
Next day special del are hand sorted & kept separate from the ordinary post so should be more likely to hatch, plus they are insured against damage.

Floyd

Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 65
Location: Off-Grid North West Scottish Highlands

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 10 8:54 am Post subject:
I have been hatching ixworths for sometime now and have them all special delivery however I have found that the ones that are shipped using airplanes have a much greater failure rate than those that have not. Maybe something to do with compression.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 10 9:44 am Post subject:
Ive sent eggs in polyboxes via airfreight to Shetland, Western Isles and (yes, beleive it or not) to PERU........ which have hatched. Ive also hatched eggs posted from all over the UK.

planetman

Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 198
Location: Somerset

Posted: Fri Nov 12, 10 6:57 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the replies. I'll leave neutral rather than negative feedback then, and insist on Special Delivery next time as you say, and put it down to experience! I did candle the eggs, but being a bit of a beginner I wasn't entirely sure what was what, but I'll hopefully have a bit better idea next time. Many thanks

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Poultry	All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

View Latest Posts