Welcome & Thank You for Your Egg Purchase!
Welcome & Thank You for Your Egg Purchase!
Important Information for Successfully Hatching Shipped Eggs
Hi there!
First off, thank you so much for your order. We truly appreciate your trust in us and hope these eggs bring you a rewarding and fun hatching experience!
Shipped eggs can be a bit more delicate than locally sourced ones due to the journey they take. But with some extra care and patience, you can still have a great hatch. Below are the
What Can Happen During Shipping:
We do our best to give your eggs the safest trip possible, but here are some things to keep in mind:
Bumps Along the Way: Eggs are delicate little things. Even with secure packaging, handling during transit may cause cracks or internal damage.
Delivery Delays: Occasionally, your eggs may take a bit longer to arrive. Delays can affect their viability and lower hatch rates.
Temperature Extremes: Eggs don’t love extremes—whether it’s chilly mornings or scorching afternoons. These shifts during shipping can affect embryo development.
Humidity Swings: Like temperature, moisture matters too! Big changes in humidity can cause the eggs to dry out or lose vital moisture.
Rough Handling: Postal workers try their best, but sometimes eggs may be shaken, flipped, or stacked in ways they shouldn’t be.
When Your Eggs Arrive
~Inspect Gently: Check for cracks, leaks, or odd shapes. Discard any eggs that look compromised.
~Let Them Rest :As soon as you receive your eggs, carefully unpack them and place them pointy end down (air cell up) in an egg carton or upright container. Let the eggs rest, undisturbed, for at least 24 hours at room temperature. This allows the air cell to settle and helps reverse some of the effects of shipping.
~Hold Upright for 3 Days (No Turning Yet!)
After their 24-hour rest, the eggs still need a bit more recovery time.
Keep the eggs upright for a total of 3 full days from the time they arrive (including the 24-hour rest period), and do not turn or rotate them during this time. This gives the embryos the best chance of reorienting and developing properly after being jostled in transit.
~Prep Your Incubator (Clean & Ready!)
Before setting the eggs:
•Clean your incubator thoroughly with a non-toxic disinfectant or vinegar solution to remove any bacteria, dust, or residue.
•Run the incubator for 24 hours before placing eggs inside to make sure temperature and humidity are stable.
~Recommended settings:
•Temperature: 99.5°F for forced-air incubators, 101°F for still-air.
•Humidity: 45–50% during incubation; increase to 65–70% for lockdown (final 3 days).
I have found the decreasing the temperature to 98.9 during lockdown also helps!
~Incubation Tips
•Turning: Once the 3-day upright hold is complete, begin gentle turning or place the eggs in your automatic turner. If hand-turning, do so 3–5 times daily until day 18.
•Lockdown: Stop turning on day 18, increase humidity, and do not open the incubator until after the chicks hatch.
•Candling: It’s best to candle on day 7 and again around day 14. Keep in mind that development may be slower in shipped eggs.
~Helpful Reminders
•Do not wash the eggs. The natural bloom protects the egg and helps keep bacteria out.
•Patience is key. Shipped eggs can take a bit longer to develop and hatch. You might notice uneven development, but that’s normal with shipped eggs.
•Keep expectations realistic. Even under perfect conditions, shipped eggs may not hatch at the same rates as locally sourced or home-collected eggs.
~Disclaimer & Important Note
While these recommendations aim to improve the odds of successful hatching, please understand that shipping eggs inherently carries risks, and hatch rates may vary. We advise hatchers to carefully consider these factors and proceed with caution.
We cannot guarantee the viability or hatch success of shipped eggs due to handling during transit and other external factors beyond our control.
We do NOT offer guarantees on shipped hatching eggs. However, if your order arrives with total destruction or obvious breakage, please send picture proof immediately and we will do our best to make it right — replacement eggs may be sent at our discretion.
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