[Chris H]

Looking at hatching eggs on EBay, anyone got experience of buying and how successful was it? Seems very tempting, I have a couple of silkies that go broody at the drop of a hat!!

[Fowlman]

Any posted eggs are a gamble even from reputable breeders let alone idiots. My tip for ebay hatching eggs is find the local ones and pick them up if possible, also check their feedback. I have had everything from zero to 100% on posted eggs.

[mojocafa]

I struggle with the whole concept of posting eggs, I cause a crack in at least one a week and thats just going from the shed to the house!!!

[SumatraJohnny]

I got bored waiting for my Cuckoo Marans to start laying and 'invested' in 12 Rhode Island Red, 6 Chech Brindle (I hadn't heard of them either!) 6 Buff Sussex, 6 Black Copper Marans, and 6 Vorwerk. I put them in the incubator with six of my own Cream Legbars.
All my cream Legbars Eggs developed right through to hatching. 5 of the Buff Sussex eggs, 4 of the Black Copper Marans, 1 Vorwerk, 2 Chech Brindle, 4 Rhodey were clear when I candled at 12 days. The hatch was poor though and I ended up with 6 Cream Legbars, 2 Rhodeys and only one of each of the other breeds.
I don't know if this is due to the eggs going through the post or due to poor breeding or other factors in the control of the suppliers. But a very clear difference to home bred eggs.
I have bought eggs from members of this forum, sent through the post, in the past with great results, notably Dark Brown Eggs.
To sum it up I would say its a bit of a lottery but I certainly won't be buying any more eggs from the Buff Sussex supplier. 

[Chris H]

thanks for the answers, it is just on Lewis it is a bit limited on breeders of anything a bit different, I have a fancy for lavender pekins and ebay may be the only answer? will carry on looking till the spring!

[Bionic]

I have bought eggs by post, although not from an ebay seller. I had 3 french copper marans and 3 barred wyandotte's.
Unfortunately I was out when the postwoman tried to deliver so she redelivered the next day. I had 4 of the 6 eggs hatch under a broody hen. Luckily 2 of each type. Of the 4 birds I have one is a cockerel. 
I am happy with the results

[in the hills]

Pot luck, I think.


A friend of mine has had very poor hatch rates from eggs bought from E bay and some that did hatch were very definitely not the breed they were supposed to be  . My daughter wanted to try some different coloured quail last year and we needed some new blood as it were. We had excellent hatch rates and really healthy quail from our E bay eggs.


Check feedback ..... may give you some idea or try Darkbrowneggs on here. Does she post? 

[darkbrowneggs]

I got bored waiting for my Cuckoo Marans to start laying and 'invested' in 12 Rhode Island Red, 6 Chech Brindle (I hadn't heard of them either!) 6 Buff Sussex, 6 Black Copper Marans, and 6 Vorwerk. I put them in the incubator with six of my own Cream Legbars.
All my cream Legbars Eggs developed right through to hatching. 5 of the Buff Sussex eggs, 4 of the Black Copper Marans, 1 Vorwerk, 2 Chech Brindle, 4 Rhodey were clear when I candled at 12 days. The hatch was poor though and I ended up with 6 Cream Legbars, 2 Rhodeys and only one of each of the other breeds.
I don't know if this is due to the eggs going through the post or due to poor breeding or other factors in the control of the suppliers. But a very clear difference to home bred eggs.
I have bought eggs from members of this forum, sent through the post, in the past with great results, notably Dark Brown Eggs.
To sum it up I would say its a bit of a lottery but I certainly won't be buying any more eggs from the Buff Sussex supplier. 

Thanks SumatraJohnny  - I think it really is a postal lottery though.  Last year I bought some Copper Blacks and was pleased with eggs and hatch, so purchased another lot which arrived 4 weeks later and had very poor results


From my eggs last year a total novice hatched 6/6 with 5 girls, and a really experienced parrot breeder did 11/12 with one DIS both after quite long distance posting - then others seem to do really badly, even though eggs set same week here at home do well


This year folk have already had good results after posting


BUT also this year


Someone contacted to say only 2 from 12 fertile just prior to pipping - then hatched 10    - and then contacted to moan that he only had one cockerel


Someone else has contacted to say all but 2 infertile   Eggs posted 18th to arrive 19th set 20th and complaint logged first thing 23rd    so presumably candled 22nd!  Haven't heard back from my reply


Last year someone had zero result, sent replacement eggs -  zero result again - so this year contacted him to ask if he wanted another free replacement - reply - Yes please - and I know why the others failed - the inccy thermometer was out and it was running 5C higher than show temp


Sometimes I wonder if its worth selling hatching eggs, but I must admit I do like the idea that my lines are spread around a bit.   

[Marches Farmer]

I got good results from eBay until a couple of years ago when, I think, a lot of people who had a couple of hens in the back garden decided to run a cockerel with them and sell the resulting eggs in the hope of a profit.  Unfortunately successful fertility and robust chicks also involve careful feeding, selection of breeding stock, testing eggs for hatchability before advertising them and so on and I now try to avoid eBay if I can.  Fortunately I have some good breeding groups of large fowl rare breeds this year and hopefully won't need to buy in.

[chrismahon]

We bought from P&T Poultry and never again. Buff orpington chicks weak and deformed from inter-breeding and lack of vitamins. You must go to the breeder and collect yourself checking the conditions of the parents and their quality. Otherwise you only have yourself to blame. Saw Cream Legbar eggs for sale at an auction -most were not blue or blue/ green so how could they be? You don't even get that opportunity on ebay.

[hughesy]

I've had mixed results with eggs I've bought. However I've had some excellent reports about eggs I've sold. I think the trouble a lot of the time is people have poor incubation techniques but it's easier to blame the person they got the eggs off or the postman.

[Big Light]

Its a lottery buy what you can afford if you get nothing then every thing is a bonus.

its down to two thing IE having a decent breeder who want send you dud eggs

and a decent posty

[Brijjy]

Sometimes I wonder if its worth selling hatching eggs, but I must admit I do like the idea that my lines are spread around a bit.   

You floozy! 

[Jackie 2]

Out of 48 Ive managed to hatch just 3 from Ebay . The hatchery is fully automatic so its not my technique.

[Padge]

You have to rely on so many things.....peoples honesty being one of them......i read recently of one person having a disappointing first test hatch.....but still advertising eggs at 90% fertile!!
 
We have bought from ebay in the past with bitterly disappointing results....except for one supplier...which was yeo valley farm....we've also bought from folk on forums such as this and had fantastic results with posted eggs.......we're o  the lookout now for eggs having had a disastrous wipeout