Can You Sell Hatching Eggs Late in Incubation? (And Why Most Breeders Don’t)
If you’ve been around poultry groups long enough, you’ve probably seen someone ask:
“Can I sell eggs that are already incubating?”
or
“Can I ship started eggs?”
Technically… an egg can still hatch after development has started. But shipping or selling eggs late in incubation is almost always a bad idea—for both the embryo and the breeder’s reputation.
Let’s talk about why.
Eggs Are Tough… Until They Aren’t
Fresh hatching eggs are surprisingly resilient.
A fertilized egg can safely sit at room temperature for several days before incubation begins. During that time the embryo is still in a very early blastoderm stage, and development hasn’t truly started yet.
That’s why we can collect eggs for a few days and then place them in the incubator.
It’s also why shipping fresh eggs is possible when they’re packaged correctly in EggFoam
But once the incubator starts warming those eggs to about 99.5°F, everything changes.
Development begins.
Cells divide.
Blood vessels form.
The embryo starts organizing itself into a living chick.
And at that point, the egg becomes much more fragile to movement, temperature swings, and stress.
Why Shipping Incubating Eggs Is Risky
Once an embryo has started developing, several things happen that make shipping dangerous.
Beyond the Egg can teach you how to ship hatching eggs and live birds professionally
1. Vibration Can Damage the Embryo
Shipping isn’t gentle.
Eggs get:
Conveyor vibration
Truck vibration
Sudden stops and drops
Sorting machine impacts
Early embryos may survive some movement. But once circulation begins, excessive motion can disrupt the developing blood vessels.
That’s one reason why research on egg handling consistently shows that excessive candling and movement can reduce hatchability.
Now imagine that same embryo traveling hundreds of miles in a delivery truck.
2. Cooling Stops Development — Sometimes Permanently
Embryos expect continuous incubation temperatures.
When a developing egg cools during shipping:
metabolism slows
development pauses
circulation can collapse
Early embryos sometimes recover.
But later embryos often do not.
Instead, the chick may die late in development or become weak at hatch.
3. Oxygen Demand Increases Late in Development
As the chick grows, its oxygen needs increase dramatically.
By the final week of incubation, embryos rely heavily on proper gas exchange through the shell and air cell.
Shipping environments can disrupt that balance through:
temperature changes
humidity swings
restricted airflow
That stress can easily turn into late embryo death.
What About “Started Eggs”?
There is one situation where incubated eggs are sometimes sold.
These are called started eggs—usually incubated 5–10 days.
Breeders sometimes sell these because fertility can already be confirmed by candling.
But there’s an important detail:
Started eggs are almost always local pickup only.
They are:
hand carried
kept warm during transport
moved very carefully
They are rarely shipped through the mail.
The Standard Practice Among Breeders
Most responsible breeders follow a simple rule:
Ship Fresh Clean eggs that the breeder groups have confirmed fertility
Why?
Because once development begins, the odds of damage during shipping increase dramatically.
And no breeder wants customers opening a box full of eggs that were already doomed before they arrived.
A Breeder’s Reputation Matters
When someone buys hatching eggs, they’re trusting the breeder to give those embryos the best possible chance at life.
Shipping eggs that are already incubating puts that outcome at risk.
Even if the breeder had good intentions, the result is usually the same:
poor hatch rates
frustrated customers
dead embryos
And nobody wants that.
The Bottom Line
Fresh hatching eggs can handle shipping when packaged correctly.
But once incubation has started, those developing embryos need stable temperature, minimal movement, and proper oxygen exchange.
A shipping truck can’t provide that.
So while it might technically be possible to sell eggs late in incubation…
it’s rarely the right thing to do.
About the Author
Jennifer Bryant is a poultry breeder at Bryant’s Roost and co-host of the Poultry Nerds Podcast, where she and Carey Blackmon explore the science behind incubation, breeding, and poultry management.
You can learn more about hatching eggs, incubation techniques, and breeder practices by visiting Bryant’s Roost or tuning into the Poultry Nerds Podcast.
FAQ: Selling and Shipping Hatching Eggs
Can you ship eggs that are already incubating?
No. Shipping eggs after incubation has started greatly increases embryo mortality due to vibration, cooling, and oxygen stress during transit.
Can you sell started eggs?
Yes, but they are typically sold for local pickup only. Started eggs are usually incubated 5–10 days so fertility can be confirmed by candling.
Why shouldn’t incubating eggs be shipped?
Developing embryos are sensitive to movement and temperature fluctuations. Shipping exposes eggs to vibration, shock, and cooling that can damage the embryo.
What stage of eggs should be shipped for hatching?
Fresh eggs that have not started incubation are the safest to ship and give the best chance of hatch success.
How old can hatching eggs be before shipping?
Most breeders ship eggs that are between 1–5 days old. Hatchability typically declines after 7–10 days of storage.