Question about eggs!!! - Page 2

actually the eggs are just fine for up to 2 weeks.

Additional: because of the NPIP program, pollorum is very rare.  It used to be a huge killer of poultry. I suspect that enforcement is slack because there are no longer epidemics. Let there be an outbreak and APHIS and the state livestock agency will be all over the issue.

I hold both waterfowl and chicken eggs for incubation or shipping in a picnic cooler with a cup of water (provides humidity) and a single blue ice pack (don't let the ice pack touch the eggs). I turn eggs twice a day in the cooler, and change the ice pack every 12 hours.

For my personal use, I've successfully kept goose and duck eggs fertile for up to ten days. I wouldn't ship anything older than two or three days, though.

Here's the link to the USDA's info site about the NPIP program.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/animal_dis_spec/poultry/

And here's a link to the CFR that deals with shipping poultry.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr;sid=1e6b7d7a918d25d0a56a455af3aa707b;rgn=div5;view=text;node=9%3A1.0.1.7.62;idno=9;cc=ecfr

I have heard that waterfowl are exempt from testing, though, and this section seems to back that up, but I haven't had time to read through the whole thing:

(8) All domesticated fowl, except waterfowl, on the farm of the participant shall either be properly tested to meet the same standards as the participating flock or these birds and their eggs shall be separated from the participating flock and its eggs.

(vii) All poultry, including exhibition, exotic, and game birds, but excluding waterfowl, going to public exhibition shall come from U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean or equivalent flocks, or have had a negative pullorum-typhoid test within 90 days of going to public exhibition;