First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter

[wolftracks]

Let me see, at my local post office.

Hand clerk the box and say, "These are fertile hatching eggs". Clerk checks in the box, then picks it up and smacks it down on the counter as she says, "Okay". She was just signifying our transaction was finished and the smack was a physical exclamation mark to the end of her sentence.

Hand clerk the box. He looks at it and shakes it while saying, "Is there anything fragile in here?". I say "Yes, that's why there is a large FRAGILE sign on all six sides of the box."

Same clerk as above, rotates the box and looks at all six sides (mind you, this is a standard PO priority box, nothing much to see). I say, "They are eggs, please be careful, see the large black arrows on all four sides saying which side is up?"

Don't even get me started on trying to get boxes labeled.................."Hold for pickup". I know they are there, they can't find them at least ten times now. Mind you, this is a small town post office, the entire building is about the same size as my house.

Deb

OMG! That's when it started! The 6 sided slam and drop! My husband was still alive then and I went to pick up eggs. She kept flipping and slaming and I told her to be careful, because it held eggs. She says "OK if they're wrapped right they won't break." I said "If you shake them up the aircell becomes damaged and I'm out 100 bucks and no way to get it back!" I was so mad. That was the day we sat and talked about the Egg Train. It was going so good till he died and I just didn't come in for a couple of months and people figured I was a flake. We've moved eggs but mainly birds, but not like I could if I still had the help I need. I'd like to never have to use the PO.

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[ChooksChick]

That's exactly what my box from Denny last week looked like!

 

[ChooksChick]

This is why I double-box. It offers crush-space so even with the outside mashed, there's a buffer of a couple of inches and padding before another layer of cardboard box.

How can you miss the Fragile sticker in eye-abrasion-orange? It's just the way the system works, and I'm grateful we have the option. We just have to pack like we expect it!!

 

[zookeeper15133]

I only mark my boxes if the receiver requests it. I have found that they arrive in better condition if they are not marked with anything!

 

[ChooksChick]

I only mark my boxes if the receiver requests it. I have found that they arrive in better condition if they are not marked with anything!

Oooh, that reminds me: I had a customer order, and when the box arrived dented, her friend w/ whom she split the order said it was because it was marked. Since then, they have ordered 2 more boxes, and I marked one and not the other, and sent them at the same time. I have been meaning to ask how they arrived...not that it could possibly be an across the board answer, but anecdotally, it would be interesting.

I think it does depend a great deal on the distance of both the sender and the recipient from a major airport. Folks who live within an hour of one seem to have vastly more successful shipped hatches than those who live hours away from the airport. Likewise, folks who receive eggs from someone nearby have a hard time, because the entire trip is a long truck ride. I have had folks 3 hours away from me receive their Priority shipments from me 3 DAYS later, with a hideous hatch rate. Conversely, a customer in Alaska, near the Anchorage airport, got hers in 12 hours, 100% hatch!

Truthfully, we're trying to find a pattern in a largely automated system that hasn't nearly as much human influence as one would imagine. It's just that we need to pack for REPEATED conveyor belt transit containing squishing and box jams, drops and falls from 4', and bouncing along a country road for hours.

I've considered labeling it, 'Fragile- Syrup.' That would get their attention! No WAY they want syrup in their machinery!!

 

[gryeyes]

I have finally candled a few of the eggs and discarded one clear. Not all of them are gonna hatch, but a couple look like they have developed enough to hatch in a few days......

 

[The Chickeneer]

Ohh mine too! I candled and only pulled out only just one egg. All the other ones are looking really good. Good luck everybody!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: X2

I had the good fortune of ONCE, only ONCE, have the Fragile-Eggs box travel off the conveyor system. It took 5 days to arrive. WHen packages arrive in 2-3 days, it travels over the miles of conveyors to move packages fast. It is what it is.

 

[NotAFarm]

I thought I smelled something in the incubator so checked my eggs. I removed two turkey eggs, so now have 11 that look like they are good. All of these eggs when picked-up within 2 hours of me, no shipping. I'm down to two Golden Campines, shipped from debs_flock. The six Icelandic eggs from my flock are all good. It's getting close now!!