Shipping Heritage Hatching Eggs through the Mail

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Robert Blosl

Robert Blosl

Rest in Peace 1947-2013
Mar 1, 2010
2,376
478
221
Silverhill, Alabama
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I started something here trying to promote the old time Standard Breed Poutlry then we found a old strain of Barred Rocks from Frank Reese and every buddy is going nuts over them. We have two to three people who wish to send eggs to us as customers and the big questons is what on earth is the best way to ship these eggs to try to just improve the percetage of eggs hatching. Many of us have had poor hatches of say 15 to 20% hatch. Some have had better. Here are some questions:

How do we pack these eggs?

What kind of box should we use?

Should we use egg cartons to pack them in?

What should we write on the out side of the box?

What kind of filler do we use in the box newspaper, shreaded paper, bubble wrap, or peanut foam?

Should we write Hatching Eggs on the outside of the box or can this put a Vidoo curse on the box?

Should we let the eggs rest 24 hours befor we put them in the incubator?

What days are the best to ship?

These are just a few questions that have been asked by me over the years. I have had good luck shiping my eggs by UPS ground vs USPS.

Help us out there you Back Yard Poultry Specialists. We need pictures or web sites with pictures on this thread.

What we will do here is get a whole bunch of ideas and then we can pick the methods that we think will work for us. This is a brain stroming Thread and all imput even negative needs to be written. We can learn from our mistakes just as we can learn from your success stories. Imput from the buyer is just as good as the person who ships the eggs.

If we are going to share or HERITAGE Standard Breed Large Fowl with others over the next few years like folks who share Heriloom garden seeds with each other. We need a fool proof method to ship them. These gardeners have methods that they use and mail seeds to each other for years we can to.

Look forward to this new chapter of our Bring back the Standard Large Fowl Poulty to America that has almost beeen lost to God knows what reasons.

Bob
 
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I too am insteaded in the responses that may come your way in this post. I am getting many request to ship free ranged chicken eggs, but have not clue in the materials involved in safely shipping them or what I should suggest for cost per dozen. I will follow this post and learn.
 
When I ship eggs, I use the large Priority Mail box, I fill the bottom about 3" deep in packing peanuts or shredded paper, then a flat layer of bubble wrap (unless I use an egg flat, which covers the whole bottom). I place an egg carton bottom or an egg flat in. Each egg is wrapped in a 3 1/2" x 5" bubble wrap bag with a nice cushion of wrapping at the top & bottom, then it is placed narrow end down in the carton/flat. I don't leave empty spaces in between.

Once all eggs are in, I pack gently, but firmly, around the sides with plastic shopping bags, packing peanuts, shredded paper or whatever I have on hand (I'm a big believer in reusing clean materials of all types), then I overfill the box just a bit, close & tape securely. I have VERY little breakage and if there is a broken or cracked egg, usually the box looks pretty trashed. I write (FRAGILE, HATCHING EGGS) on the side in BIG, RED LETTERS with a smiley face on the front next to the label
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I've had a FEW clients have 0 or low hatch rates (they got replacements) but the vast majority had 50% up to 100% hatch rates. So much depends on the USPS handling
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My husband works in the motorsports industry and bring home bubble wrap, packing peanuts, air bags and whatever he can round up from shipments of new, clean items. It keeps my costs down, since all of my e-bay auctions include the shipping cost
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The only time I use a smaller box is for small orders or very small eggs, like seramas or tiny bantams.

I ship on Mondays or Wednesdays only, not later in the week. Eggs should be rested at room temperature 12-24 hours prior to placing in the incubator.

I'll plan to take pictures on Monday when I'm packing eggs :) I have several orders of eggs and chicks going out that day.
 
Honestly I don't think there is a foolproof way to wrap or ship them. I've both recieved and shipped a fair number of eggs. No matter how well we wrap them once they hit the mail system it's crap shoot on how they're going to be handled. I personally don't write hatching eggs on the outside of the box. I mark them fragile and handle with care. I wrap the ones I ship out in bubble wrap and then place them in a small shipping box. That box I then place inside a larger shipping box and fill in the space between the 2 boxes with crumpled newspaper packed in as tightly as I can get it so the inner box won't shift. Works well most of the time, but even well packed if they're placed in the bottom of a package bin at the PO with several heavy boxes on top the box still can be crushed.
 
I have hatching egg info on my "for sale" page of my website, with pictures and describing what I do. I do not mark "hatching eggs anymore. I just put "Extremely Fragile, do not shake or drop" I have not had damaged eggs yet- at least not broken ones.
 
http://www.silverpulletpoultry.net/forsalepage.htm

Smokey 73 you have some great looking Rhode Island Reds. The old fashion kind. We have to tell folks about your strain.

Boy this was quick. What wonderfull suggestions and pictures. This will help so many people. I just went to the last post site and I like this idea. Last year and the year befor I heard of a lady that shiped her eggs in infant diapers so I went to Wall Mart and bought me a pack put one egg in each diaper and backed them well and went them UPSGround. Got about 60% hatch. I heard this from some one that the lady who sold the eggs wanted the customer to send the diapers back.

The above package looks great as well. I used fine saw dust years ago in my egg cartons and if I could find some extra extra large egg cartons I think packing the eggs in this manner would be good. I just dont want to order a 100 cartons for a few shipments.

Keep it coming. I hope Kathy from Mo. will put some pictures on as well she has a good method. bob
 
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individual bubble wrap.

Now,.. to get the best hatches from very valuable eggs I know of one exhibitor who had eggs shipped to her in a horizon box like it was a live bird. The eggs were well packed inside the box, but it was sent express and the USPS workers assumed it was a live bird and treated it as such. Much better hatch rate. Not sure if it is worth it for most eggs, though.
 
I have sent and received eggs packaged different ways. However, continually, the best hatch rates have been with egg cartons. I have sent out Jersey Giant eggs several times, with excellent hatches ..... nearly 100% each time.

I will say, the first time I received eggs this way, I was reluctant ..... UNTIL I had 16 of 18 hatch.

I use 2 egg carton bottoms (the part the eggs sit in). Each egg is wrapped in a 1/2 of paper towel, and placed in an egg carton. The second egg carton bottom is placed on top of the eggs and taped closed. All eggs are firmly in the carton.

I use 2 boxes, one larger than the other. Boxes are free and delivered free to your house by the USPS. The largest box I use is not available at the post office, and must be ordered at the USPS site (free). It is larger than the "large," box at the PO. I place the egg carton of eggs inside the first box, where it is firmly in the middle of the box with all sorts of padding used .... quilt batting, bubble wrap, shredded paper, wadded up plastic grocery bags, etc. I then do this again, with padding the second (larger) box. I place the smaller box inside the larger box. All this keeps the eggs firmly in place.

I don't know, but I think the success rate is increased because the eggs are not laying on their sides, they are upright. And, they are firmly in place, not loose to move about.

I agree, there are many ways to ship, and no one way is, "the right way," but this has been the best way for me.
 
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http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/15199033

I started doing this and will do it again this year. Fooled the heck out of the post office. I also shiped eggs in baby chick boxes a old timer did this years ago. The boxes get more respect than plan boxes.

I tried to get the verbage changed with the USPS for five years I asked and every time I was turned down. I wanted the boxes marked hatching eggs to be shiped in the Live Section of the Fed Ex Jet planes like live adult birds and chicks. We pay two day priorty mail and all I get is dont have the time or cant afford to make a two sentance change in the REGS.

Maybe something can be done. The post office is the reason we have such poor hatches in my view.

If they would alow the egg boxes to be in the live section this would solve a lot of problems.

keep them coming great thread. bob
 

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