advice from Postmaster on egg shipping

[rizq]

It is not as bad as slamming them into a cart like that, but I delivered a box to a p.o. a few weeks ago (not my regular p.o.) and right after asking if the box contained anything fragile (and being told yes), the lady picked up the box and just tossed it over her shoulder (without even looking) into the bin behind her. I almost fainted. I was like ... umm ... fragile! Why did you even ask?!

 

[fowlrus]

I wrote: live embryo on the box, my customer got a call from post office said: your embryo is here.
she go: WHAT!!!!!

 

[mommahento5]

Quote:
I received 4-dozen hatching eggs from Superior Farms 21 days ago and they were not packaged well at all. They shipped 2-dozen in 2 large flat rate priority boxes. They had each individual egg wrapped with some toilet paper or maybe a paer towel and then put into a cardboard egg carton. They had sawed the end of each egg carton off so that the carton only held 10 eggs, and then there was a little 2-egg holder. Each 10-pack of eggs were down each side and the 2, 2-packs were sideways inbetween them. Does this make sense? There was some crumpled newspaper padded all around. The outside of the box was labeled "HATCHING EGGS Handle with care" on top and 1 other side. If anyone knows the size box I am talking about, you can imagine what a tight fit it was. In any case One of the boxes was smashed and leaking. When I opened it, there were 5 broken eggs and I am sure the others were doomed from that time. Out of the 43 remaining eggs I had, I set 42 (all my incubator holds). Out of those I have 5, only FIVE that are due to hatch tomorrow. Now I understand that they are not responsible for the eggs once they leave their facility, but I was so disappointed. I have seen much better packaging from people on here. I guess I expected a hatchery to know what in the world they are doing. The whole experience from Superior was terrible and I would never recommend anyone purchase eggs from them! Didn't mean for this to turn into a rant, but I am so very disappointed....

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but I have always wondered if we were to mark "LIVE BEES" on the box.....lol

It makes no difference how the boxes get labeled asaik. I have tried everything from writing nothing to doing the Live EMbryo thing to marking FRAGILE everywhere. The bottom line is they have a lot of frieght to move so they are not really caring about exactly HOW it gets done.

 

[AHappychick]

Actually I have been conducting a study and I have found a MUCH higher hatch ratio when eggs are marked this way.

For instance I recieved silkie eggs from a byc member all were scrambled by the po, they were packed well and marked fragile eggs

The second round I asked that she put Live Embryos on the box and had 6 out of 12 hatch

I have now had over 15 different shipments of eggs and the ones marked with "live embryos" always are handled better and have a higher hatch rate.

I do believe this works sometimes I think the word "Live" triggers it to be handled by hand not machine at the PO

 

[hoppy]

my box labelled "live embryos" got lost for 10 days with a zero hatch. when the seller reshipped a new set- only 2 days in shipping labelled "fragile". and there is not refund for your priority mail taking longer then the estimated time.

 

[fowlrus]

Quote:
Very true, They don't even want to hear it. Shipping already cost so much, unless it's highend eggs, I don't see paying $30+ dollars for shipping of $12 eggs, most of us just take chance with USPS.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

PRICELESS FEDERAL ANTIQUES, IF BROKEN CANNOT BE REPLACED.

lol.

A box is a box to the mail sorters and carriers, aside from the address not much is considered.

 

[Heather J]

When I bought my HB from the manufacturer I got a special that included bobwhite eggs. The eggs shipped separately and were not packaged well at all. they just tossed them between a couple layers of the tiny egg crates with no padding at all--well, no there may have been a thin layer of foam, but it was just a single sheet to keep the eggs in one crate, and sent them along. The box was packed enough the egg crates didnt' move around, but the eggs were too small for the spaces and totally twisted in transit. I had way less than half develop. I hatched 5 out of 30, but part of that is bad hatching techniques by me--I have an awful time getting a decent quail hatch even when I start with eggs from MY birds. But, like I said, less than half even developed, and several were smashed on arrival.

I would never spend the money to buy hatchery eggs (not exactly show quality birds, anyway) if they all package like that. At least live chicks are guaranteed to arrive alive!

 

[minikeeper1143]

Wow, some good advice here. I'm sure it is obvious, to all who have already beaten this rug, that this was my first shipment of eggs and I was heart broken to find any of them damaged so I wanted to build a better mouse trap!!

My eggs were very carefully packaged and could not have been damaged with reasonable handling. Oh well, "accept what I cannot change"

My pregnant eggs are being gently rocked to life in their new incubator and like most of you have already done, I wait for the miracle to come.

Carolyn