Anyone else having a problem with shipping eggs this year???

[jenlynn4]

I really dont think we should stop shipping all together because I would not have most of the birds I have now if it were not for shipped eggs, but man, It truely is a gamble. I just had like 24 eggs sent to me packed and wrapped pristinely I might add and only got 2 chicks to hatch...thats not a good rate at all, BUT is is better than NO new chicks, so I am happy. I think I just set my standards to high... like Dipsys post says...they go through some really rough stuff so If we do get ANY to hatch its a miracle! LOL I know I will personally keep shipping, I just wont get so upset when the dont do as well as I hoped.

 

[jenlynn4]

I just had another customer inform me that she only got 2 eggs out of 8 to hatch! She said that the rest had broken air cells! This seems to be the main problem with most of the eggs this year. I wonder if there is ANY WAY we can avoid this. I think the egg train is a wonderful idea. Local pickup is even better. I just wish there was some miracle cure. Has anyone ever tried ups or fedex? I know personally when they deliver other things here they just throw the packages over the fence (literally!) My son yelled at one ups woman who threw a box with a large raido (boombox) over our 4 foot fence! The raido was broken and my son was so disappointed. Thats why I refuse to use them. anyone else have any luck with them?

 

[Elite Silkies]

Here's pics of my last shipment! Not one broken egg, but only 6 of the 8 Aussie eggs are developing and none of the Silkie eggs. I got 2 shipments and had quite a few of the air cells detached.

 

[MissDeb]

Wow, those photos just blow me away. You would think as much money as USPS charges us each year they would
have video surveillance on their employees. At least then there would be some sort of accountability? ( you would think)......

I made a post awhile back about having your shipped eggs attached to a sorting box. I had a wonderful hatch of quail eggs that came all
the way from GQF to Alaska with this method, out of 36 eggs, 28 hatched.....


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=337252

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
That is just terrible.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Im curious...do the boxes that are comming through damaged, with lots of broken air cells, or cracked eggs, all have "hatching eggs" written on them.

 

[PriceFamilyFarms]

it's like they see "fragile" written on the box and decide to bounce it off the walls a few times!

That is why I wont order any eggs from anyone unless I can get them in person! or delivered on the Egg Train!

 

[bockbock2008]

I have been having low hatch rates from shipped eggs as well. It won't help the x-ray problem but I have received some eggs that were packaged and then placed in one of those plastic totes that the post office provides. It's kind of like plastic cardboard. And then there is a couple strips of packing tape ran across the top to prevent it from being picked right up out of the box. And THEN, there is a not on the top about fragile, hatching eggs, do not x-ray, etc. These have seemed to do better. I hate to see this many people with so many failures but it sort of makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one.

I sterilized my incubator, constantly check temps and humidity and still bad hatches.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
That is just terrible.

Those are the eggs that I shipped to cityslickers, so when my Silkies start laying again, I am sending some more. They are raising babies right now, so no eggs.

I talked to my postal worker and she said to def. put FRAGILE on the box, or they are tossed into the sorting boxes. Now, I'm not sure I'll put hatching eggs on the boxes anymore. Might just try the FRAGILE stickers only.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Quote:
I received 2 shipments that did not have hatching eggs written on the box and there were eggs with broken air cells, so I don't know what the best way to ship would be.