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

[jenlynn4]

It seems to me that eggs are getting handled much worse this year!!! I have gotten 4 sets of eggs from 4 different people in 4 differet places and have had terrible results! (not the egg senders fault because all were packaged EXTREMELY WELL!) I have sent out tons of eggs this year and there just not getting there in the same condition that they use to! Lots of broken air cells and I have even had a couple arrive broken this year! First time for that! I have always taken pride in my egg track record which has been exemplary till reciently! I wonder if they are x raying more packages or puropsly being hard on the egg boxes? makes me wonder! I'd love to hear other peoples inputon this matter! My personal experience so far this year has sucked! But I know thats the chance you take with shipped eggs. Some times they work out and sometimes they dont. It jsut frustrates me all to heck! What do you think? JEN

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I'm not certain what the problem is either, Jenn. The boxes don't seem to have any damage, but aircells are loose and some eggs scrambled. Once I even payed for "special handling" but the result was the same.

I'm thinking about making a prototype box with a "roof" and handle...like the shipping boxes for birds...so they can't be stacked. Maybe they wouldn't throw them??? I know that it's all done by machine in the sorting facilities with the boxes tumbling out of huge sorting machines.

Has anyone ever used UPS or FedEx? I know that their prices are higher, but for pricey eggs it might be worth it.

 

[jenlynn4]

I think we are going to have to figure out something to get them there safer. It just seems to have gotten alot worse this year! JEN

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I've had a horrible time both with receiving eggs and with the eggs that I'm selling. I think they're xraying more. I've gotten a couple of dozen eggs, popped them in the incubator, nothing. Cracked them open, you can see that they were fertile but they never started to develop. It has to be from xraying. None of the air cells were damaged in these eggs.

Then with eggs that I've sold, I've had customers complaining of the same thing. No fertility. So I tell them to crack them open, yup, the bullseye's there but they never start growing.

I've also had several boxes of eggs that I've shipped out with broken eggs in them. And I wrap extremely well and almost always use a box in a box method, with egg cartons for cushioning between boxes, tons of bubble wrap, etc.

Some days I want to scream! I do know an Ebay seller that uses UPS exclusively. The only problem that I had with getting eggs from her was that I got frozen Call duck eggs in January. I mean frozen like an ice cube!

Laurie

 

[Camelot Farms]

Does a layer of foil prevent the Xray from damaging them?

Just a thought....

 

[Vanessabuffsnsilkies]

I had 18 silkie eggs sent, 10 made it to lockdown and 2 hatched, 1 died. I have like 14 bbs orphs in there now and I think a bunch of the air cells detached. I'm leaving them in just in case. The first bunch of eggs I had shipped didn't get here for 2 weeks. I have more on the way...

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Quote:
Postmaster told me no. I asked. He said that it wouldn't matter if we used aluminum foil. Only lead would prevent xrays. And I'm not paying for a lead shipping box!! LOL

Laurie

 

[jenlynn4]

Yes lead boxes would cost alot to ship!.

 

[schmmems]

All of the eggs that I got this year have been through the mail. I have had a hatch rate of at least 60% from all of my eggs, except from one seller. I have purchased twice from the seller and have not had one chick hatch out. Only two of the eggs (out of 16) developed. Other than that, I have had great success!

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

I have to agree with jennlynn~~~I've received shipped eggs from about 8 different breeders this year. Theres one unsuccessful hatch I wrote off to distance (took 4 days to get here) and I KNOW the breeder has an excellent reputation.
None of the eggs in the 8 batches were broken~~except from one breeder whom I'll NEVER deal with again anyway.
I did have one batch with a 75%hatch rate...which is excellent.

I know the risk I take when I order shipped eggs; it just sickens me that the breeder (shipper) has done everything right, and I've done everything right, only to have NOTHING (or just 1 or 2) hatch.

Its GOT to be the postal system.