I ordered "James Marie Jumbo Brown Pharaoh" eggs from Orchard Hill Poultry (quailkingjosh on
ebay) in the dead of winter. They're in Georgia. I'm in Washington State. So those eggs traveled about as far as they could without leaving the country.
Orchard Hill packed them with a 72-hour shipping warmer for an extra $6. And they marked on the box clearly that they should be held at the post office and I should be called (we spoke on the phone to confirm all that -- I also left a message to that effect when I paid for the item on
ebay).
Everything went off without a hitch. I ordered on a Sunday, and they had them packed (in foam with the heater) and sent on Monday morning. What happens once the post office gets them is out of Orchard Hill's control, but my eggs were treated very well. The box had no damage and the eggs were in perfect condition -- none were broken.
I let them sit, air cell up, for a couple of days before incubating, just in case the air cells needed to heal, and to bring them slowly up to room temperature. Then I incubated 48 eggs, and I was hoping for a 50% hatch. I figured that was a reasonable -- even hopeful -- goal for eggs shipped across the country in the middle of winter.
37 hatched! 77%! I couldn't have been happier. I did lose three or four chicks over the next few days, but I that's just part of raising animals. The rest grew up without any issues. They're healthy, and they're definitely Jumbos.
I'm sure there are many reputable places to order eggs, but I have no problem recommending Orchard Hill Poultry to ship in the winter without any reservation whatsoever.
