LOL... I just bought a huge incubator...So, I am trying it out!I wasn't surprised to see you on here, purpletie3. I noticed you were winning auctions left and right on the auction page! Good luck with your hatches! With such a mix, I'd love to hear your observations on packing, distance, and air cell quality!
The packing from the BYC membersI have purchased from has been great! Some of them double box. Everyone wraps in bubble wrap and uses a roll of tape. Some cell up some sideways in a carton. Some with heat packs some not. Didn't seem to matter if they were well packed.
Some of the packing from the E-Bay auctions were in musty newspaper, kleenex, eww...But, most were well packed with bubble wrap and air cells up. Some use shredded newspaper which seemed fine in a double box situation. The only ones I have received where the box was ridiculous was these huge rhodebar eggs in the smallest box with not enough wrap. Not sure if they had froze or just broke...it was sad.
I have had eggs overnighted only to show up three days late. I also expect that a 50% hatch rate would be amazing!!! As far as distance...I bought two eggs auctions that were in NY. But, it took the post office forever to deliver one of them. Luckily they were well packed.