HOW BEST TO PACKAGE EGGS FOR SHIPPING DO"S AND DON"TS

[ozexpat]

THANK YOU SALLY SUNSHINE!!!!!!!!

After I posted that advice Brahmapapa (the OP) pm'd me to say that my advice was "embarrassing" and that shipping eggs air cell up was stupid since the post office is going to toss the box around anyway. He went on to say how everyone else reading this read would laugh at me and hopefully they don't embarrass me too much with their comments

I of course advised him maybe his hatch rates would be better if he took my advice

Everyone- get those air cells up for shipping, it makes a HUGE difference.


Trish

I took 73 eggs on a 7500 mile plane ride. 25 I had in a carry on and 48 were in a golf bag that wash checked






the carry on eggs traveled in the overhead compartment in business class - on their side. They were never dropped or mishandled. The golf bag was in the lap of the gods - or at least the baggage handlers. I used the same foam shipping inserts but the eggs in the golf bag were big end up.

The ride had lots of turbulance but thats about it. The trip to the final destination was a bumpy road with 3 hrs of constant vibration.

Of the 25 in the hand carry - 8 hatched
of the 48 in the golf bag - 24 hatched ( 10 eggs in this batch were 8-12 days old though)

Any shipments I receive on their side - I get similar hatch results.

All my future eggs will be shipped big end up if I can help it.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

I took 73 eggs on a 7500 mile plane ride. 25 I had in a carry on and 48 were in a golf bag that wash checked






the carry on eggs traveled in the overhead compartment in business class - on their side. They were never dropped or mishandled. The golf bag was in the lap of the gods - or at least the baggage handlers. I used the same foam shipping inserts but the eggs in the golf bag were big end up.

The ride had lots of turbulance but thats about it. The trip to the final destination was a bumpy road with 3 hrs of constant vibration.

Of the 25 in the hand carry - 8 hatched
of the 48 in the golf bag - 24 hatched ( 10 eggs in this batch were 8-12 days old though)

Any shipments I receive on their side - I get similar hatch results.

All my future eggs will be shipped big end up if I can help it.

GREAT POST!

 

[Arkansas81]

Ok, am I reading this correctly..bubble wrap them individually, sit them fat side up? I'm newish to shipping eggs. Here's what I did

Wrapped individualy, sat them fat side up, put another layer of bubble wrap over the top of them while in carton. Closed the carton, taped it shut, placed the cartons flat side by side, put a whole roll of bubble wrap on top of the cartons - loosely.

Put on the box fragile this end up, call the recipient before leaving. Well about 8 eggs were broken, they were tossed on the front porch all day, in the cold and rain. The lady said the box was a soggy wet mess. She said one detached air sac, the rest looks good. She doesn't know if they will hatch because of how they were handled. The eggs were about 2-3 days old.

Do u have any suggestions for a better result? I offered to ship more, but she said wait and see what happens. I REALLY want to do the very best I can when I ship. What about care / delivery instructions en route? Plz be honest, I want to learn.

 

[gapeach717]

Ok, am I reading this correctly..bubble wrap them individually, sit them fat side up? I'm newish to shipping eggs. Here's what I did

Wrapped individualy, sat them fat side up, put another layer of bubble wrap over the top of them while in carton. Closed the carton, taped it shut, placed the cartons flat side by side, put a whole roll of bubble wrap on top of the cartons - loosely.

Put on the box fragile this end up, call the recipient before leaving. Well about 8 eggs were broken, they were tossed on the front porch all day, in the cold and rain. The lady said the box was a soggy wet mess. She said one detached air sac, the rest looks good. She doesn't know if they will hatch because of how they were handled. The eggs were about 2-3 days old.

Do u have any suggestions for a better result? I offered to ship more, but she said wait and see what happens. I REALLY want to do the very best I can when I ship. What about care / delivery instructions en route? Plz be honest, I want to learn.

I am the recipient of these eggs ^^^

this is what they looked like before and after I opened the cartons as they came. At this point I had not done anything with them at all. I have lost 8 but I don't feel this was anything to fault of the sender.








Eta
the wet package was Kizannes eggs I got yesterday.

 

[ozexpat]

Ok, am I reading this correctly..bubble wrap the em individually, sit them fat side up? I'm newish to shipping eggs. Here's what I did

Wrapped individualy, sat them fat side up, put another layer of bubble wrap over the top of them while in carton. Closed the carton, taped it shut, placed the cartons flat side by side, put a whole roll of bubble wrap on top of the cartons - loosely.

Put on the box fragile this end up, call the recipient before leaving. Well about 8 eggs were broken, they were tossed on the front porch all day, in the cold and rain. The lady said the box was a soggy wet mess. She said one detached air sac, the rest looks good. She doesn't know if they will hatch because of how they were handled. The eggs were about 2-3 days old.

Do u have any suggestions for a better result? I offered to ship more, but she said wait and see what happens. I REALLY want to do the very best I can when I ship. What about care / delivery instructions en route? Plz be honest, I want to learn.

You have no control over what the USPS does. But in saying that, most eggs do not break - even the ones I have had arrive sitting in an egg carton with a piece if kitchen towel around them. Yours must have had a really unusual run.

I prefer them not to be in a carton. Get a strip of bubble wrap 6 inches wide that goes around the egg twice. Sit the eggs in the center of a box with the top and bottom not taped. pack above and below with peanuts. Place the whole thing in a larger box with peanuts. I had an 80% hatch rate with this method.

If the label is on the top - most humans will intrinsically put the box in the sorters label up. Most carriers will do the same. Shipping label up (and big end up inside) will be the best you can do.

I am the type of guy that uses evidence based methods for almost everything. I have read hundreds of thousands of posts on this an other sites. I have read the excitements and disappointments of many recipients of eggs. You will get loads of anecdotal reports of variants - but if you care to sift through the data - you will come to the same conclusions as me.

I use foam inserts from texaspoultry.com. They cost about 8 bucks for 25 eggs. Not cheap but they give me piece of mind.

A friend of mine in NH is shipping me some Brittish Orpingtons from freshly imported lines - valuable eggs - I will send him the foam and have the eggs shipped overnight.

Those monster choocks will have traveled over 10000 miles by the time they get to my incubator. Its a one-off chance. If it costs me 50 bucks it will be worth it.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

This is NOT my photo- it is from ChicksAmongUs on the 24 hr auction thread. She does a GREAT job packing her eggs. The recipient of these eggs will likely have a great hatch. In the pic she uses pipe foam to wrap the eggs (also great) but you can wrap them the same way with bubble wrap. Notice how the tops are open for air exchange. All voids are filled nicely and those eggs are protected well. All that is needed would be a layer of something on top before sealing up the box. I like shredded paper the best but packing peanuts or more Styrofoam would also work. try to avoid too much bubble wrap over them because it would hinder air exchange.

Marking the box fragile is up to the receipt- some people receive boxes badly damaged when marked fragile. So far all my boxes marked "Live Embryos" seem to arrive in great shape, the ones marked fragile don't

 

[gapeach717]

I like the idea of pipe insulator. I will likely use that one day!

 

[ozexpat]

This is NOT my photo- it is from ChicksAmongUs on the 24 hr auction thread. She does a GREAT job packing her eggs. The recipient of these eggs will likely have a great hatch. In the pic she uses pipe foam to wrap the eggs (also great) but you can wrap them the same way with bubble wrap. Notice how the tops are open for air exchange. All voids are filled nicely and those eggs are protected well. All that is needed would be a layer of something on top before sealing up the box. I like shredded paper the best but packing peanuts or more Styrofoam would also work. try to avoid too much bubble wrap over them because it would hinder air exchange.

Marking the box fragile is up to the receipt- some people receive boxes badly damaged when marked fragile. So far all my boxes marked "Live Embryos" seem to arrive in great shape, the ones marked fragile don't

Thats some good packing

 

[ozexpat]

This next statement is opinion only - not based on tested science

As far as bubble wrap goes - the eggs are in a state of suspended division. They are not burning oxygen and making CO2. I am not sure that wrapping them in too much bubble wrap is a bad thing.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

You have no control over what the USPS does. But in saying that, most eggs do not break - even the ones I have had arrive sitting in an egg carton with a piece if kitchen towel around them. Yours must have had a really unusual run.

I prefer them not to be in a carton. Get a strip of bubble wrap 6 inches wide that goes around the egg twice. Sit the eggs in the center of a box with the top and bottom not taped. pack above and below with peanuts. Place the whole thing in a larger box with peanuts. I had an 80% hatch rate with this method.

If the label is on the top - most humans will intrinsically put the box in the sorters label up. Most carriers will do the same. Shipping label up (and big end up inside) will be the best you can do.

I am the type of guy that uses evidence based methods for almost everything. I have read hundreds of thousands of posts on this an other sites. I have read the excitements and disappointments of many recipients of eggs. You will get loads of anecdotal reports of variants - but if you care to sift through the data - you will come to the same conclusions as me.

I use foam inserts from texaspoultry.com. They cost about 8 bucks for 25 eggs. Not cheap but they give me piece of mind.

A friend of mine in NH is shipping me some Brittish Orpingtons from freshly imported lines - valuable eggs - I will send him the foam and have the eggs shipped overnight.

Those monster choocks will have traveled over 10000 miles by the time they get to my incubator. Its a one-off chance. If it costs me 50 bucks it will be worth it.

I LOVE the foam inserts and would also ship that way for very valuable eggs. It is the Cadillac of egg protection

Good luck with your eggs