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

[Sally Sunshine]

So....after reading this thread and looking at the different opinions on how to package this is my conclusion. You need to make sure the eggs have adequate air flow, need to be fat end up for at least 24 hrs before shipping,need to have the box as protected as possbile, bubble wrap, foam packaging of some sort?

The link that Sally provided in a few post back, when the man has his kid tossing in the air. What would be the biggest downfall on packaging, shipping like this? I can tell you I was quite impressed! I am going to be sending another few dozen eggs out in a few weeks. I am not experienced in shipping in the least! The last shippment didn't go well at all. I believe the eggs were intransit for about 3 days? So what ever suggestions on how to improve the link from Sally would be very helpful.

Thanks!!

oh and DO not set 24 hrs before shipping,Fresher the better because of the air cell size.... upon receiving settle 12-24 before setting.

 

[ozexpat]

Pele inner ramble all the way!! Do they really travel on planes like you said? I figured they were typically trucked? If they are airshipped, yes definately could be other culprets, I was under the impression it was vibrations constantly for 2 days straight and of course size of cells. pr iority mail travels how? plane boat land???? hmmmmm

Ok, so I know this doesn't add a lot of value to the thread, but reading how difficult it is to dislodge an aircell, and how common they are (I get them all the time in shipped eggs I receive), I wonder if there isn't another cuplrit than postal workers with guerilla strength.

Since the majority of our packages are shipped via air, and cargo holds are not pressurized, I almost wonder if pressure changes and discrepancies are crushing air cells out of position.

The pressure at 30,000 feet (average commercial flight) is roughly 4 psi, where at sea level the pressure is 14 psi (more than 3 times the pressure). Say if you even have the best case scenario, and start the egg at the highest altitude airport in the world (Qamdo Bangda Tibet), that is only at 4,300 feet, which would be 12.6 psi. That's still a massive difference in pressure. The egg is literally resisting pressure forces trying to equalize in a manner that would cause it to explode (same phenomina that happens to pressurized items exposed to the vaccuum of space).

Also on that note, I wonder if these forces are also the culprit for some of the eggs cracking. I could easily see a weaker, or more porous shell not resisting the internal pressure well.

Interesting stuff, though again, not really helpful. My inner nerd is just rambling.

So last trip to the Philippines I took 73 eggs on a plane 48 were in cargo section and 25 in business class. The cargo section eggs were packed big end up. The business class section were on their side. The business class eggs had more wobbly air cells and a worse hatch rate. Most planes are pressurized to 10000 feet. (mexico city airport is at 7300 feet - the one in Tibet is at 4300 meters) and the cargo sections are also pressurized.

I am sure air pressure plays a big roll in saddling the air cell as it expands. Its also why people fart more on planes lol.

From our Physics days


Boyle's law is used to predict the result of introducing a change, in volume and pressure only, to the initial state of a fixed quantity of gas. The before and after volumes and pressures of the fixed amount of gas, where the before and after temperatures are the same (heating or cooling will be required to meet this condition), are related by the equation:

Here P1 and V1 represent the original pressure and volume, respectively, and P2 and V2 represent the second pressure and volume.

 

[ozexpat]

Just about all commercial airlines in the United States are subcontracted to carry US Mail but most priority mail is handled by Fedex and routes through Memphis

Originating and transiting mail, First Class or Priority, with a destination of more than 200 miles from the originating Processing and Distribution Center goes by air.

Priority Mail processing centers are different from regular processing centers and bulk mail processing centers.

For high density mail regions, such as the Northeast corridor, mail is also trucked by subcontractors.

 

[Arkansas81]

So dnt let them settle before shipping - k. They need good air flow around the eggs, so if using the method that sally posted a link to you shouldn't put a layer of nuggets on the bottom of the box or top? Leave the top and bottom open to the bubble wrap, pack peanuts around the wrapped eggs.

Where can u buy peanuts in bulk?

 

[ozexpat]

So dnt let them settle before shipping - k. They need good air flow around the eggs, so if using the method that sally posted a link to you shouldn't put a layer of nuggets on the bottom of the box or top? Leave the top and bottom open to the bubble wrap, pack peanuts around the wrapped eggs.

Where can u buy peanuts in bulk?

a ups store

 

[Arkansas81]

a ups store

Hmm dnt have one of those, from a very small town. Post office?

 

[ozexpat]

Hmm dnt have one of those, from a very small town. Post office?

UPS - Staffed Location (UPS Customer Center) in Batesville, Arkansas (mail, package delivery, courier)

11 Pepsi Cola Rd
Batesville, Arkansas 72501


Store Services/Products

• Ground
• Air
• Packaging Supplies and Services
• UPS Returns
  

 

[Pele]

Just about all commercial airlines in the United States are subcontracted to carry US Mail but most priority mail is handled by Fedex and routes through Memphis

Originating and transiting mail, First Class or Priority, with a destination of more than 200 miles from the originating Processing and Distribution Center goes by air.

Priority Mail processing centers are different from regular processing centers and bulk mail processing centers.

For high density mail regions, such as the Northeast corridor, mail is also trucked by subcontractors.

Yes, the reason that the air delivery occured to me is that I live within a mile of one of the biggest distribution centers in the Northwest. Our airport has a UPS plaine on the tarmac at all times ready to go.

 

[brahmapapa]

I've done the shaking test, and it is difficult to get a loose aircell. I do think the Post Office gets blamed way too much for people sending less than perfect eggs.

I've always been confused when reading about people getting dislodged air sacs, because I've never been able to see the air sac on my shipped eggs -that was until I got a less than fresh batch. Fresh eggs have such TINY air cells you can't see them when candling before incubating. Therefore, if you get a package and can clearly see a decent size air cell then they're not 100% fresh. Common Sense would tell me the smaller the air cell when shipped the less likely it is to get dislodged. I have had amazing hatches when the sellers gathered the eggs the very morning they sent them out. The last batch of eggs I got had big wobbly air cells, about the size they should be after 7 days of incubation. To sum it up: I believe the fresher the egg the less likely the air sac will get damaged in shipping. Here's another point: The commercial egg industry does a lot of research. According to them the older the hen or the less fresh the egg the weaker the membranes and chalaza are. Another common sense conclusion that can explain dislodged air cells.

The best packaging I've seen and probably the easiest to deal with are foam inserts. It's simple for a seller to place eggs in and equally simple for the buyer to get the eggs out. I'm not sure why anyone would do it any differently.

As far as shipping eggs on their sides: The only package I've gotten on their sides was the same package in bubble wrap with large air cells, so I am unsure which caused none of the 24 eggs to do anything.

As a buyer the best way I prefer to open my package is this: Foam inserts and super fresh eggs with either a very small aircell or no visible aircell from young hens. Anything else, in my opinion, compromises the hatch and anyone willing to send less than perfect eggs is not someone I'd do business with again.

I wish we could post descriptions of how we recieved eggs shipped from diff. sellers extolling the most favorable packaging tecniques and any other positive attributes about the transaction. Maybe if we extoll the merits of favorable transactions and refrain from the negative comments readers could at least know who best to purchase from, which in turn would encourage other sellers to improve thier packaging tecniques. I have requested specific tecniques from sellers who have differed and infact said they were packaging the best they knew how, and they were enphatic about it, only to recieve poorly packaged eggs whose shells were intact but whose air sacs were dislodged,chalaza broken, and none developed at all. Again for me and at least a few other posters who concur, the worst packaging has been using grocery store egg cartons. Check out the video on skylinepoultry.com

 

[brahmapapa]

I am going to be the first to extol the merits of a particular shipper, located in Eatonville WA Purchased on EBAY Auction 7+1 she shipped several extras, individually wrapped in bubblewrap, well cushioned, i was very impressed with the pkging. I candled the eggs after reciept, small air sacs, interiors all intact, even tho they had traveled coast to coast. Every single egg developed into healthy chicks.......this shippers handle was redrooster*farm i highly recommend this shipper on all points of evaluation. I was ordering LF Brahmas