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

[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.

stefan333, do me a favor and PM me with the shippers name on those 24 eggs that did not develop, i promise not to publish it, the reason i ask is i currently have 24 eggs on thier way from an ebay auction and i wondered if it was the same shipper. thanks Tom

 

[brahmapapa]

Does anyone other than me keep accurate records of every hatching egg transaction with full details including pkg methods and hatch rate %. I have a spread sheet with full details, it makes tracing history so simple.

 

[Talihofarms]

Does anyone other than me keep accurate records of every hatching egg transaction with full details including pkg methods and hatch rate %. I have a spread sheet with full details, it makes tracing history so simple.

I do.....
7 years worth of data from the Bay of E.
I have the good...the bad..and the ugly.
11 Years of Data direct form Hatcheries and Breeders.

 

[Arkansas81]

I am grateful of all the info on this thread! I'm learning a lot and am trying to compile it all so I can have a good shipping experience on both ends. I'm still a novice at all this, plz keep all this helpful info coming!

Thank u all!

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

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

Wow, Thanks for the recommendation We never know how they look when you get them. I did have a lady contact me yesterday that airsacks were dislodged on some and some died out and a 0 hatch. so I think it is a hit or miss. I wrap very good but some do not want foam and say it kills the egg so they want bubble wrap. Some want in cartons and some want to just get 10 eggs shipped perfect without issue and almost NEVER happens that you will get a great hatch from shipped eggs but sometime I hear good like this and it makes all the negative not so bad. I really do try my best but sometimes my best is not good enough. Thanks again for the comment, Anna

 

[stefan333]

That is a great idea to give good recommendations to keep it positive. I myself am guilty of getting angry at my horrible shipping egg experience and ranting on the forums (detached air cells were the least of my problems). I was just telling my husband yesterday about this particular thread, and how wonderful it is that sellers want to send a good product and care about their customers. I have learned in the chicken world that we are not merely customers, though, and eggs are not merely products. A good seller puts a lot of love into that package and enjoys sharing the hatching experience. I call it chicken bonding. Unfortunately, I have learned that there are those who do sell eggs who either don't know what they're doing, just want to make money, and sometimes are intentionally dishonest. It's in every money making business. And from my experience working Loss Prevention in retail, customers can be so bad sometimes, too. You wouldn't believe how many people are way too demandingly picky and try to get free stuff, but then again, you might just know this if you sell hatching eggs. The really good news is that the majority of people are good, competent, and they do care on both sides of the buying and selling. And trust me, as a buyer, you sellers are making my life so enjoyable. There is nothing (other than seeing my human babies born) that gives me such great joy than watching over 21 days a little life grow inside this tiny shell and finally seeing it emerge. You guys know that feeling I'm talking about, so thank you to all the sellers who do put all the hard work into breeding, gathering, and packaging. I really do appreciate it. And here are two of my best hatching egg experiences:


thepickychicken from Portland, TN on Ebay ...she didn't use my favorite foam inserts, but my word, was this thing packaged well. Lots of shredded newspaper, double boxed, cut in half egg cartons taped up with eggs individually wrapped in tissue. I wish I would have taken a picture of this, because I've never seen anything like it before. You could tell she put the extra effort into great packaging. Shipped superfast. The eggs were so fresh I couldn't see air cells in ANY of them. I got 10 out of 12 hatched Lavender Orpingtons. These chicks are amazing quality and color, and ya, I can tell a difference betwen them and hatchery stock.

Efowl.com ...foam inserts. My first hatching experience, and I was nervous. Tiny air cells on arrival, all intact. 19 of 22 Assorted Egg Layers hatched healthy. They are great looking birds for hatchery stock.

 

[ozexpat]

That is a great idea to give good recommendations to keep it positive. I myself am guilty of getting angry at my horrible shipping egg experience and ranting on the forums (detached air cells were the least of my problems). I was just telling my husband yesterday about this particular thread, and how wonderful it is that sellers want to send a good product and care about their customers. I have learned in the chicken world that we are not merely customers, though, and eggs are not merely products. A good seller puts a lot of love into that package and enjoys sharing the hatching experience. I call it chicken bonding. Unfortunately, I have learned that there are those who do sell eggs who either don't know what they're doing, just want to make money, and sometimes are intentionally dishonest. It's in every money making business. And from my experience working Loss Prevention in retail, customers can be so bad sometimes, too. You wouldn't believe how many people are way too demandingly picky and try to get free stuff, but then again, you might just know this if you sell hatching eggs. The really good news is that the majority of people are good, competent, and they do care on both sides of the buying and selling. And trust me, as a buyer, you sellers are making my life so enjoyable. There is nothing (other than seeing my human babies born) that gives me such great joy than watching over 21 days a little life grow inside this tiny shell and finally seeing it emerge. You guys know that feeling I'm talking about, so thank you to all the sellers who do put all the hard work into breeding, gathering, and packaging. I really do appreciate it. And here are two of my best hatching egg experiences:


thepickychicken from Portland, TN on Ebay ...she didn't use my favorite foam inserts, but my word, was this thing packaged well. Lots of shredded newspaper, double boxed, cut in half egg cartons taped up with eggs individually wrapped in tissue. I wish I would have taken a picture of this, because I've never seen anything like it before. You could tell she put the extra effort into great packaging. Shipped superfast. The eggs were so fresh I couldn't see air cells in ANY of them. I got 10 out of 12 hatched Lavender Orpingtons. These chicks are amazing quality and color, and ya, I can tell a difference betwen them and hatchery stock.

Efowl.com ...foam inserts. My first hatching experience, and I was nervous. Tiny air cells on arrival, all intact. 19 of 22 Assorted Egg Layers hatched healthy. They are great looking birds for hatchery stock.

i heard someone uses larger size pipe insulation, interesting

 

[GasMenagerie]

I'm getting my dozen tomorrow from an "unknown" ebayer and now that I've read this thread, I am on pins & needles to see what I get. The only other time I've ordered eggs (from now-defunct EggBid) they came individually wrapped in bubble wrap nestled in more bubble wrap and they were in excellent shape and I had great results (it was four years ago and I've forgotten the exact details of the hatch).

I'll be biting my nails until I see my package tomorrow!

 

[brahmapapa]

I am grateful of all the info on this thread! I'm learning a lot and am trying to compile it all so I can have a good shipping experience on both ends. I'm still a novice at all this, plz keep all this helpful info coming!

Thank u all!

glad your finding all the info useful, we certainly appreciate your input and encouragement

 

[brahmapapa]

Wow, Thanks for the recommendation We never know how they look when you get them. I did have a lady contact me yesterday that airsacks were dislodged on some and some died out and a 0 hatch. so I think it is a hit or miss. I wrap very good but some do not want foam and say it kills the egg so they want bubble wrap. Some want in cartons and some want to just get 10 eggs shipped perfect without issue and almost NEVER happens that you will get a great hatch from shipped eggs but sometime I hear good like this and it makes all the negative not so bad. I really do try my best but sometimes my best is not good enough. Thanks again for the comment, Anna

your very welcome,you are very correct in saying that there will always be mishaps, keep on trying tho. I was one of the guys that requested the bubble wrap, you had no issue accomodating me, and as i keep saying and my near perfect hatch shows that the bubble wrap works great.