How do you ship hatching eggs in the cold weather?

[Peeper7]

I did a search but could not come up with anything. Certainly other breeders ship hatching eggs in the winter. I saw a post where the seller used hand warmers in the packaging. Although I don't know the details of how many etc, I was not sure they would last long enough or would have to use many of them.

Don't laugh.... I said don't....

but I experimented with a styrofoam shipping box and some hot baked potatoes. I packed them and put a thermometer in the box, set it out overnight. The ambient temp was in the 20's. Overnight the "package" temp dropped to as low as 39. The well-wrapped potatoes were cold.
I can't imagine the package not freezing during shipment for 2-3 days.

Maybe more potatoes would work

but maybe some bright soul has a better idea.....


I did find a neat link: http://www.nyworms.com/HeatPacks.htm the cost is reasonable if you don't have to use too many.

 

[MagsC]

Would heat packs in a styrofoam box work? I had fish shipped in cold weather that way.

 

[Peeper7]

What kind of heat packs exactly?

 

[PeepsInc]

To start with, the post office doesn't leave your package to be subject to the elements. Most of the shipping time they are in a climate controlled environment. Even the mail delivery guy has heat on in his vehicle. Second, have you ever sat on a piece of styrofoam insulation? Just the friction generates heat. In much the same manner shipping peanuts not only trap warmth, but also create heat. Ship out a well packaged orange to a friend in another state (Bubble wrapped & buried in peanuts). Then measure it's core temp after arrival. That would be the most scientific way to do the test.

 

[Peeper7]

That's great info! I did not know how "exposed" a package gets during shipping but I suppose it would not be left outside -- duh...

 

[jmagill]

Packages are not left outside but they are in the backs of trucks. There is no heat and they can be in a truck for many hours.
They will get cold.

The orange scenerio does not work as the pacakge may be in your post office over night and will have warmed up.

Former postal worker here.

 

[muddstopper]

I'll throw out a suggestion that could become a possible new product.

Electric egg socks or a electric egg blanket.

Nichrome wire comes in all different sizes and can be easily sewn into a sock or blanket. You would have to experiment some with wiresize and lenght so as to keep the eggs just warm and not cooking, but I see no reason why you couldnt make a battery powered blanket that would keep the eggs from freezing for a few days. You could get really fancy and hookup a cheap thermostat so that the battery isnt being drained when the eggs are in a warm enviroment. Might cost more than you are willing to pay for such a device, but its certainly doable.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I ship eggs like this, Wrapping & Packing Eggs For Shipping, year round. BubbleWrap is a very good insulator.

Lisa

 

[magikchick]

I wrap mine in bubble wrap and insulate the box on the inside with it. I also put all over the outside Handle With Care Live Embryos Do Not Freeze! As long as they don't freeze they should be fine. People have hatched eggs from the grocery store before so they can take some cold.

 

[MandyH]

Newspaper is an excellent insulator, remember in the old days when people hung newspapers on the wall for insulation? I wrap each egg in bubblewrap, line the box with big bubblewrap, place a hefty amount of shredded newspaper in bottom of box, then a layer of eggs, then fill up the box with more shredded newspaper and them another layer of big bubblewrap on top, tape the crap out of it and send her on. I have ordered 3 sets of eggs in the last 3 weeks and so far they are all developing nicely. In all of the eggs I had shipped, there was newspaper involved in the packaging.