Mailing hatching eggs- the secret?

[CA Bean]

Hmm interesting so does it cost extra? I would pay extra for this service for sure. I am about to order eggs from people and want to pass this info on. I read the link but it doesn't really say about it being more money or not. I would assume so..?

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

I just got eggs in the mail today.. And the box said:

FRAGILE
LIVE HATCHING EGGS
PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE

The fragile word was twice as big as the rest. And there was a picture of a chick coming out of an egg.. They are printed on stickers.. And they are on all sides of the box. Does this mean my box was treated better.. It was just regular Priority Mail Postage..

None of my eggs were broke..

Now it is time for the count down and see if they hatch..

 

[DawnSuiter]

I just packed up my first two egg shipments... both went to places within a few hour of my home, so not the longest trips ever. Now I'm feeling worried because I shipped them in an egg carton, upright, cushioned and with padding around them in a large box on one of them, the other I sent in a priority mail shoebox with the padded carton inside.

I'm seriously doubting this idea at the moment, after reading so many shipping egg stories now in this and another thread.

After talking to my postal worker, who called the head postmaster while I was there, they highly recommend Overnight Service for this sort of thing. After reading on here that eggs left out to practically freeze overnight had no problem hatching, I'm wondering how bad the cargo hold really could be if it lessens the handling and time in transit.

I also told her I was AFRAID to label the boxes as Fragile & Live Embryos etc because that would make it more "interesting" to postal workers... she wasn't too sure that was good reasoning. I have two more to ship out next week, I guess I just have to wait and see how the first two turned out. The first arrives today.. the other tomorrow probably.

I was going to post about my packaging.. but now I think I should wait to see if they even got there in one piece first.

 

[pasofinofarm]

Eggs going out tomorrow.. Two with the usual...One with the new secret "
LIVE" marking... We'll see if there is a difference.

 

[Majestic Lane Poultry]

Quote:
This is how I have done it in the past, but from now on I will add LIVE to it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=141239

 

[DawnSuiter]

The first box made it, safe and sound and the eggs are perfect!!
thank goodness

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
NO they do not charge extra for it, just mark them and pay the normal shipping fees, We have a lable that we put on top of all out boxes outlining exactly what they are
"HATCHING EGGS, VERY FRAGILE, LIVE EMBRYOS PLEASE DO NOT X-RAY"
And it seems to work very well, we have excellent results this way for the most part, but you are still going to get that hub that runs them down conveyors from time to time, or that postal worker that's having a ad day, remember the term " going postal "
These are the folks that coined that frase that are handleing our babies.
But yes, the LIVE part helps greatly.
Aubrey

 

[steffpeck]

On the USPS website is states the following:

Special Handling For sending items that need to be handled specially through the mail like live poultry and bees. 10 lbs. and under $7.10, over 10 lbs $9.90

I would gladly pay the extra if it made a difference.

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Quote:
I saw those prices on their website too.. But I was wondering if they are the actual price to ship for those weights.. Or is that price extra and added to the regular postage fees.. I think it would be extra, along with the regular fees.. Has any one actually used this special handling service..

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Dont know about all that?
I have never been charged extra for sending eggs marked live, or chicks or adult birds? And I have sent tons of them over my 26 years of doing this. Just mark the box as mentioned above and send them on their marry little way and all will be fine. I'm sure if you ask to be charged , they'll be glad to charge you, but they will be handled no differently