Mailing hatching eggs- the secret?

[pasofinofarm]

Quote:
Well as much as I just LOVE the USPS I don't see me going in and asking to pay more than the almost $14 a box I already pay to mail eggs, LOL!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

LOL
I hear ya!
I am getting fed up with the price hikes too, seems like every time I go in any more, they tell me, well we're going up again next week!
So , no I aint asking them to let me pay more either, just lable it correctly and send them on!
Aubrey

 

[greathorse]

The next eggs I order will come UPS ground. I beleive (no scientific evidence) that it is air pressure change and not necessarily rough handling that destroys these eggs. Some of my most impeccable boxes have had the worst hatches. So slow boat it will be.

Anyone else done this and have horror stories?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I havent.
I have heard folks mention this before, but find it hard to believe.
X-rays would be the most likely cause of what you mentioned.
I have a guy in Orgeon, I m in Georgia. Nearly every egg I get from him hatches, no joke ordered from him 3 times . and those have to come over the Rockies, so that would be one heck of a presure change up and over them.Then, I ordered eggs from a gut 75 miles from me and all were ruptured (packed very well) but no air cell was intacted. He reshipped and the same thing!
Do Fed Ex and UPS even carry eggs, I did nt think they did?
It would be interesting to know thier rates for it if they did !
Aubrey

 

[DawnSuiter]

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I have seen this a lot... I almost believed it myself for a while until I thought about my own aviation experience.

I REFUSE to believe that any significant pressure changes would affect eggs that wouldn't affect the humans. It's not like your luggage on a commercial airliner, in an unpressurized cargo space... besides it would have to have some pressure or it would blow out the plane.

Anyway... in most cargo planes, they pilots experience the SAME conditions as the cargo.. so if it's safe for them, it's safe for the eggs. It might be chilly, but not enough to affect the pilots.

I think some eggs just get a raw deal

 

[asher]

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Yeah. That's certainly how I get my joy in life.

FTR, I do either FRAGILE ~ EGGS (or some variation) on my boxes and/or FRAGILE LIVE EMBRYOS PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE on mine. They seemed to make it just as well either way, the majority of the time.

 

[greathorse]

Dawn, I have been looking for someone that could tell me what about the conditions in the cargo area. Do you think some cargo such as this goes into the regular luggage area? I truly dont know.

I somehow refuse to beleive that humans shake the crap out of stuff just for the fun of it.

It is a dilema, and thanks for your thoughts, the more information the better. I still may try the ground transport just to see what happens. I am not sure UPS will ask what is in the box.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I dont thinks it's people personally doing so much as it is all the vibrations of travel, and jarring around and potential drops off conveyors, extremes of temperature, and x-ray equipment that ends up getting them. And also, you have to consider how well your seller packaged them to start with too. It's not all the USPS here, some so called sellers have no clue on how to box an egg.
I had some come bubble wraped, tossed loosly in a berlap sack and put in a box, no extra packing or any thing, another set was, wraped, in and egg cartoon, and tossed in a box, no filler or anything! Of course, these all arrived with yellow ooze coming from all 4 bottom corners of the box.
But it is the vibrations of the travle and trip that rupture the air cells.
Think of how many bumps you hit going down the road!

Aubrey

 

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
AS far as I know.. USPS contracts out its airmail aka Express mail.. they do so to such companies as FedEx, but perhaps not UPS.

These typs of planes are fully pressurized, and humans ride in the same conditions as the cargo. All one big open aircraft like you might fly to Hawaii in, but instead of people & seasts there are pallets loaded with packages secured with cargo netting, usually an airbus or MD-11 type craft.

Anyway.. it's not decompression that is hurting the eggs. But certainly overnighted eggs, have endured MORE handling than by regular mail truck or rail line (yes they ship some via rail line)

 

[greathorse]

Thanks for that. I have often wondered it there is consistency there. I have never heard scientific evidence that xray kills the fertility either. I am not sure it is true.

I do know that I have had some immacultely packed eggs with boxes showing no wear and tear that are scrambled and did not hatch. That is setting them in the same bator at the same time with local eggs that hatched very well. Something bad can happen and I suspect we will find a more or less singular thing that does this.

That is only my opinion however. I am going to try UPS ground just to see if something will be different. I have been in contact with a breeder who offers the option and for the folks that have tried it have had good success.

Thanks for the input