********Post office late getting eggs here **********

[smoothmule]

I bought some eggs and they were sent out on Tuesday and should have arrived Thursday but they got a bit of a lay over in KC. They arrived in good condition, no cracks, cool to touch and no damage to the box at all. They are dated from Oct 30th to 31st. I took them out of the bubble wrap as soon as I got home and put them in cartons to settle before putting them in the incubator. I know there isn't anything I can do now, except complaining to the post office, but will this cause more to not hatch? I've never received shipped eggs before. How long should I let them settle (large tip up) before putting them in the incubator? Thanks

 

[Chicken Chat]

I usually let them settle for at least 8 hrs, but I usually try for 12hrs. As far as your hatch rate goes, shipped eggs always have a lower hatch rate. I think it would depend on the conditions the eggs were stored in during the layover. All you can do is try it, at least they weren't broken. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[smoothmule]

Thanks, I am just relieved they arrived at all but not happy about the late arrival. I complained to the USPS at the website. I know they won't do anything about any loss I might have but it felt good to tell them off so maybe the next person's shipped eggs will get better attention.....they won't know unless they get complains right?
They are sitting in clean cartons right now and I plan to put them in this evening, I'm just worked up over them getting here 2 days late.
Wish me luck

 

[Chicken Chat]

What are you hatching? I just set some silkie eggs, two more weeks to go!

 

[smoothmule]

Some are Ameraucana some are Araucana. I'll be setting them later today

 

[Bantimna]

Good luck with your hatch. Don't think your alone sometimes our parcels take 2 weeks before we receive the slip saying it arrived. It's pathetic! But we have 1000 post boxes and only 2 staff members who have to sort the mail everyday in 2 hours! I feel sorry for them

 

[WalkingWolf]

I sometimes set eggs 2 weeks old and have 99% fertility. I store my eggs covered at 45F in a produce bin at the bottom of the fridge. You will never get the same rate with shipped eggs as your own but this time of year is actually the best time to ship eggs. The eggs do much better if kept chilled as opposed to to hot.

If your eggs were packed well then you should have no problem, as long as you maintain the proper incubation temp and humidity.

 

[smoothmule]

Thanks everyone, I'm feeling better about it and hopeful.

 

[Painted Spirit]

I'm one of those dang' postal workers LOL! It really helps when packages have the delivery confirmation tracking - you can at least see the progess the package is making and that it is actually enroute. It is kind of like the story that the check is in the mail.... and someone is waiting. Now when you order the eggs you can see eggsactly when they hit the various postal facilities. I've asked when my eggs were shipped to have the package held at the post office to pick them up instead of delivered to my home. In alot of these facilites everything is automated and rows of conveyer belts move stuff from one place to another. To me, it is a bit of a miracle ANY shipped egg develops!