Shipped eggs during winter..

[kfelton0002]

I have searched various threads on this and have gotten kind of mixed reviews. I impulsively bid on some eggs on ebay without checking the low temps for my area and the seller's area in the days after the auction ended. I won the auction and the eggs were shipped out yesterday, and I received them today! Daytime temps were above freezing between my location and the seller's. They checked in last night in South Carolina, and the low temps there were in the mid 20's during the night. That is the scary part. However they were packed pretty well, wrapped in foam in a large flat rate box and the empty void space packed with newspaper. I candled them and best I can tell, there are no detached air cells but most of the eggs are pretty dark and it's hard to see. Considering the eggs were shipped and received pretty fast, what are the chances that they received freeze damage last night? None of them are cracked whatsoever and appear perfect. They are cold to the touch, but do not look damaged. The seller had 100% feedback and sells nothing but hatching eggs. She had over 300 positive feedback and none negative. I will be setting them tomorrow evening after work. I was just curious if anyone had any experience with shipped eggs in the winter with temps that low?

 

[Ameraucanas]

I have no experience with that kind of thing, sorry.

 

[MeepBeep]

The cargo bay of planes is held above freezing as are the distribution hubs and local carrier trucks, the only time the eggs would have really be subject to freezing temps would be when they are out on the road in a tractor trailer between distribution points and that time is minimal in most cases and they should be stuffed in a full truck with plenty of other packages providing insulation and radiating heat since they were in an above freezing climate before being put in the tractor trailer...

Personally with all the other things that can go wrong with shipping eggs I like to avoid the ones I can like ambient temps or postal holidays that will delay shipment... In the end it is what it is, if they froze they froze, if they didn't they didn't it's basically a roll of the dice at this point...

 

[kfelton0002]

Thats my thoughts exactly. If they hatch, great.. if not, Im not out very much money. I usually dont like buying shipped eggs but I will defintely refrain from buying any during the winter from now on. I will update with my results to help others that may find themselves in a similar situation.

 

[Bryam]

I bought eggs during the winter it was well below zero and i got the best hatch ever. The cold is better on the eggs than the heat!

The eggs will be fine!

Happy hatching!!

 

[kfelton0002]

I bought eggs during the winter it was well below zero and i got the best hatch ever. The cold is better on the eggs than the heat!

The eggs will be fine!

Happy hatching!!

I am sure glad to hear that! Thanks for the reassurance. Im really hoping for a good hatch. Ive been looking for these for a while and didnt want to order from a hatchery. They are French Cuckoo Marans and are the feather legged variety. Hoping for at least a good breeding pair out of the hatch.