The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[KYTinpusher]

Ron, I had wretched luck with my Swedish Flower Hens that a fellow replaced from a previous ill wrapped batch.  Nothing hatched.  I had 2 that were about 10 days formed but others were totally scrambled.  I didn't start turning until day 3.  Ron, I tried your method of the 2 hr cool down on these.  I'll do it again on better eggs.  Bummed.  Even though I requested better packaging he still only did one box coming out of the Pittsburgh postal terminal.  Live and learn.  I'm getting some EO Basques next month so I'll try again.  Shipped from Ca but CackleJoy bubble wraps and double boxes.  

I haven't been on this thread in quite a while. I'm sorry you had a poor hatch with the SFH. They can be tough with shipped eggs and MUST be packaged very well. I always double box mine. If you decide to try again, most of us have better hatch rates with them using dry incubation.

 

[LindaB220]

I haven't been on this thread in quite a while. I'm sorry you had a poor hatch with the SFH. They can be tough with shipped eggs and MUST be packaged very well. I always double box mine. If you decide to try again, most of us have better hatch rates with them using dry incubation.

Working on putting lock down on my dozen Marraduna Basques in the 'bator. I did do the dry hatch at 30% or so humidity and 100 temp. With lockdown I want to keep it about 55%. I sent the lady 6 hrs away from me a foam insert and she shipped some good eggs. 4 out of 15 are clear or non viable. The rest.....I've got my fingers crossed. She only did a single box with it.
The best eggs I ever received were from DMRippy. She bubbled wrapped with a kind that adhered to itself and made one lump. She used one box. Two shipments with great hatches.
I do have a question though. What success rate do you have with double boxing or is using a foam insert with one box better. I paid $8 to have it sent to her. I guess what I'm asking, is the extra money worth it since shipping is $15.75 already.

 

[KYTinpusher]

Quote: I have only received one or two shipments in foam inserts and used them to send send out a shipment once, I think. The eggs did well, but I think they were all double boxed. The reason I always double box is for shock absorbtion. The eggs need to be tightly packed so they don't move against each other and crack, but then they get the full force of every bump that box takes along the way. With the double boxing, the packing between the inside box and outside box can absorb some of the shock if done properly. I used loosely crumbled paper. I like the heavy paper like my feed bags that I cut apart for this purpose. The crumbled paper has some give to it, so the inner box can move gently inside when dropped or bumped to lessen the force felt by the eggs. But the inner box, if well packed, keeps the eggs from moving against each other and breaking. It is important not to use too big of an inner box. I don't like to go more than 4x4 eggs per layer, and no more than three layers because the weight of the eggs themselves can cause the weakest eggs to crack if the box is mishandled. Once one breaks, there is extra space available for the eggs to move, more eggs will break and you usually end up with a sloppy mess. I really prefer no more than 3x3 on each layer and no more than 2 layers. This allows me to use a small box inside which leaves more room for padding between the 2 boxes. The more space for padding, the better the shock absorbtion works. My preferred combination is a 7x7x6 inner box and a 12x12x8 outer box.

DMRippy has great eggs! Adhering the wrapped eggs to each other serves the same purpose as the inner box - keeping the eggs from moving against each other and breaking. And the padding around those then absorbs any shock.

So, to answer your question - Yes, I would always pay extra for double boxing. I truly believe it will pay for itself with a much better hatch rate.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I'm hopefully going to start posting eggs out to people this spring. I've always recieved shipped eggs in polystyrene packing. I'm hoping to do this myself and have found them to order on the interwebber. This will add a little more to posting and packing but I've not had a broken egg with them. Would you guys pay a little more for this packing? Here is a pic of the said boxes

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Jessshan8]

I'm hopefully going to start posting eggs out to people this spring. I've always recieved shipped eggs in polystyrene packing. I'm hoping to do this myself and have found them to order on the interwebber. This will add a little more to posting and packing but I've not had a broken egg with them. Would you guys pay a little more for this packing? Here is a pic of the said boxes


Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Yes as long as the eggs can't bounce around inside it. maybe some cotton on or under eggs to make them stable. Eggs come in so many sizes even from the same bird. but great idea!!!!!

 

[ozexpat]

I have only received one or two shipments in foam inserts and used them to send send out a shipment once, I think. The eggs did well, but I think they were all double boxed. The reason I always double box is for shock absorbtion. The eggs need to be tightly packed so they don't move against each other and crack, but then they get the full force of every bump that box takes along the way. With the double boxing, the packing between the inside box and outside box can absorb some of the shock if done properly. I used loosely crumbled paper. I like the heavy paper like my feed bags that I cut apart for this purpose. The crumbled paper has some give to it, so the inner box can move gently inside when dropped or bumped to lessen the force felt by the eggs. But the inner box, if well packed, keeps the eggs from moving against each other and breaking. It is important not to use too big of an inner box. I don't like to go more than 4x4 eggs per layer, and no more than three layers because the weight of the eggs themselves can cause the weakest eggs to crack if the box is mishandled. Once one breaks, there is extra space available for the eggs to move, more eggs will break and you usually end up with a sloppy mess. I really prefer no more than 3x3 on each layer and no more than 2 layers. This allows me to use a small box inside which leaves more room for padding between the 2 boxes. The more space for padding, the better the shock absorbtion works. My preferred combination is a 7x7x6 inner box and a 12x12x8 outer box.

DMRippy has great eggs! Adhering the wrapped eggs to each other serves the same purpose as the inner box - keeping the eggs from moving against each other and breaking. And the padding around those then absorbs any shock.

So, to answer your question - Yes, I would always pay extra for double boxing. I truly believe it will pay for itself with a much better hatch rate.

This hits the nail on the hed.

Packaging needs to protect from 2 things - vibration and impact.

Typically, If I have received eggs that are broken - my hatch rate is extremely poor (not on the broken ones, silly, on the intact eggs LOL).

The annoying thing for me is when the eggs are layered but on their side. The weakest part of an egg has to support its own weight or more bouncing on top of it. All that goop swims around the box contaminating the eggs for the three days it takes to get her. Sadly its often the 8 day old "free extra" that is on top bouncing around.

 

[ladycat]

Has anyone tried to use Mail & Ship on the USPS website?

I put the actual details for an actual box of eggs I shipped, and it showed the postage to be $8.49. But at the post office, the shipping was $12.75. I don't get it.

I would like to use Mail & Ship if it works.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

I use it, but so far only on the priority mail standard sized boxes. I don't have a scale to do regular boxes and I will pay a bit more for shipping sometimes for the convenience to not have to weigh and measure boxes. The post lady picks them up at my door.

 

[ladycat]

The one I tried out was the #7 priority box.

I really need to work this out where I can pay postage online and have them picked up. I don't have transportation and it's a long walk to the post office with rheumatoid arthritis, especially when the weather is bad.

I've been strapping the boxes to a little folding hand cart, but today I had 5 boxes- two of them big boxes, and I could only get 4 boxes on the cart so I had to pull the cart with one hand and carry the 5th box with the other arm.

I do have very accurate scales. I've been testing them against what the weight turns out to be at the PO and it's been spot on every time.

 

[Wasson6Pack]

If the weight is the same and it is a standard box, in wondering what the trouble is, meaning why is there a difference? Have you asked the PO about it? When they tell you the price is wrong do they say anything else?
At my old post office, I would've brought in my scale and had her help me do one to see, but I'm not sure if my new PO would be so helpful.