The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[sparrker]

 

[ronott1]

Welcome to the experiment, Bama!

Bama in helping me continue my education by gently leading me through "USPS Familiarization and Calculating Postage 101" which should improve my skill in getting eggs to consumers more economically and in a more timely manner. She has also provided my first experience with generating invoices and accounts payable with PayPal.

I will be shipping her a dozen hatching eggs on Monday, if the hens cooperate. Half of them will be dark and the other half will be blue. This time the package's destination is only 3 hours drive from me.

I made a trip to the local PO to discuss my situation with our local postmistress (gotta love living in a rural area) and LEARNED alot! I found out that ANYTHING mailed "Parcel Post" from our area, is routed through the hub in Atlanta! Even if it is going to a recipient in the same area.

This time I will be using a box that printer paper comes in. That sure will be better than paying $5 for a cardboard box from the PO like I did last time. It is smaller than the big ol' honking boxes SCG and Ron got, but it should work nicely, as long as I reinforce the seams with tape and support the sides by filling voids inside with shredded paper. I may even be able to find another box to use inside for double boxing (which I think really makes a difference.)

I went to Walmart and studied the bubble wrap section. Bubble wrap will cost from .10c to .21c per egg, depending on the quanity of bubble wrap purchased. I am still on the look-out for a source that will allow me to recycle their waste bubble wrap (free!)

Fantastic!

This is a great way to learn.

Please share When your are ready and I will use what you learn to send those Silver Campine eggs to you.

 

[Tomtommom]

I am a box hoarder. No lie.

Everytime I order something or buy something "Oh, I could ship something in this someday!" Same with bubblewrap, those little airbags, bubble envelopes etc. I have a stash of them in my building haha. I buy a lot of stuff online and they over package everything to the max. It gets me lots of free packing materials.

Have you considered placing them in an egg carton and then boxing that and putting all the protective stuff around it?

 

[Wisher1000]

Oh, yes, I have considered it all! newspaper, egg cartons and sawdust, "egg crate" styrofoam, cups, cotton, you name it. The method I settled on seemed the most successful to me from all my online research. There is a link on post 1 that Ron suggested to me at the beginning of this adventure. I modified it a bit and on my first attempts, the eggs all arrived in great shape. It may be that I got lucky the first time, so I will try it some more, but HEY, if it ain't broke, don't fix it - right?

 

[Tomtommom]

Better yet, if it doesn't make you go broke, don't fix it

If I am ever out your way I will have to bring you the giant pile of bubble wrap I have haha

 

[Bama1]

I am "warming up" my semi-broody hen in anticipation of my hatching eggs arriving next week. I've been leaving her unfertilized eggs in the nesting box for the past two days. I have a couple of golf balls in there too. I went out to look at what was going on a little while ago, and she is sitting. I will check again this afternoon and see if she is still sitting, hope so.

Well she is not sitting this afternoon, but we have several days to hope that she gets in the mood.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I went to Walmart and studied the bubble wrap section. Bubble wrap will cost from .10c to .21c per egg, depending on the quanity of bubble wrap purchased. I am still on the look-out for a source that will allow me to recycle their waste bubble wrap (free!)

Find a pharmacy. A hospital pharmacy, preferably... or one that does home infusion/long term care/durable medical equipment. You know, talk to your local friendly pharmacist.

Preferably one that has chickens, and understands this.

All glass bottles are shipped from the wholesaler in bubble wrap. Free, glorious bubble wrap.... that's thrown away most days. Sometimes ampules are sent in a box with foam over and under it, which fits perfectly in the box... great shock absorber.

Refrigerated IV meds are sent in a box, with a (padded/insulated) interior that fits exactly in the box... and the box is heavy duty sturdy.

 

[Wisher1000]

I just happen to have a neighbor friend that is a pharmacist! I'll talk to him......thanks!

 

[Wisher1000]

Better yet, if it doesn't make you go broke, don't fix it

If I am ever out your way I will have to bring you the giant pile of bubble wrap I have haha

I'll take it!

 

[Tomtommom]

Another idea would be using pieces from old afghans/blankets/stuffed animals from the thriftstore, depending on the material used, they could be fluffy and light (acrylic ones, cotton would weigh a ton). I had a pile of really ugly ones haha. You know the kind, someone used up all their leftover yarns.. One was neon orange, mustard yellow and some other colors, yuck.

But again, that depends on the material and how cheap your store is. Some sell things for pennies.

I'm sure Ducttape and WD-40 could fit in here somewhere.