The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[ozexpat]

I would be afraid that the eggs would not get enough oxygen being in bubble wrap and inside a plastic egg and all the rest of the packing around and on top of them.

there is virtually no air exchange while the embryo is so small and the cells are not dividing. air exchange becomes fir of an issue as embryo develops

 

[chickadoodles]

The eggs go into a suspended mode when they are cold after being laid. They do develop slowly but not that much.

Look up the Skyline method of packing the eggs--the ends are open so there is some air there that would be trapped int the openings. Using the Skyline method, nuggets or shredded paper and double boxing is the best way to ship.

On a side note, I posted pictures of hatching eggs packed in saw dust. I had to brush the saw dust off of the eggs, which would be a big time blocker of air. Those eggs hatched into:

That is pretty awesome then! I was just worried the eggs would not be any good. Thanks for sharing that with me! I will look up the skyline method... And your birds are so beautiful! WOW!

 

[chickadoodles]

there is virtually no air exchange while the embryo is so small and the cells are not dividing. air exchange becomes fir of an issue as embryo develops

Ok Thanks Oz

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I have Janet Stromberg 's book on hatching. Has nice graph of embryo development based on ambient temperature. As I remember below the 70 degrees, the embryo does not develop at all. In a stasis. I like to wrap my eggs in bublewrap so that some air can reach the eggs, and use newspaper to cushion them. ANd allowing air flow around the eggs.

I do know a very experienced hatcher that recommends storing eggs long term in a ziplock, with a moist papertowel and in a very cold refrig. She knows her stuff!! I would read her instructions VERY carefully and follow to the letter for best sucess-- she already did all the experimenting.

 

[Robert Blosl]

I saw some big boxes cheap at SAMS and Office Depot. cheap

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/15199033

I use the bubble wrap to ship eggs in single nest boxes more expensive but at least a 20% increase in hatching rate than other methods
they boxes are not put on conveyer belts at the post office or the hubs. These boxes are hand carried like live birds from one place to the other like live birds or chicks.. I ship them two day just like I did regular boxes of eggs. Has anyone tried this befor?

 

[ozexpat]

I saw some big boxes cheap at SAMS and Office Depot. cheap

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/15199033

I use the bubble wrap to ship eggs in single nest boxes more expensive but at least a 20% increase in hatching rate than other methods
they boxes are not put on conveyer belts at the post office or the hubs. These boxes are hand carried like live birds from one place to the other like live birds or chicks.. I ship them two day just like I did regular boxes of eggs. Has anyone tried this befor?

Interesting - how many eggs have been shipped that way to derive the 20% increase in hatch rate.


I have data on approximately 2000 shipped eggs that I have placed in incubators. As soon as I get the chance I will write a white paper on it and publish it on BYC.

 

[Robert Blosl]

Quote: I saw your method of packing and like it very much.

Also, the thermostat you got off of ebay. Does it keep the incubator in the zone well. I am looking for a thermostat for my hatcheries they are about 20x20x 15 inch box.

Does the temps if set at 999.5 stay with in a degree or less when going up and down in the cycle.?

 

[ozexpat]

I saw your method of packing and like it very much.

Also, the thermostat you got off of ebay. Does it keep the incubator in the zone well. I am looking for a thermostat for my hatcheries they are about 20x20x 15 inch box.

Does the temps if set at 999.5 stay with in a degree or less when going up and down in the cycle.?

thanks.

The thermostats are brilliant. They take all the stress out of temp control. You can set the thermo to only swing 0.3F but it really depends on your heat source. I normally get it to swing 0,5 either side of target temp. I use a water wiggler to simulate an egg to measure core temp when i first calibrate.

I like the boxes you used. I saw someone ship eggs with live chicks and had a great hatch rate. It would be interesting to collect data

 

[Arielle]

I saw some big boxes cheap at SAMS and Office Depot. cheap

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/15199033

I use the bubble wrap to ship eggs in single nest boxes more expensive but at least a 20% increase in hatching rate than other methods
they boxes are not put on conveyer belts at the post office or the hubs. These boxes are hand carried like live birds from one place to the other like live birds or chicks.. I ship them two day just like I did regular boxes of eggs. Has anyone tried this befor?

THis makes total sense to me-- I have asked about this method on other threads. . . . .with no feed back. YOu definitely have eggs worth taking great care of, Bob.

I have precifically asked the USPS not to send boxes down the belts, but I can only confirm ! case of this. WHen a box goes awol on theDC/ tracker it is a clue that maybe, just maybe the box is being moved by hand.

 

[Robert Blosl]

A lady got 17 Buff Rock Eggs from a Master Breeder shipped to Arizona he used my method which I was shocked as he don't send eggs but has the best strain in the USA.
She hatched I think seven or nine chicks and they look fantastic. In fact she will be a supplier in years to come of this rare color of Plymouth Rocks. I think you could use your method of putting the eggs in bubble wrap up and down and then pack them tightly with shavings or more bubble wrap. You got to keep the eggs tight and they cant move around. The decoy in this madness is the box. They think their is live birds in this box so the box is hand carried from point a to point B to your house. They also are kept in the live section of the Air Plane with Fed Ex and not in a bin with other two day priority mail. My sources at Fed Ex tell me these are all old converted Passenger Jets so the Pressure and the Temps in this jet is just like the cabin for the pilots.

When you are shipping rare hard to get eggs you need to make sure they have a shot of making it. The only other method I have had good luck shipping eggs is UPS ground and they are better at handling the eggs than the post office. In fact I hate to put Hatching Eggs on the box with the post office it seems they treat them worse than if it has nothing on the box.

On the Thermostat I think I am going to order me one. Do you think they would work well in a 1201 Game Bird Box Incubator from Georgia Quail Factor? I got to get a new one and the replacement for that unit is $80.