The Great Egg Shipping Experiment!

[ladycat]

I am curious if some eggs I shipped do anything here is the letter I got from the buyer, i advised them to file a claim because of the shape of the box!!
"Hello! I received my eggs today, and I have to tell you, I nearly passed out when I saw the box. My mailman brought it to my door and said "this one looks like it went through hell getting here. It came in like this" He handed me a box that was smashed in on the bottom,and one flap on top was hanging open. I opened it immediately, and to my surprise, they were all okay!! You packed them so well, whatever happened to them didn't break even one!! Thank you so much for packing with such care!"

Wow, how do you pack them?

 

[misbhaven]

I don't send huge Quantities of eggs..That shipment was a small...but for up to 9 eggs I use a regional A box $5 or 6 when you buy postage online...or i use the medium box but I just input the dimensions and weight in the priority section and it is usually around $8 instead of the $11..but i prefer the smaller box I was told by a USPS postmaster that the smaller boxes tend to get treated better...as boxes get sorted by size etc. less chance something heavy will land on it..
a layer of foam on the bottom with shredded paper etc filling any gaps, i bubble wrap place in a carton or egg trays, in the opposite corners of the boxes have saved Styrofoam that comes around printers and such i put a pillar of sorts, then all around the carton i fill in with paper, peanuts foam, I them put cardboard sheet or similar on top of those two Pillars ,which if something is heavy will distribute the weight off the eggs, then either a sheet of bubble wrap or foam...I have some eggs up for swap the new crazy eggs chain claim them and i will just send you some ,I also have some wheaten Marans (cottage hills stock) ..the last side swap i did i actually just told the person to wait to collect and mail mine right back in my packaging LOL.

 

[ladycat]

I have some eggs up for swap the new crazy eggs chain claim them and i will just send you some ,I also have some wheaten Marans (cottage hills stock) ..the last side swap i did i actually just told the person to wait to collect and mail mine right back in my packaging LOL.

I wouldn't mind claiming them, but I don't have anything to swap right now. My hens almost completely stopped laying when the 100+ temps hit.

 

[hildar]

I wouldn't mind claiming them, but I don't have anything to swap right now. My hens almost completely stopped laying when the 100+ temps hit.

Mine are slowing down on days when it is wicked hot. Went up the other day to collect and had 5 eggs in a coop with 26 hens. Normally the least I get in there is 15 eggs. But it was so hot they decided it was best not to lay. Some of the other coops only had like 8 rather then 15 to 20 in them. However e have placed a mister in the coops now and a small air conditioner in there so it pops on and keeps them around 80 in there. When it is wicked hot they wont go outside, they stay inside. Mine down here, around the house they will go lay under the trees. The Delaware hen though gets sick in the heat so I bring her in the house for awhile to cool down. Yesterday everyone went outside during the storms, and got cooled down in the rain. They loved it.

 

[misbhaven]

It was warm for about a week here then barely 70 and rainy for a week getting plenty of eggs but everything is a muddy mess, and my garden looks like a weed jungle..Supposed to have sun for only two days then rain for 5 more..first all the horrible cold in the Midwest last winter now rain ...

 

[Alaskan]

DUDE

OK, I was sent some LOVELY eggs from @ladycat

9 marans and 8 blue eggs, to hatch into OE.

The eggs showed up, though marvelously packaged, obviously a bit shaken. All of the aircells were detatched.

Of the 8 blue eggs........

1 was an early quitter

2 continued on until the end, BOTH have hatched

5 did nothing at all

This is a 1/4 hatch rate, I have been running at 1/4 to 1/2 hatch rate for the shipped eggs that I have been receiving (except for the one shipment, where only one of 12 did anything, and hatched)

Of the Maran eggs

1 was a clear clear

5 have hatched

3 have pipped and started zipping

WHAT??? WHAT?????

8 out of nine eggs?

I keep telling myself..... This is NOT statistically significant. But..... WOW!

Also, I had the Marans eggs and blue eggs in alternate rows, so it was CLEARLY not an incubator placement thing.

By the way, SUPER CUTE chickies!

Thanks again, OODLES, ladycat!!

The two OE, or EE, whatever they are, one is a warm creamy tan, the second is almost as dark as a Marans, but brown. Super cute, AND I AM SO HAPPY I GOT THEM! Not only are all chicks always marvelous, but the only EE chick we bought this year, that the kids picked out from the PULLET bin at the mom and pop feed store, is looking very roo-ish to me. -sigh-

Hum.....that made it sound like I am not happy about my 90ish hatching rate Marans. Actually, I am very thrilled about them too. I lost my Marans rooster this winter, and am very happy to get not only a new rooster, but an unrelated one too! And, since I lost my Marans rooster, I also had no new Marans pullets this year...not wise.

Anyway, gorgeous chicks, and all very much appreciated. Not yet loved, hehe, since the kids don't get to touch them for the first day.

And don't worry, my kids are awesome with chicks, haven't killed any, and they even managed to tame down the quail.

Can you all tell that I am excited?

 

[hildar]

DUDE

OK, I was sent some LOVELY eggs from @ladycat

9 marans and 8 blue eggs, to hatch into OE.

The eggs showed up, though marvelously packaged, obviously a bit shaken. All of the aircells were detatched.

Of the 8 blue eggs........

1 was an early quitter

2 continued on until the end, BOTH have hatched

5 did nothing at all

This is a 1/4 hatch rate, I have been running at 1/4 to 1/2 hatch rate for the shipped eggs that I have been receiving (except for the one shipment, where only one of 12 did anything, and hatched)

Of the Maran eggs

1 was a clear clear

5 have hatched

3 have pipped and started zipping

WHAT??? WHAT?????

8 out of nine eggs?

I keep telling myself..... This is NOT statistically significant. But..... WOW!

Also, I had the Marans eggs and blue eggs in alternate rows, so it was CLEARLY not an incubator placement thing.

By the way, SUPER CUTE chickies!

Thanks again, OODLES, ladycat!!

The two OE, or EE, whatever they are, one is a warm creamy tan, the second is almost as dark as a Marans, but brown. Super cute, AND I AM SO HAPPY I GOT THEM! Not only are all chicks always marvelous, but the only EE chick we bought this year, that the kids picked out from the PULLET bin at the mom and pop feed store, is looking very roo-ish to me. -sigh-

Hum.....that made it sound like I am not happy about my 90ish hatching rate Marans. Actually, I am very thrilled about them too. I lost my Marans rooster this winter, and am very happy to get not only a new rooster, but an unrelated one too! And, since I lost my Marans rooster, I also had no new Marans pullets this year...not wise.

Anyway, gorgeous chicks, and all very much appreciated. Not yet loved, hehe, since the kids don't get to touch them for the first day.

And don't worry, my kids are awesome with chicks, haven't killed any, and they even managed to tame down the quail.

Can you all tell that I am excited?

Wow that was a good rate on the Marans. Enjoy the new chicks while they are still little.

 

[ladycat]

DUDE

OK, I was sent some LOVELY eggs from @ladycat

9 marans and 8 blue eggs, to hatch into OE.

The eggs showed up, though marvelously packaged, obviously a bit shaken. All of the aircells were detatched.

Of the 8 blue eggs........

1 was an early quitter

2 continued on until the end, BOTH have hatched

5 did nothing at all

This is a 1/4 hatch rate, I have been running at 1/4 to 1/2 hatch rate for the shipped eggs that I have been receiving (except for the one shipment, where only one of 12 did anything, and hatched)

Of the Maran eggs

1 was a clear clear

5 have hatched

3 have pipped and started zipping

WHAT??? WHAT?????

8 out of nine eggs?

I keep telling myself..... This is NOT statistically significant. But..... WOW!

Also, I had the Marans eggs and blue eggs in alternate rows, so it was CLEARLY not an incubator placement thing.

By the way, SUPER CUTE chickies!

Thanks again, OODLES, ladycat!!

The two OE, or EE, whatever they are, one is a warm creamy tan, the second is almost as dark as a Marans, but brown. Super cute, AND I AM SO HAPPY I GOT THEM! Not only are all chicks always marvelous, but the only EE chick we bought this year, that the kids picked out from the PULLET bin at the mom and pop feed store, is looking very roo-ish to me. -sigh-

Hum.....that made it sound like I am not happy about my 90ish hatching rate Marans. Actually, I am very thrilled about them too. I lost my Marans rooster this winter, and am very happy to get not only a new rooster, but an unrelated one too! And, since I lost my Marans rooster, I also had no new Marans pullets this year...not wise.

Anyway, gorgeous chicks, and all very much appreciated. Not yet loved, hehe, since the kids don't get to touch them for the first day.

And don't worry, my kids are awesome with chicks, haven't killed any, and they even managed to tame down the quail.

Can you all tell that I am excited?

 

[Alaskan]

And, yep, the last three Marans made it out.

that is an over 90% hatch rate on eggs shipped to Alaska!!!!

How is that possible?



I did poke at them all.....they are real chicks, no invisible pretend chicks.

Do you give your Marans super vitality vitamins? Some of those aircells were HORRID, giant saddle shaped things etc.

 

[ladycat]

Do you give your Marans super vitality vitamins?

Some of those aircells were HORRID, giant saddle shaped things etc.

Wowzers! I'm impressed! Honestly I didn't expect you would get a hatch that good when the box apparently had a rough journey before it reached you. I am so happy!

But I think the diet of my breeders might be partly responsible. I mix floating catfish food and alfalfa-based rabbit pellets in with their lay pellets. That gives them meat protein, and the alfalfa gives them tons of great nutrients.

I know the chicks I hatch are very vigorous, and I get reports back of vigorous chicks.