WHAT does FRAGILE mean?

[Flyingbavarian]

Quote:
That's the first thing that came to mind when I read the title.

What a great movie lol.

 

[Minniechickmama]

That is just wrong that they won't insure eggs for hatching! I want to protest. I shall take my chickens to the post office and.... oh wait, the people at MY post office are some of my best eating egg buyers!

 

[dragonjaze]

Quote:
HA!! I remember doing the same sort of experiment in school, I think it was junior high. The kids came up with some creative solutions to keep the egg intact. Mine didn't make it, lol.

 

[hippiehen]

I work for the post office and I promise there are some really nice people there - and we're not all idiots!!

But when you ship eggs or have them shipped to you, ask the postmaster if they can put your flat rate priority mail box in a "flat tub"(what we receive magazines in) with a sealed lid. That's how we ship eggs from our post office. Then we print this neat label that says "LIVE ANIMALS" and check off which applies (complete with cute little pictures of duckies and eggs and turtles and butterflies) and tape it to the top with the zip code written at the bottom. Every post office should have access to these and they will be handled much more carefully. The distribution centers go through such a huge volume of mail I doubt the word "Fragile" even gets noticed anymore.

I'd post pictures of what I'm talking about but I would probably get fired!!

Afterthought: There's a check box for "bees" too.... that would probably be handled extremely carefully! Hmmm...

 

[SuburbanFarmstress]

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We did that but were only gave straws tape an two paper towels. No box ether.

Your video link does not go to a video but to a list of videos. None seem to match what you described.

Here, this link should work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dselSqo8Xc

Sorry, I posted the last one from a mobile device, sometimes that doesn't work too well.

I'm nowhere near shipping eggs yet, but if I ever am, I think I will package them well in a small box, and then use the pantyhose trick (or some variation) to package that box inside a larger box. Since shipping is determined by weight, it shouldn't cost too much more, and I would think it would be worth the peace of mind.

I'm planning on ordering my first hatching eggs this week. For those of you with experience behind the scenes at the USPS, should I pay extra to have them shipped priority? About how much more do you think that would cost?

I still think pictures of fluffy little chicks would get better treatment than red-lettered "Fragile!" stickers, as postal workers probably see hundreds (if not thousands) of those stickers every day. I really can't blame them for tossing packages around- if they took the time to carefully set each one in a hamper, the mail would take even longer than it does now. By the time they see the "Fragile" sticker, it's probably too late.

ETA: Hippie, are you talking about these?

 

[fifelakelooper]

Suburban...Priority isn't what you want...I think you want Express...read back through these posts...I forgot who said it but they said Express is sorted separate than the rest of the mail. My first shipment of eggs was on the bottom of the bag (my local P.O. told me). Eggs were ok however. I always call or visit my post office and tell them to watch for the eggs and to call me asap. I was there this week at the same time they arrived to work....sat in the car while they sorted and they carried them out to me. 2nd shipment...again no broken eggs. THANKFULLY. We live on a seasonal road and our mailbox is 1/2 mile away from our home...today we had a PRIORITY mailed package....hanging from the mailbox. That could have been my eggs ...out in the elements for hours while we had no idea. Thankfully...it wasn't anything that got hurt...or stolen.

 

[MetalSmitten]

i just got my very first batch of shipped eggs this past weekend, and while i have no idea how the en route post offices handled them, they all arrived intact -- and i gotta say, my particular postal lady is AWESOME. my mailbox is kinda far off from my house, but she saw where the box was labeled "hatching eggs" and so she drove them up to my front door, and then told us she'd been being very careful with them AND trying to keep them warm

i <3 my postal lady.

 

[Jake1297]

Here's an idea but may add to the cost of eggs (to purchaser) being shipped. Buy one of those foam mattresses for your bed that is flat on one side and egg carton shaped on the other. Cut to fit your box, place eggs in egg holes and cover with another piece. I'll bet you won't get a broken egg. If you buy one queen size mattress and it cost $20 being 60" x 72" you can get 18 pieces 10" x 16" that would protect 18 eggs. Smaller for less, etc. Using two pieces for each shipment you can send out 9 boxes with 18 eggs. At a cost of $2.25 extra for the purchaser. I'd gladly pay the extra, and I bet you wouldn't get any scrambled eggs either.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

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Would these help by any chance? I've seen something similar on Mythbusters which gave me the idea. No idea of cost yet but it would probably be worth it if it works.

Oh, and on insurance it's free here to register items up to $100 in value. They won't pay out on eggs but I have a sneaking suspicion they'd treat a box with 'Registered and Insured' stickers on it more gently since they won't actually know what's in it.

 

[petunias212]

This is what I got from my shipped eggs from Missouri, going to Missouri, with "FRAGILE" written everywhere on the box:

Scrambled eggs anybody??