What is the best way to pack eggs for shipping?

[capayvalleychick]

Wow, thanks for all the advice, everyone!

Thanks, Nava, for the photos. You must go through a LOT of bubble wrap!

Kim

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi Kim! I don't think eggs need any 'air exchange' or 'to breathe' before they start incubation. At least, being bubble-wrapped for a week didn't effect viability in the ones I've experimented with.
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Hi! Me too!

Lisa

 

[HHandbasket]

I personally have not ever shipped eggs or ordered shipped eggs, but I realy like this foam that ChooksChick uses:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421735

I think if I purchased fertile eggs to be shipped, that's how I would want them packed.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

This is how I pack my eggs and how I would want them packed when shipped to me. http://www.sundownsilkies.com/packinguptheeggs.htm

I had eggs shipped to me once in foam, with slots for the eggs to go. None grew.

 

[greeneacre]

I have had eggs shipped wrapped in bubble wrap and then placed pointy end down in as egg carton as well as eggs wrapped in bubble wrap and placed on their sides loose but well padded. I prefer them shipped in an eggs carton. I have gotten the best hatch rates from them. The loose eggs i had 0% hatch rate. The shipper sent several different breeds and I know they have good birds as I have dealt with them before. the eggs have been shipped about the same distance.

 

[san415]

funny I work at UPS and many years ago I went to a training thing. One of the exercises we had to do was to pack up a dozen eggs and then we had to drop the packaged eggs on the floor from about five feet up. We had large bubble wrap, small bubble wrap, kraft paper, tape and an assortment of boxes to use. Our team layered the large bubble wrap in the bottom of a med large box till it was about 4 inches thick. We then took 6 of the eggs and layed them on top of the bubble wrap. They seemed like they needed to be tucked in a bit. So we popped (with a knife) one of the "bubbles" in the top layer for each egg. centering the 6 in first layer as spread out yet 2 inches away from the wall. Then we took a layer of bubble wrap and cut a hole where each egg would be, widened it with our hands, put this layer over the eggs to hold the in place. 4 more inches of bubble wrap then took the next 6 eggs and put them into a popped bubble and a sheet of bubble wrap with holes in it around them. Filed the box with more bubble wrap till tight to the top. Put that in a second box with 2 inches of bubble wrap on the bottom, top and all sides. Ok after all that our team was still worried they would break. The instructor gave the box a hard shake then held it at about head high and dropped it. Maybe was over kill packing, but no egg on our team broke. Two other teams also had no breakage. Most teams had a broken egg or two.

One last note I know no one likes to hear this but... Fragile on a box means nothing. Most employees do not even "see"it. Maybe 80% of all packages say Fragile on them. Boxes of paper, Plastic toys, Clothes etc. And even if we wanted to we do not have special trucks or special belts or special employees for fragile packages. We treat all packages the same. If they are packed well enough they will make it. We try not to drop any thing. If a box get damaged normally it happen in a jam on the belt.

One last note, it should go with out saying but I have had boxes I was delivering with nasty notes to the driver (me) on them. Some even had nasty names directed at me in the note. Of course they didn't know I was I female, so the nasty grams were geared for a male. Ummmmm....that really doesn't help...we are alone in the truck with the package. What does help is the boxes that have a nice note to the driver and maybe a smiley face telling him or her that the box has eggs in it or what ever. Also I know it is silly, but boxes that show care and love on the outside by having drawings or stickers on them, tells me that some one really cares about the box and the people its going to. Silly yes but those boxes get a special spot in the truck and special care. And when I send a box to one of my kids I put stickers on it and draw along the sides of the box. Maybe even just write the happy birthday song along the bottom of the sides all the way around the box.

 

[Nava]

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thanks for the tip.

 

[capayvalleychick]

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Really wonderful post! These eggs are for a kid in 4H. Maybe I should put that on the box.

I really have appreciated all the advice!

Kim

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! FRAGILE! PERISHABLE! EGGS FOR HATCHING ENCLOSED! DO NOT XRAY! DO NOT EXPOSE TO HEAT OR COLD!
gets attention and handled well.
I would not put anything on a box that isn't the truth.
My phone # is usually on every box I ship, so I get lots of calls from postal employees wanting to know whether boxes should be held at the PO or delivered (inclement weather or plain strange circumstances).

Lisa

 

[san415]

Absolutely, Put a note about fragile 4h eggs on the box, the only thing that would make that even better is if you could have a kid put the note on the box in a kids hand writing, like with a color marker. Maybe a drawing of an egg turning into a chick too.

The side of the box is good for those types of things, at ups you can do what ever you want to the top too, just remember the label is about 4x6 inches. I think the USPS wants the top of the box left plain with only the addresses on the top, but the side are ok for any artwork.