A great method for shipping hatching eggs!

[Slothinc]

I’m writing this post for anyone who ships eggs who wants a good method for packaging their eggs. I haven’t ever shipped eggs. But I have purchased many shipped eggs, and of the many many shipped eggs that I have gotten, this method has always yielded the highest hatch rates for me. If I ever ship eggs, I will definitely be using this way.

The basic premise of shipping eggs in this method is that the eggs are double boxed and they sit in their own little foam protectors. And the key is that everything is *snug.* Snug enough that nothing can move around inside either box. But not sooo tight that anything is in danger of breaking. If there is a little bit of give, that is okay. But too much can cause the eggs to be shaken around.

The best egg shipping method:
Links to the products posted at the bottom.

Get Large priority mail boxes - they will ship to your house for free (don’t get flat rate!)

Also get Medium priority mail boxes, or have on hand some boxes to fit inside the larger boxes.

Get cheapest pillow at Walmart or another store that sells pillows - around $3-$4

Get foam pipe insulation from a hardware store - they are like $3 for 6 feet

You will also need tape to tape the foam around the eggs

Optional: bubble wrap

Steps:

Cut open pillow and put a good cotton cushion layer (an inch or so) in the bottom of the large priority mail box. If using heat or ice pack put a layer of bubble wrap on top of the cotton layer and then put the heat/ice pack on top. Alternately you can use a few layers of bubble wrap or a large bubble bubble-wrap on the bottom sides and top of the large box, as long as the medium box fits snuggly and can’t move around inside the box.

Set medium box inside large box and then put more cotton cushion around the sides of the box so it is in there nice and snug.

Add cotton layer into the bottom of the medium sized box. Also bring cotton layer up the sides of the box.

Cut the pipe insulation to be about 1” longer than the egg you are packing. Place egg inside pointy side down and use tape to close it snuggly on the egg. Place each foam wrapped egg into the medium box, pointy end down. You want them to be kind of wedged tightly in there so that they can’t move around. If you aren't sending enough eggs to fill that box, you can always use a smaller box, or you can fill the empty spots with empty pipe foam, or bubble wrap or extra cotton.

After all the eggs are packed in snuggly, put another good cotton layer on top of them and then tape that box shut. Then add one last cotton layer on top of the taped medium box and tape up the large box. It is now ready to address and mail!

Link to order free supplies from usps:
https://store.usps.com/store/shipping-supplies

Priority mail large box:
https://store.usps.com/store/product/priority-mail-large-box-P_O_BOX7

Medium sized box:
https://store.usps.com/store/product/priority-mail-flat-rate-medium-box-P_O_FRB1

You could also order the cube sized medium sized box if you are shipping less eggs. You can also use any two boxes that can nest inside of each other and have extra space on each side for padding.

Basic pillow from walmart $3.44
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstay...5?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1600&from=/search

Foam pipe insulation- can be found at many hardware stores. Is $3 for 6 feet at Home Depot. For large eggs, you may need to cut another piece off to fill the gap that you tape together. For bantam eggs they usually fit perfectly.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-in-x-6-ft-Foam-Pipe-Insulation-ORP11812/204760805

I hope this is helpful to someone who may want to ship eggs in a safe and economical way, if they weren’t sure how to do it. I’ll post a few pictures of eggs I have gotten in this way.

 

[Debbie292d]

Great info and you were so nice to provide links too!

I can attest the pipe insulators are the way to go! When I started shipping eggs, I bought 2 giant rolls of tiny bubble wrap, and cut dozens of 8" pieces, wrapped the egg and taped it. I've never had any eggs break in shipping.

I had some shipped to me with those pipe insulators, though, and that changed the game. I'm using the bubble wrap up by lining the box with several layers. I already had a bag of animal stuffing to put around them. My last two shipments were shipped in that way successfully.

I got some small Priority boxes as mostly it's a dozen they want, and I can ship 15 in those (silkie eggs). More than that need the medium. I've never used large ones as I can safely ship 2.5 dozen in a medium, but I have a few just in case. I have never double-boxed though. They've always been fine in one.

P.S. Did you order more eggs from Bobbi? I just texted her yesterday. I'm going to get two pullets shipped this time instead of eggs.

 

[Slothinc]

Great info and you were so nice to provide links too!

I can attest the pipe insulators are the way to go! When I started shipping eggs, I bought 2 giant rolls of tiny bubble wrap, and cut dozens of 8" pieces, wrapped the egg and taped it. I've never had any eggs break in shipping.

I had some shipped to me with those pipe insulators, though, and that changed the game. I'm using the bubble wrap up by lining the box with several layers. I already had a bag of animal stuffing to put around them. My last two shipments were shipped in that way successfully.

I got some small Priority boxes as mostly it's a dozen they want, and I can ship 15 in those (silkie eggs). More than that need the medium. I've never used large ones as I can safely ship 2.5 dozen in a medium, but I have a few just in case. I have never double-boxed though. They've always been fine in one.

P.S. Did you order more eggs from Bobbi? I just texted her yesterday. I'm going to get two pullets shipped this time instead of eggs.

Thanks Debbie!! It is so nice that you provided the sizing, as I wasn’t sure on that! That makes sense that a smaller box will be better for smaller quantities, especially for banty eggs. If you get the large boxes that aren’t flat rate, they will cost much less to ship than the flat-rate large boxes, as it goes off of weight and the eggs are pretty light. So it still may be less to ship a large non-flat rate box with the eggs in a smaller box inside (as long as you pad it well!) than shipping a medium size flat rate box. Another alternative is to just reuse Amazon boxes that are large enough to fit a smaller box inside and ship those as priority!

I always prefer having them double boxed, I feel like the padding in between boxes absorbs a lot of the shock when the box gets tossed around in shipping. I’ve had several broken eggs in single boxed eggs (and most eggs packed single box never develop for me) but I’ve never had a broken one in double boxes. It does take more time and shipping supplies though so I can see why it would be more difficult to do double boxing.

I haven’t ordered from Bobbi again yet I still have my lemon cuckoo pullet from her and I believe she just started laying eggs! I only have a black NN frizzle silkie cockerel right now so I may try to hatch some of her eggs just to see what they will be. If nothing else, at least they will be autosexing! Edited to say that I actually do have another younger paint cockerel who is a cross between lavender ameraucana bantam and silkie. lol I guess there is a small chance that he could end up being the dad too.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Thanks for sharing this. I haven't shipped eggs yet but am looking in to getting NPIP and this is very helpful info for shipping eggs.

 

[TeresaW]

I see that 1/2” pipe insulation is available as well. I wonder if that would work for button quail eggs.

 

[Slothinc]

I see that 1/2” pipe insulation is available as well. I wonder if that would work for button quail eggs.

That is a great idea! I bet it would work super well!

 

[LaurenRitz]

That is a great idea! I bet it would work super well!

For an egg that small, would pieces of pool noodle work?

 

[Slothinc]

For an egg that small, would pieces of pool noodle work?

Pool noodles can work for sure but they are much thicker than the pipe insulation and thus a little harder to work with, plus they take up more room in the box. But I had some eggs shipped to me in pool noodles from Queens of the Coop in TX and they were awesome. So I would recommend it, I personally just think that the pipe insulation does as well and is overall easier to work with!