1. No detectable movement of the eggs in the carton.

2. No detectable movement of the carton inside the shipping box.

3. Adequate padding inside the egg carton, and adequate padding surrounding the cartons on all sides of the box to prevent any movement.

4.  If your flock is state or NPIP Certified, be sure to include a copy of the certification document with each egg shipment.  It is a requirement of  NPIP certification that all hatching eggs received to add to your flock MUST be from NPIP certified flocks and records must be maintained.

Box size should be chosen so that you have room for plenty of padding around the eggs. A common size is 12"x15"x10" available at WalMart for $1.77 each.  This box will easily hold up to 4 dozen chicken eggs in cartons.

You can also use the FREE 12"x12"x8" (Box Size 7) USPS Priority mail box which will nicely hold 1 and 1/2 dozen eggs with a maximum of 2 dozen eggs in cartons.

USPS Priority Mail Box size 4 will hold up to 1/2 dozen eggs in a six-pack carton.

Gently settle each egg in it's 'nest' in the carton making sure there are enough shavings to keep the egg stable and protected on all sides.  Rotate the egg left and right until it's snugly settled in the shavings.

By the way, each egg should be marked with a breed and date laid.  For example, Barred Rocks would be BR and Blue Cochins would be BC.  Inform the recipient of what the codes on the eggs mean if sending more than one breed or an assortment of breeds.
 
 

An added benefit of using the shavings is that if an egg does happen to get broken, the shavings tend to absorb or at least contain any released egg white and yolk, thereby  protecting other eggs in the carton from becoming soiled.

Seal the carton all the way around with wide packaging tape to be sure it doesn't come open, and wrap it with two or three layers of large (1/2" thick) bubble wrap.  Use a wide enough piece of bubble wrap (about 18 inches) to leave about 3-4 inches of wrap on each end of the carton.  Then wrap the ends of the bubble wrap closed and tape them to protect the ends of the carton.  In this manner the eggs are not only protected from jarring, but the bubble wrap tends to retain the ambient conditions surrounding the eggs and may help prevent the eggs from freezing or overheating during shipping if not exposed to extreme temperatures for too long a period. 

Include your NPIP  documents, any invoice or receipt now if required.  Additional layers of bubble wrap or other filler is then placed on top of the carton, so that there can be no movement of the carton when the box is sealed, and all sides of the egg carton are well padded.

(We've recently designed graphic 2" x 4" warning labels that we print on a color inkjet printer.  They have a cute baby chick graphic and BOLD RED text: "UNBORN BABIES" - "AVOID: HEAT, COLD, SHAKING".  The P.O. personnel took notice of them immediately, and this will surely help to keep the package safer in transit.)

It is safest never to ship hatching eggs on Thursday, Friday or Saturday because of the risk of them being left in a hot or cold truck or mail handling facility over the weekend. 

It is important to maintain good communications with your customers during the transaction, informing them by email when their eggs ship and when they should expect them.  Ask that they let you know when and how they arrive.  We VERY seldom have an egg arrive cracked or broken using the method described above.

If they receive cracked or broken eggs, make an effort to provide replacements at a reduced cost.  It's great for Public Relations.  The bottom line is:

Treat your customers the way YOU would want to be treated!!