[HesterF]

I've got a friend in Northern Sweden who'd love some Orpingtons. I reckoned I could send her some hatching eggs and keep our fingers crossed they get there safely and quickly but are there any restrictions/legislation on posting eggs to other EU countries? I know we couldn't take them into Switzerland but that's not EU and has a whole raft of is own legislation.

[chrismahon]

Exporting eggs within the EU carries the same degree of legislation as moving adults. Complicated and expensive.  We legally exported our flocks over here. But with hatching eggs it's the parents that are isolated and tested. However this is widely disregarded and I know someone who regularly sends Runner duck eggs abroad without any paperwork at all. So just post them airmail and hope for the best. Eggs are smuggled in and out of France all the time. I took a dozen last time I flew over to the UK, for a friend to eat mind, so they went through the X-ray machine.

[Steph Hen]

I put some (50) through an X-ray and flight hand luggage, internal uk flight, and got 50%hatch rate. So even with the pressure changes and X-ray, still not dreadful.

[chrismahon]

I guess you need to be sure they don't go in the hold because the pressure loss may crack them. I think 50% hatch rate is very good considering. You didn't get any deformities due to the X-rays then Steph Hen? Like 7 toes and two heads!

[Steph Hen]

No deformities. I was very careful with them in the car at both ends. I tried to get them to be examined rather than xrayed. Phoned the airport before hand, and almost got them through, staff had unpacked and examined half, when someone higher up came in and said that no, they were technically liquids and considered high risk and would have to be xrayed. But I was happy with 50% and would do it again.

Compared to another batch three out of 24 odd that came through the post from Northern Ireland. Most were fertile, but many had detached airsacs. Most didn't develop past a few days. I will struggle to trust the post again! (Would like to add that six out of six of my neighbours eggs hatched in this same batch, so conditions must have been ok.)