Axolotl eggs, the post office and a smashed box

[Meggersxoxo]

So I ordered a small batch of 20 eggs from a hobbyist in Illinois. Eggs were shipped out really fast (no complaints on the seller). However I received the box today (2 days in transit) and the poor box was mutilated. The box was CLEARLY labeled "LIVE" all over it.

There was a lot of packaging so there wasn't any issues with the eggs getting smashed but because of the damage to the box the insulation was compromised. The ice pack that the seller provided was WARM and the bag with the eggs also felt warm. *cringes*

Is there any chance these babies will hatch?

 

[auntiejude]

Eggs are pretty robust, as long as they haven't been frozen or boiled they should be fine. The only way to tell is to watch them and see if they develop.

 

[Dunny]

I'm sorry to hear that. Just proves that a lot of people just don't care.

 

[Bette]

Yes, you'll have to wait and see. They will most likely be fine though, as eggs are amazingly tough! When were they laid?

 

[HannahMarie]

The EXACT same thing happened to me only my package was so destroyed the eggs were stuck to the outside (it really looked like they ran it over with the truck). First, if it was insured then file a claim with the post office since you and the shipper did nothing wrong. I got my money back within a month. And of the 15 eggs I got, 9 hatched, 2 premature and one deformed. But the 6 healthy ones are still doing well

 

[Meggersxoxo]

Here is a pic of the eggs this morning. They were laid on the 18th.

 

[HannahMarie]

They look great! Pretty soon they will actually look like mini axolotls with gills! Watching them develop is my favorite part

 

[Dunny]

Glad to see they weren't killed in transit. Sorry that you had to deal with the stress of not knowing and worrying.

 

[Meggersxoxo]

Thanks for the encouragement guys =) These little guys have changed a little bit more since this morning! It looks like 2 eggs were duds so if these all hatch and are healthy i'm looking at 18 babies. =D

I'm picking up some more live plants and starter cultures for live food tomorrow from my LFS.

 

[Meggersxoxo]

0.0 Two of the babies were moving around in their eggs this morning!

 

[Meggersxoxo]

Just wanted to share a pic of the eggs today. Looks like there are 3 eggs that didn't develop.

 

[frogman]

I recently received a box of eggs shipped through USPS. Although the box was clearly marked fragile, it was crushed and all 300 eggs inside we unfortunately destroyed.

Evan