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Hatching eggs (fertilized eggs)

We treat hatching eggs as live animals. You must have an Agreement with us (regardless of the volume shipped) prior to the mailing. You should also review the Health of Animals Regulations before mailing as a License to Operate may be required. You are solely responsible for determining whether the Regulations apply to you, and whether your mailing is compliant. You mail all items at your own risk.

Available services (by surface only)

  • Xpresspost™
  • Expedited Parcel™
  • Regular Parcel™

You can only mail hatching eggs between March 1 and October 31.

Delivery to your destination is required to be achievable in 3 consecutive business days (excluding weekends and statutory holidays) from the time of mailing. We highly recommend depositing your shipment at one of our facilities either on Monday or Tuesday. Refer to our Delivery standards tool for destinations achievable in a 3-day expectant delivery. Delivery standards are subject to change without notice.

Please note: You can only mail these items domestically. There’s no loss or damage coverage available for this type of mail.

The shipment must be within local or regional boundaries.

Generally, this means:

  • Local - where the destination city or town is the same as the originating city or town
  • Regional - where the destination is to an adjacent province and the items can safely be delivered within 3 business days

When shipping hatching eggs, they must reach their final destination prior to hatching.

Packaging requirements

Hatching eggs must be:

  • Individually wrapped and protected, using enough cushioning material and wrapping to stop the eggs from hitting each other or the outer container.
  • Enclosed in a clean, strong, rigid box.
  • Registered with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations. You must provide a copy of the “Licence to Operate a Hatchery” issued to you by the CFIA for our records for us to grant you a contract to ship hatching eggs.

Review the Health of Animals Regulations - Part VIII.1 (Hatcheries and Supply Flocks) and Part XII (Transport of Animals). You must also provide Canada Post with the required information in HAR 154 - Records for each shipment.

You must not ship hatching eggs to remote locations in Canada. For a list of remote locations, see our air stage offices list.

You must seal the box tightly while allowing for ventilation and mark it “HATCHING EGGS - LIVE ANIMAL”. We strongly recommend that you place a noticeable label on each package stating:

“HATCHING EGGS. THIS SIDE UP. HANDLE WITH SPECIAL CARE. DO NOT PLACE IN MAIL BAG OR COVER WITH OTHER MAIL MATTER. DO NOT PLACE NEAR HOT PIPES, STOVES OR RADIATORS. DO NOT EXPOSE TO COLD WINDS OR HOT SUN. PLEASE PROTECT FROM EXTREMES OF HEAT OR COLD. PLEASE DISPATCH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND DELIVER TO THE ADDRESSEE PROMPTLY ON ARRIVAL AT OFFICE OF DESTINATION.”