I have seen where people have shipped Live Chickens so I want to know about it. I understand that the weather has to warm up abit like maybe around spring, but is it safe to ship a bird then? Do they ship just babies? where would I go to find someone that ships them?
Thanks in advance
Miss Jest'r and Billy
Mailing Live Birds
I shipped two pullets last year and they did fine. The USPO ships them regularly--although I had to take them to the airport post office so they would go right on a plane. You need a special box--which is a bit pricey. Homeland Security now requires a paper mesh screen on the boxes for some reason.
Someone advised me to include melon and lettuce for the water content and they apparently ate it all in transit. I was also told that they should be 16 weeks old--but I don't think that is post office policy. Some states have strict import policies for poultry (Texas does) and if that is the case you have to get them certified as healthy and then get an import number from the state you are shipping them to, but our local University Avian Vet does it for free for backyard poultry keepers (involves blood tests). Not all states care and it is not a problem, I think, if you are shipping in-state.
hummm so if anyone out there in DG land had some extra chickens they wanted to ship to arizona it would not be so easy??? darn... Thanks Catscan for the explanation.
It would depend on what Arizona's import regulations are. And then there is the darn box. If Arizona doesn't care--it would be pretty easy. I bought two boxes for $30--but they were double boxes designed for two chickens each. Since then I have been given some for free including a single bird box.
You might try Freecycle or Craigslist for the boxes--and if the birds are smaller/younger it should be much less. I shipped two huge pullets from California to Texas for $60--but a smaller bird for a shorter distance might not be so bad.
MissJestr, what did you have in mind? These poultry places ship baby chicks all the time. The shipping was very reasonable.
Maybe somebody else will have some answers for you, or call the post office and ask them.
You can only ship baby chicks out the first day of their lives, completing the journey within the 72 hours that they don't need feeding--and in mass so they can keep each other warm. After that you have to wait until they are fledge and able to maintain body temp.
I wish there were a cheaper way of doing it...the airlines don't want to carry them at all:
http://www.hm-e.net/press06.htm
This message was edited Jan 5, 2009 6:31 PM
this is the cheapest place i know to get boxes- http://poultry2.tripod.com/id3.html
day olds can only be shipped from a specific date to a specific date from a private breeder it goes by the breeders post office regs. a day old can live up to 3 days on it's yolk sac alone so they have to ship asap after hatch. peeps have always came into me via usps priority mail. hatcheries can ship year round but ya have to be responsible to know when to cold to come in ect and plan a little. if u get peeps from a hatchery expect extras to all be males for warmth.
if a chick is not a day old it must weigh min of 6+ oz to ship and must be able to be shipped by it's self without probs like mentioned above has to be fully adult feathered ect. here it is past ship date so i can only ship adults till spring date comes. adults ship year round weather permiting. anything not a day old peep should have feed prior to ship for the preveous 24 hours, vitamins, electrolytes, heavy food, extra protein ect. feed up and hydrated really good before they go in shipper. when shipped have slices of apples, cut up grapes and watermelon ect in the box with them for the trip. let me tell ya from experience u want them to be fed up well and have something with them cause those idiots in express loose ur animals and they can go days without anything and they don't care.
anything over day olds has to go express mail via usps. if it is not reached it destination by due date and time on box usps owes who paid shipping a full refund because it is garonteed delivery on express. if u pay it and seller pays it at the window when they mail it that seller owes u a full refund. usps doesn't tell u to put stuff in for the animals to eat but trust me u want it in there and they can't stop u from doing it as long as it is not leaking ect. some express goes by fedx and airlines part of the time this is where my birds got lost in transit if it is a small depo for fedx they just don't track it. yes there is state import export laws and some need health certs and such. if i missed anything just ask.
silkie
This message was edited Jan 5, 2009 6:59 PM
Yea! Silkie---you know everything:0) And now I know more!
Thanks so much.
That is a great sight! Thanks Silkie!
MissJestr, I think it's easier to hatch eggs... not cheaper, but easier to get..
Hey Catscan.. you got any ideas here? LOL MissJester loves roos.. :)
ZZ--ROAD TRIP! Only 9 hours and 590 miles from Lodi to Kingman. One day up and one day back:0)
Whoz gonna feed?
I've got serious roots now that the "flock" is multiplying so rapidly..
but I will help you load boxes! LOL I'll even catch em for ya! LOL
OR I can address the labels? LOL I'm such a big helper
Oh heck, I would be willing to meet you half way... hummm got to figure out where half way is..
If we could figure it out--it would be great. ZZ and I have a lot of interesting Roosters:0) and possibly a few pullets as well.
Meet in Mojave...slightly longer for the Californians, but they drive like bats out of...caves flying really fast!! And no crossing mountains..
I went through Mojave two weeks ago! It is about half-way to my Dad's. It is much easier to fly through there now that they built the by-pass....but I miss the town and the aircraft retirement home. It is 11 hours to my Dad's--so about 5/12 to Mojave.
Actually there is a bit of a mountain--you have to go over the Tehachapi ("Land of Four Seasons"--named to impress the Southern Californians, 'cause they get snow there) pass and then down into Mojave.
This message was edited Jan 6, 2009 1:06 PM
One little mountain does not a chain make...it could be done though, right? Just not with Mr. Salmon Favulous?!
Ms Jestr...
Find out about those animal regs for AZ. I think they might be a tad fussy there.
It'd be embarrassing to get busted for contraband chickens...
LOL
Jay
I love Tehachapi it is awesome there. I am trying to place Mojave as I live in Mohave County Arizona LOL so I am drawing a blank...
Ok I found it, it is outside palmdale
This message was edited Jan 7, 2009 8:31 AM
Grow.. are you sure it's not Mr. Salmon Favulous and his brother Mr. Salmon Favulous? LOL
I can borrow a trailer that will hook up to your car Catscan.. and you guyz can haul a FEW more. LOL
That'll be inconspicuous.lol! Pretty sure ZeeZ, I've got 7 roos too many now...