Is anyone else having issues with the USPS and dead chicks?

[Cherie1n2]

Yeah, this. 


Stop ordering chicks during the coldest part of the year. The boxes need to be ventilated - so heat packs aren't really going to help. 

The problem isn't usually the cold, its the delays.

 

[CrazyTalk]

The problem isn't usually the cold, its the delays.

And you're going to have more delays in Jan-Mar than any other time of the year - especially a year as snowy as this one- this is the worst time of the year to ship these things.

Chicks go through their yolk stores much faster when they're cold. They need energy to keep warm.

Wait a couple more weeks - it'll save everyone time, money, and heartache.

 

[kaylabeans28]

My goslings from Ideal Poultry are lost somewhere in the mail.. but at least our postmaster will be tracking them down.. they were supposed to be here yesterday afternoon, but they weren't.

 

[mayble]

My goslings from Ideal Poultry are lost somewhere in the mail.. but at least our postmaster will be tracking them down.. they were supposed to be here yesterday afternoon, but they weren't.

Fingers crossed - hope they turn up, safe and sound!

 

[kaylabeans28]

They were shipped out Tuesday.. I'm terrified.. They said that they have a priority shipment coming in between 1 and 2 this afternoon, so we're all praying its them..

 

[Seeleyhomestead]

I ordered 20 RLBW from Meyers Hatchery in Ohio. I live in SC and it took them three days to get here I lost 8 due to weather and shipping but still Have 12 healthy chicks it is disappointing that USPS disregards the fact that these are living animals but sadly it comes with shipping in cold weather. I do have to give props to Meyers Hatchery they shipped the chicks with heat pads and are replacing the ones that didn't make it.

Hope you have better luck next time.

 

[CrazyTalk]

USPS doesn't disregard anything - they make it very clear how things get shipped with each service. If you need guaranteed 2 day delivery, priority mail is not the service to use. They're not the problem here. The problem is shipping chicks at the worst time of the year using a non-guaranteed service.

 

[Cherie1n2]

And you're going to have more delays in Jan-Mar than any other time of the year - especially a year as snowy as this one- this is the worst time of the year to ship these things. 

Chicks go through their yolk stores much faster when they're cold. They need energy to keep warm.

Wait a couple more weeks - it'll save everyone time, money, and heartache.

Last year I ordered the first week of may and it was nearly too hot to ship. This wasn't "an unusually bad year" for travel delays when I placed my order from Texas to sc.

As far as priority shipping.. USPS says (and trust me..I've talked to many representatives over the last few days) that live chicks do not follow normal shipping and should reach their destination in two days. By federal regulations live chicks cannot legally be shipped unless they can be expected to arrive at their destination within 72 hours of hatch.. Therefore 1-2 delivery.

When I said "I understand there's no guarantee with priority of the two day delivery" I was stopped by more than one USPS customer service rep or post master who said.. No, chicks should arrive in two days. Often they will arrive with express mail regardless of the priority coding

 

[CrazyTalk]

You're confusing federal law and postal regulations.

This is what it says in the requirements:
Quote:
This means they won't ship from Florida to rural Alaska - it doesn't mean they won't ship before a snowstorm. Chicks can only be shipped at a day old - they have to go in the mail immediately, or they go into the grinder. USPS makes it very clear that they're not liable for loss of live day-old chicks due to delays out of their control.

We've had several times over the last couple of weeks where the entire eastern half of the country has had flights grounded because of weather. I've had packages via USPS/UPS/FEDEX show up a week late - this is expected when snow is in the forecast. There's nothing the postal service can do about that. There's nothing the hatchery can do about it - they have to make decisions 4+ weeks in advance because of hatching times.

Losing shipped chicks in the winter IS TO BE EXPECTED. If you have a problem with it - don't order chicks in the winter. There's no reason to start a thread crapping on the postal service every time the roads get dangerous.

 

[brahmapapa]

And you're going to have more delays in Jan-Mar than any other time of the year - especially a year as snowy as this one- this is the worst time of the year to ship these things.

Chicks go through their yolk stores much faster when they're cold. They need energy to keep warm.

Wait a couple more weeks - it'll save everyone time, money, and heartache.

I agree totally, people here in the north should wait for the weather to break before setting a delivery date for their chicks. I always wait till end of march at the earliest.