Does anyone ship grown Chickens?

[DixieDame67]

i know crazy question but i was wondering if anyone has ever shipped 2 grown Roosters, this destination would be 100 miles from where i live? If so could you reply and tell me how, thanks

Dixie

 

[Crunchie]

Yep. I have shipped two roosters before.

They were bantams and about 8 months old though, so not too large/heavy. It will be expensive, especially if the roosters in question are large breeds. What kind of chickens are they?

First you need a shipping box that is accepted by the post office. Horizon boxes are good (web site here: http://www.hm-e.net/) I can ship two bantams in the economy box (http://www.fortune3.com/Shop@Horizon/USPS_Shippers-Economy_NESTs.html), but if you are talking about 2 full-grown, heavy breed roosters, you're going to need one of the bigger boxes w/a divider. Then you need to talk to your post office. Find out when the best time of day will be to bring them in so that they aren't sitting around on a loading dock for hours on end. Of course, they can only be shipped Express (overnight delivery).

It is also a good idea to prepare the birds ahead of time by getting them used to eating some sort of fruit as a treat. Fruits with a high water content (such as melons, cucumbers are good, too) can be placed in the box with the birds for the trip so that they have something to nibble/a source of liquid. You need to put some sort of absorbent litter in the box as well. Pine shavings are good. I also throw some scratch or crumbles in the box.

But...I would expect that you are going to spend $60+ to ship two birds, on top of what it will cost you to buy the shipping box. My guess is that it won't cost that much in fuel to drive the 100 miles.

 

[DixieDame67]

well uh there Black Cochins, year old in March, gorgeous, i rescued them there whole flock was killed by dogs one night, so there LARGE, i was just wondering, my dad and brothers are truck drivers i was thinking i might call and see if a trucker would be willing to take them from one terminal to another, along for a ride sorta thing lol i have many kennels that wouldn't be a problem ...but just for sake of asking what was the postage on the ones you sent? Thanks for replying


Dixie

 

[Crunchie]

Just postage on the two I sent was $55. The entire thing, box & chickens, weighed around 7 lbs (if I remember correctly). Two full-grown Cochin roos....that is going to be quite a bit of postage. You are working with a shorter distance than I was (in the case of my two roos, Maryland to Kansas), but your box is going to be bigger and weigh more. I would guess you're going to spend at least $60, if not close to $70. I'm thinking you mentioned the kennels for if you could get them a ride with a truck driver, but if you were considering a kennel for shipping through the P.O., they won't let you. The box that is used has to have a P.O.-approved filter over all openings.

Good luck getting your chickens to their new home!

 

[Tootsie]

The EXPRESS MAIL shipping is based on the total weight and the zip code of where they are going. Usually the person who wants them pays the shipping and any other charges.

I have shipped as many as 4 roosters frome here in NJ to TX and the shipping on them since the weight was about 29 lbs was $102. 2 birds would weigh a lot less than those 4 full grown boys did. I take 1 apple per bird and the night before I quarter it, poke it with fork and soak it in pedialyte overnight and then put 1 gallon of shavings in box and then apples and then bird. Then tape to secure it better.