Does the USPS still subcontract out shipping fowl?

[wren]

My show chickens used to be sent in an authorized approved box, deemed healthy by some vet then the USPS won’t ship them bc they subcontracted it out to fedex.

Is this still the case? Can you demonstrate this to be true? I need help bc I’m getting pummeled by nonbelievers! Lol

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I believe they use various vendors to ship between cities. That's why when you check the tracking number, there are no updates. Secondary vendors don't have the means of scanning and updating the USPS system and location isn't updated till it comes back into USPS possession.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I've never had a bird shipped other then by the USPS. They've always been in their hands 100% of the time.
It had been many many years since I've had an adult bird shipped to me until last fall. They were shipped completely through the USPS.
Add me to the list of nonbelievers. I checked and UPS nor FedEx would ship a live chicken.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I've never had a bird shipped other then by the USPS. They've always been in their hands 100% of the time.
It had been many many years since I've had an adult bird shipped to me until last fall. They were shipped completely through the USPS.
Add me to the list of nonbelievers. I checked and UPS nor FedEx would ship a live chicken.

This is my understanding as well.

Also a non believer.

 

[Acre4Me]

It would not surprise me if they did subcontract out, although I do not know this for a fact. The no-update for days on end might be a clue.

In the past few years I've noticed a definite change in how easy it is to track packages. Some are straightforward, some have no updates for days and days on end (even shipping USPS Priority) including a regular box shipped priority to FL (expected 2-day per receipt) that took 11 days without updates for 6 six straight days!!! Also, if a package is transferred to UPS, then it can still be tracked. However, I have never personally shipped chicks.

Last year I did order chicks from Meyer (in OH and I live in OH, but they are approx 3 hours away). They shipped USPS in a specialty chick shipping box and the USPS tracking indicated Cleveland stop (as expected), but NO OTHER UPDATES until after they arrived at my PO and I got a call 2 days later around 6:30am. The update happened after I got my call. The chicks were all DOA and appeared to have been dead for the majority of their trip - the shipping material inside the box with the chicks was not disturbed, hardly any poops (and there were 26 chicks), the chicks were nice and warm (just dead)....leading me to believe whomever had them in their possession (USPS or subcontractor) placed them inside a truck with dry ice (suffocation) or blocked air holes (suffocation) due to how they were packed in the truck. Anyway, my suspicion is that they may not have been in USPS possession after Cleveland until they arrived locally.