How to ship a Serama in 6 easy steps

BluegrassSeramas

Serama Savvy
11 Years
Aug 25, 2008
2,669
49
216
Central Kentucky
I thought that I would share this in case any Serama breeders have never shipped a live bird before. Hope it helps!

BOXES:
You can buy boxes on the internet. Do a search for "live poultry shipping boxes" and compare prices.
http://www.hm-e.net/Bird NEST comparison chart_2009.htm

You can use the "SINGLE" size for Serama roosters. (I think that you could easily put a trio in there if they were small.)

I use our local post office and have been really happy with them. With Express shipping you get insurance (although, Im think the policy on LIVES is weird-you may check that out) and you get free tracking.
I shipped to California from here in KY, and it was suppose to take 2 days, but it got there in about 24 hours.
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What I do is:
1: Order a few boxes. Let's say I order 3 they cost me @10 each with 15 dollars shipping to get them here--that's about 5 bucks per box. I would sell the boxes to my customer for 15 to cover my cost.
2: I get the address from my customer, and put the box together (WITHOUT the zipties), fill the bottom with an inch or two of shavings, toss in 2 LARGE apples and the rooster. Then I drive it down to the post office to get weighed. This way I get very close to actual cost. I return home, unload the roo and the fruit and email the cost to my customer, adding the 15 bucks for the box (and any other fees you may need to add...like Handling charges...you may want to be compensated for your gas and time going to the post office if it is far away?) and the cost of the bird. I like to do this...
Serama roo: --- dollars
Box cost: ---- dollars
Shipping/fees:---dollars
_________________
Getting a super awesome tiny guy in the mail....Priceless!!
No, really....it's ---- dollars.
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3: Sometimes I beautify the bird for his new home a few days before. Give him a bath, a dusting, oil his legs and comb, de-worm if they are due, pluck any feathers that may have broken, add vitamins to his water etc.... so that he looks very dapper when he arrives.
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Also a few days before you want to get the bird use to eating fruit. I like oranges and grapes for moisture and apples too. You can use anything. I have not used melon, as I don't want it to get all mushy and stuck to the bird that I just primped.
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When I use oranges, I just cut out one large slice so that the peel keeps in most of the moisture. Make sure he has access to clean water so that he will drink before getting into his travel pod.

4: When the customer pays me, I contact the post office and find out when the best time to drop off a LIVE animal is so that it wont get stuck somewhere. ((The truck here comes to pick up between 3:30 and 4:00, so I take the bird in about 3:20 or so.))

5: Give him a
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and then put the bird in the box with shavings then add your fruit. (Not necessarily in that order.) I toss a handful of crumbles into the corner for good measure. Don't over do it. They are only going to be in there for a little while--HOPEFULLY. You dont want to go WAY over the weight of your 2 apples that you had weighed in there the first trip and you dont want them to get crushed by 5 apples and oranges on the trip. I zip tie the box and make sure it is secure. I make sure the customer's address is correct and write it on the box VERY CLEARLY. I put the customer's phone number(s) on there also, so that the post office can call them when the bird arrives.
((I also like to add stickers or drawings of chickens and write things like "Call my Mom when I get here! Im thirsty!" or " I dont like it hot..I like air-conditioning!!" "Dont mess up my box peeking! Im a Serama roo!"
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)))
Make sure you put your address/phone number too in the event of a problem.
Then you drop off the bird and pray to the traveling gods that he will make it!
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Email your customer the tracking number ASAP! They will want it!!! This is when you and your customer get close by checking the tracking number every 20 minutes and writing back and forth.

6: When the bird arrives, you CELEBRATE!
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I have something to add though.

Here in CA, you have to call a phone # in regards to shipping live animals. Your post office can give it to you. They need 2 addresses, where you're shipping from and where you're shipping to. They have records of the flights for the shipping planes, and they let you know what day and time that you are scheduled to bring in the bird. You get a conformation # and everything because they have to reserve a spot for the bird, obviously he can't just be thrown in with the rest of the boxes.

I'm not sure if anywhere else has these regulations, but we sure do. Sometimes it takes up to a week to get the birds shipped out of here.
 
Probably not, as one serama weighs so much less, but depending on where you are, the procedure may be close to the same....
I'd definitely have both parties talk to their local post office before attempting!
 

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