Incoming Orders for Chicks Unexpected Costs

[anthonyjames]

I have some orders that I placed for chicks to arrive at the end of Juy/August and the rates to have them shipped just got hiked up. My order for 150 birds including shipping was $277 now I am being told that due to USPS requiring Express Mail because of weather they want another $103 for shipping.

Anyone else having this issue right now?

 

[mstricer]

Where did you order from?

 

[anthonyjames]

S & G Poultry out of Canton, AL. I have never had this issue before with them.. And seems the USPS is having this dictated to them by American Airlines. They won't ship anything below 40 or above 85 for day old poutry/fowl

I actually just cancelled my order with them and ordered from JM Hatchery.

 

[mstricer]

You should check out Meyers Hatchery out of Ohio. Their shipping cost on that many birds is only 28.10 to WI. Their CX's are only .99 @ 150 chicks. Heres the link...
http://www.meyerhatchery.com/get_item_dobsr_broilers-st-run.htm
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[terri9630]

I noticed that with a lot of hatcheries when I went to order. I ordered from Whelp because they had no extra shipping charges.

 

[scubaforlife]

I have actually been to Meyer Hatchery, very nice place with good people.

 

[mstricer]

I live around the corner from Meyers, so I don't pay for shipping. I did buy some freedom rangers from JM and shipping was only 10.00.

 

[destiny_56085]

USPS is gotten very fussy about what they will ship over the last few years. As a small time breeder and hatchery I ship chicks fairly often. They have never once let me get by with shipping them priority mail. Its always been express mail only. I even coordinated hatching schedules so the chicks are just out of the shell on sunday night and ready to go out monday morning. This year they also started charging me a live surcharge too. I ship roughly 400 boxes of birds per year and now I'm getting nailed with another $5-8 every time just for that too. Now with a new Horizon box, the live surcharge, and the express mail it runs about $60-65 usually to ship just 1 box of birds anywhere. You are lucky to fit maybe only 30 bantam chicks in those too.

I think the larger hatcheries are switching to this because of all the losses they have experienced because of priority mail. Priority is usually 2-3 days but guaranteed at 10. Express mail is usually next day and guaranteed by 2nd day. If those chicks arrive late to a customer and some/all are dead, the hatchery has to pick up the slack for the USPS and reimburse the customer for the chicks. Its no wonder they are switching to express too.