Moving out of Alaska with 2 hens

[ktlady]

Hi all! I’m not sure if this is even possible, but I am very attached to my two serama hens and wanted to see if anyone has advice on this. It seems that most airlines won’t consider letting me bring my two hens on a flight (first to Seattle, ultimate destination is Idaho), and I don’t know if a mail carrier like FedEx or UPS would ship them either. Driving also has its own caveats, as it’s almost winter and not a good time of year to make that drive. Going through customs with two chickens also seems like a challenge, and the drive would require them to be in a small cage for several days.

I’m preparing myself to have to rehome them, but if there is a way to make this work I’d like to know. Thank you for any advice you have to offer!

 

[chickens really]

@PirateGirl
I think will know ...

 

[ValerieJ]

I think driving them down is the only safe way to do it. If it were me, I'd rehome them. Hope someone else has a better idea.

Maybe you could call them support animals and take them on the plane that way.

 

[slordaz]

shipping is mostly eggs and baby Chicks, But your best bet would be FEDEX to get them there, UPS does not ship animals. Another option is if there is a zoo or a Hatchery in your area would be asking them advice on getting them shipped or transported. And never use USPS to ship a live animal they loose things constantly and kill em.

At least you would know as hatcheries do ship older birds but not sure how they do it, and then you can make the decision that is best for you and your birds.

 

[Mom of six hens]

Usps shipped my friend's girls. Has to be overnight and in a usps approved bird box. She put an apple without core in the box with the girls. They did fine.

 

[HuffleClaw]

shipping is mostly eggs and baby Chicks, But your best bet would be FEDEX to get them there, UPS does not ship animals. Another option is if there is a zoo or a Hatchery in your area would be asking them advice on getting them shipped or transported. And never use USPS to ship a live animal they loose things constantly and kill em.

At least you would know as hatcheries do ship older birds but not sure how they do it, and then you can make the decision that is best for you and your birds.

FedEx does not ship anything live-Poultry related. USPS does, though.

 

[slordaz]

FedEx does not ship anything live-Poultry related. USPS does, though.

Your wrong there and it may be something new as UPS here hasn't before but FED ex will as I checked with them this spring after I was delivered a box of 15 dead chickens by USPS and the replacements was tracking em closely and we put an intercept and drove 60 mile each way with food and water to save em or they would have delivered another 15 dead chicks as thats imntercept point would still be another 2 days to get to me, Ups in the spring still told me no they weren't shipping chicks. Moral of the story check with reliable ones like FED EX and UPS as they do change.

 

[HuffleClaw]

 

[slordaz]

View attachment 1926419

Maybe you need to talk to a live person then because yes they will ship both chicks and eggs, and least they know how to get them there on time. USPS has gone to shit on delivery with all the automated crap, just randomly destroying stuff that has a tracking number they can't deliver or return to sender, and rules and regulations that everything must go to certain Centers, glad the last item shipped to me wasn't a live thing, idiots in PA sent it instead of Idaho to Lithuania

 

[Conan]

UPS will not ship live birds.

FedEx looks like they may deal with this on a case by case basis depending on the situation.

USPS will, and it is not a wise choice. I've never had a problem with USPS on a personal level, but I'd not trust them to handle live birds from Alaska to Seattle. You're more likely than not to receive dead birds.
It's a tough choice, but probably best for the birds to re-home them.