Postmaster took chicks home

[Dharmachick]

With so many chicks dying in the mail this year I would in no way be mad about this.

I've had 3 shipments of 25 this year with no losses.

Additionally, due to their perishable nature, the Post Office reserves the right to rehome live poultry left at the Post Office overnight

That may be what Meyer Hatchery says, but the law says that the post office has to wait until 72 hours after hatch.

I've heard countless stories both in person and online this year of chicks dying in the mail. One warehouse in particular had more than 700 baby chicks die over a three day weekend. It's a pretty horrendous practice and a very horrible way to die

It sounds like the postmaster acted out of compassion. Perhaps you could simply speak to her and get your chickens. The law is broken when it's a felony to save baby animals from dying

They were in no danger of dying. They were happy and robust!

 

[Dharmachick]

What do you mean "dispatch"? Destroy???

I'm quoting the law.

 

[LaFleche]

I suppose the post master did not know the age of the chicks and that they arrived two days early.
Honestly, I would be glad to have someone lookout and care for mailed chicks.

Holding back your egg deliveries is a different matter though.

 

[Dharmachick]

I would be happy that they looked after the chicks if it didn't come with so much nastiness.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Because she gets angry when chicks come through the mail. Her job is NOT to have an opinion, it's to follow the law. The chicks are robust and healthy and were 30 hours old when I picked them up. I want an attorney because she holds my eggs without my permission and leaves nasty messages. The post office can dispatch the chicks 72 hours from hatch by law.

Sounds odd that she would be angry with chicks coming through the mail and then at the same time care enough to do what she thought was the best option after they weren't picked up. Or do you think she had and ulterior motive?
Maybe they're just not a people person or have no patience when it comes to dealing with customers getting their chicks in a timely manner.
Yeah any nastiness on their part or either side would be uncalled for. I'd just go talk to them first and if it was me I'd take them a dozen eggs just for the confusion sake.

 

[SourRoses]

I think you would be best served by taking a step back from the situation to breathe.
A lawyer isn't going to take on a case that doesn't meet the small claims court minimum, sorry.

I'm curious what you mean by "nasty messages". What was the wording?

I've walked into my PO to get chicks before and heard the cacophony of cheeping from dozens of boxes of chicks at once. Although they were in the back, up front the customers were having trouble hearing the postal workers. When I asked for my box, I noted to the lady "Wow, I had no idea it sounded like this, how do you put up with it?" and she looked at me with the empty eyes of someone desperately needing a nap at only 10 am and drawled "We're used to it. Every spring we hear this almost every day."
And I will say that the cheeping I was hearing was distressed. They were cold. They were hungry. Yes, even though chicks can make it 3 days without food, they get hungry before that... all of my home hatched are offered food the first day and are eating well by the second.
You're judging how your chicks would fare on the third day by looking at them on the first day, and comparing to other shipment, I'm not so sure that's reliable. They may have been alive on the third day, but not in as good condition. Most of us hope for our chicks to come early. Most of us hope someone would care for them if we didn't make it in to get them.

I also see you're holding on to anger about eggs being held... well, I can say that most of us who get eggs shipped want them held. The "last mile" on the local delivery truck is the hardest on eggs with the 1,000 stops & starts and the potholes on small roads compared to major delivery routes.
The PO handles a lot of insurance claims for damaged eggs, if the hatching groups are anything to go by. It may be that this post master has had so many claims on her desk that she is just trying to keep the product intact for the customer.

However, if you wanted to share the nasty messages (I think you may even be able to download them and upload them to you tube to share here), that's a different kettle of fish. It's part of her job to keep her emotions in check. If she didn't, that's something to pursue a complaint about.

 

[No Coop No Problem]

They were 24 hours old when they hit the post office. If they had arrived Friday, when they were projected to arrive, none of this would have happened. I would have picked up my chicks and everyone would have been happy even though by picking them up today, it is a day sooner.

Sounds like a perfect storm type situation. Early chicks plus surgery. I know it can be incredibly frustrating dealing with the Post Office sometimes

If the postmaster acted out of genuine kindness to the animals (even if it was ignorant, unnecessary kindness) then I would be grateful, however if it was maliciousness to mess with you then that's unacceptable

In a general sense I think it's a good idea to "hope for the best, plan for the worst". I would try to be patient and kind, and to resolve this situation without villainizing the post office. However if they make themselves into villains then treat them as such. Honey before vinegar

 

[Smokerbill]

Sorry things went south @Dharmachick . I'm curious, were the chicks more black copper marans?

 

[Dharmachick]

Nope, they were Silkies. I think I was upset because I was just a few days post major spinal surgery in my neck and was in pain and not myself. I normally don't react like that.

This all started when we weren't receiving our packages in the mail, and I went in to see why they weren't being delivered. I asked to speak to the postmaster, and she came out of her office speaking in a loud voice about why she held my eggs the day before. I hadn't come about that, was appreciative and told her thank you for holding my eggs, I've come about something else. She continued to yell about the eggs, giving other customers a look while I repeated, "Thank you, I'm not here about the eggs", until she stopped. Then I told her about the packages. She seemed angry about those too, and told me my driver had an accident. I told her I was sorry, I didn't know. I realize she was frustrated at not having enough drivers, and the ones she had were not delivering up to standards. I still wanted my packages. She expressed her anger at the community ordering so much from Amazon, and I gave up. I asked that if my packages weren't delivered, please hold and I will pick up. Since then, any time I have to interact with her she is almost rude. I never jump to the bait.

Now you all know my boring post office drama. Since I am recovered from surgery in the short run, (it will take a year for the bones to totally regrow), I would have probably not even cared, but I reacted from a place of pain and dealing with the fact I needed emergent major surgery. Sorry to involve you all. The silkie chicks are thriving, and are now outside in their baby coop with a heat plate learning to be chickens.

 

[LaFleche]

Thank you for the update, I am glad about the good outcome.