Shipping baby chicks

[Lacrystol]

I have never shipped a baby chick before but someone has emailed me and asked me if I would be willing to ship my chick to them. I'm debating on whether to take her on the offer or not, I was wondering how do you ship a baby chick, what carrier ships live animal, what are the advantages and disadvantages, Should I consider it? How much on the average does it usualy cost?

Any information you have would be great..

 

[purpletree23]

If you ship one baby chick it probably won't survive. Breeders have minimum numbers of chicks you can order because they keep each other warm. Also just born chicks have their yolk sack to absorb so they can go a day or 2 without water and food.

This is an interesting question...I'd like to see what others say.

 

[Teach97]

a chick? no would not ship one chick...not warm enough

US postal service ships chicks...in card board boxes made for said purpose or with holes put in sides of as a regular box...ship them normal cuz they can make it like 3 days w/o food

now...if you want to ship an adult bird or older then you gotta go next day air in a special box or a modified type special container that the post office accepts...

prices depends on distance and such but...like chicks $15 or so and big birds are like $50+

 

[ranchhand]

Wow, shipping one chick would be pretty hard on the chick, not sure it would survive, Also, the USPS has some requirements.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=252067

 

[GAchick]

Cannot ship chicks unless they are day old. (Less than 24 hours, in hatchery box, with time of hatch noted on box) Or adults over 6 oz. A chick a few weeks old does not have the reserves to last without food or water for the length of time it takes to ship. Just think about how they eat, drink, poop almost non-stop that young.... Now throw them in a box for 24-36-48 hours with no food or water or heat.... Even if they happen to not die, just think how the little guys suffer.... DO NOT ATTEMPT. They are non-mailable according to the domestic mail manual.

 

[Lacrystol]

WOW thank you guys for all your replies, I was surely debating on whether to ship them or not but just reading these posts, I would say you guys have me convinced NOT TO SHIP them. I believe the lady wanted two but I decided not to take the risk... it's not worth it. because if the chick gets to her dead, I'm afraid it's just going to cause more problems then it is worth.. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR RESPONSES, I will not offer shipping as an alternative. This lady only lives 1 hour from me, if she can't make drive, what makes me think she can take care of a chick?? Some chicks are worth the trip, I guess if she really wants a chick she'll find a way right???

 

[Katy]

Only an hour away and she wanted you to mail it? Geez......

 

[Lacrystol]

yes that's what I thought, sounds kind of strange doesn't it??

 

[speckledhen]

It's definitely illegal to ship a chick that is more than 24 hours old and certainly, no one should ship a single chick. It's also illegal if you are not NPIP certified, if I recall.

If she is an hour away, she can drive to get it, sheesh.