Shipping chickens for the first time.

[Sebrightmom]

I finally found a post office near me that will ship chickens. I have someone that wants several of my birds. This is my first time shipping. I will be shipping three standard hens and one standard rooster. I have one large shipping box and one smaller one. My question is how big does the box have to be to ship them. The big box would be a really tight fit for all four, but would fit all of them in there. I thought about putting all the hens in the same box and putting the rooster in the smaller one. I was also told that is I taped the boxes that the post office would look at them as one. Is this true even if the boxes are different sizes?

I was told to put paper in the bottom of the box with apple pieces. Is this the best thing to do or is there something else that is better?

I would love any advise I can get.

 

[swheat]

I am not sure what size boxes you are using ? You can tape up 4 of the single boxes together which is the size of the largest box. I always make sure the birds are well fed and watered before shipping and placing fruit and food in the shipping box. I have never had any problems. I have never shipped Standards only bantams, so I would think they would need a little room in the box, so not to pack them in.

 

[Keri78]

I shipped a couple of 6 week old chicks back in Oct. and the lady that I shipped them to bought the boxes from a company in Georgia these were $10 each I think and they are specifically made to ship birds(Boxes for Birds may be the name of the company???not sure) anyway they were really nice and cam with all of the instructions and were very well marked for the post office so everyone new exactly which end should be up and they even had a built in plastic window so you could check in on the birds and of course air vents!!! I would HIGHLY recommend them! Also check with your PO to see when the truck is scheduled to pick up so this way you don't drop them off in the morning and they end up sitting at the PO all day until 5pm or something! All went well with my shipment, I added apple slices and the lady said that they were gone when the chickens arrived...so they ate them up! Blessings, Keri

 

[AHappychick]

what size birds are you shiping? yes you can tape 2 boxes together but it may be harder with them being different sizes.

I use shredded apples as it is easier to cosume then just tossing big chunks in their which I never see them eat when I get birds but I know they eat it when it is shredded.

Ask the po when their last truck goes out so you can time your drop off so that the bird does not sit in the PO all day.

where I am the last truck leaves at 5:30 so I dont start pacvking up my bird until 3 or so and I get them to the po by 4:30.

This makes a big difference as then they often arrive the next morning to their destination and in fact have only been in the box about 16 hours.

yes I would put the roo in his own box.

You dont want there to be too much space (pad the sides a little with out blocking airholes) if there is becaus they can get banged around a lot and you would rather them a little confined rather than having all this space to get knocked around in. But dont pack them in to tightly either.

can you take a pic of your boxes and birds and we can see what you are dealing with? I have a good site for boxes that will fit 4 birds if you like, they are not horizon but they work really well and I actually like them better, and they are cheaper too.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
yep thats what I use http://www.boxesforbirds.com/

 

[Keri78]

I think someone beat me to it but here's the site: http://www.boxesforbirds.com/index.html Best of luck I know it can be nerve racking until you know for sure they arrived safely! Blessings, Keri

 

[pips&peeps]

The site "boxes for birds" is for birds and pigeons, not poultry!

Try one of these two sites for poultry boxes:

http://poultry2.tripod.com/id3.html

http://www.fortune3.com/Shop@Horizon/Products-USPS_Shippers.html

 

[Sebrightmom]

The birds I am shipping are full grown Ameraucanas. They will be going to WA from Indiana. The boxes I have are from Horizon. It is the economy box. The other one is the single box.