Shipping policies Day olds, week old, etc. Information wanted

[jmagill]

I would like to educate myself about shipping poultry. I would like to know how and why others ship in certain ways and age brackets.

Day olds -best practices
Week old up to say 6 weeks
Adult birds

I would like to know things like

box size
shipping speed
do you add a heat pack, food, grow gel
ages you ship and special things you do per age.
what has happed good and bad
what do you do when your hatch is short
how many birds do you ship in a year
how many birds per order
any thing else you think is important

I thought that if we have a good exchange of info on this, everyone including the birds will be happier with the end results.
It would greatly help me to decide on a breeder if I know what questions to ask before I buy.

 

[hinkjc]

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

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=252070

 

[jmagill]

I have read both those posts and understand the Postal rules.

It seems that a lot of breeders don't follow those rules to the letter and still ship successfully.
I am trying to understand what works and does not work.

 

[AHappychick]

I use chicke boxes for anything under 2 weeks old and Boxes for Birds on anything bigger or older than that. I have different sizes for different birds and amounts.

I pay no attention to the rules per say. I ship to all continental states with no problems.

I only use express even with day old chicks.

I take them in before the last truck leaves the PO at 4:00-4:30

I bought shipping waterers that work great on eggbid for any shipment that will take more than 24 hours. I also use grow gel or shredded apples as food/hydration.

for chicks I bought 24+ hour heat pads on e-bay so that they stay warm. I use a hot glue gun to secure the feeders, waterers, and heat pads when needed in the boxes.

I make sure the buyers phone number is all over the box.

I never ship if there is bad weather that may delay planes on either end.

I have had 2 chickens die. One was a 4 month old roo who was traveling with 6 other birds and they all were fine (dont know what happened to him)

and once a sg chick was smothered by the other chicks when being shipped but only one all the rest were fine.

If I drop off at 4:00 they usually arrive by 8am the next day.

hope this helps.

 

[jmagill]

AHappychick

Helps greatly!

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Quote:
Does this mean that you ship non-day olds with feeders/waterers?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I ship in a similar manner, dont use feeders or waters though.
Do use grow gel at times, 72 hour heat pads, etc.
I only use Express mail though even though you can go Priority (only on day olds), this way they arrive much quicker, and healthier, for day olds, and you get $100 in insurance automatically on the shipment, and yes, they will honor it if you have a loss, but only on day olds, and you have to follow the rules they post, time and date of hatch on box, etc.
I have never had luck shipping started birds though, on those week old birds, you're gone loose some regardless of what you do, so always ship them as day olds, they do great, if not, wait til the fall and ship yearlings. Those have to be express only by the rules, and must go out in biosecure boxes like the Horizons.

In addition to all this, you must be NPIP certified any more, and about 1/4 of the states also now require that you have a valid import permit for that state, it is a class 1 misdemeanor offense if you get caught not having one, so be sure you check into all that first. I know MN, MT, VIR, CT, NE, NH, and Maryland, all have these state permit requirements for sure, may be others as well.
All permit numbers must be on the outside of the box as well.