Shipping Requirements for Day Old Poultry - USPS info

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http://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_007.htm#ep184002

526.3 Live, Day–Old Poultry
526.31 General
The following live, day–old animals are acceptable for mailing when properly packaged: chickens, ducks, emus, geese, guinea fowl, partridges, pheasants (only during April through August), quail, and turkeys. All other types of live, day–old poultry are nonmailable. Day–old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle disease (live virus) also is nonmailable.

526.32 Mailability Requirements
The specific types of day–old poultry named in 526.31 and DMM 601.9.3.2 are mailable subject to the following requirements:

Poultry that is not more than 24 hours old and is presented for mailing in the original, unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin.
Date and hour of hatching is noted on the box.
Box is properly ventilated, of proper construction and strength to bear safe transport in the mail, and is not stacked more than 10 units high.
Day–old poultry is mailed early enough in the week to avoid receipt at the office of address (in case of missed connections) on a Sunday, a national holiday, or the afternoon before a Sunday or national holiday.
Day–old poultry can be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching.
If day–old poultry is sent at a Parcel Post rate, special handling postage must also be paid.
If day–old poultry is sent via air transportation (i.e., Express Mail, Priority Mail, or First–Class Mail), all provisions of the airlines must be met. Delivery of the mailpiece is dependent on the availability of air carriers having available equipment to safely deliver the day–old poultry within the specified time limit.
Day–old poultry that is first shipped via a commercial air express or air cargo service and then presented for mailing to a final destination must be in good condition and properly packaged as specified in 526.32a-e.
Boxes of day–old poultry of about identical size, securely fastened together to prevent separation in transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel, provided the total length and girth combined does not exceed Postal Service limits.
See Exhibit 526.33, Requirements for Mailing Live, Day–Old Poultry. See Chapter 7 regarding domestic mail shipments sent via air transportation.

526.33 Claims for Live, Day–Old Poultry
Indemnity claims (see DMM 609) for damage, partial loss, and loss of insured shipments of mailable, live, day–old poultry are accepted only in the following situations:

Death of the live, day–old poultry resulted from Postal Service handling after conditions for mailability were met and when there was strong likelihood that the shipment could have been safely transported.
Contents were lost because of damage to the container while in Postal Service custody.
The complete package was lost in the mail.
Special handling was purchased as required under DMM 601.9.3.2f.
Exhibit 526.33

Requirements for Mailing Live, Day–Old Poultry



Answer each question and follow the instruction as indicated.
YES
NO

1.
Is poultry live, day–old poultry, as listed in DMM 601.9.3.2?
If pheasants, they are mailable only during April through August.

Go to No. 2.
If not day–old poultry, item is NONMAILABLE. If not poultry or not day–old, check other mailable animal types in DMM 601.9 to determine mailability.

2.
Was hatching time 24 hours ago or less?
Go to No. 3.
NONMAILABLE.

3.
Was poultry presented for mailing in original, unopened hatchery box from hatchery of origin?
Go to No. 4.
Do not accept.

4.
Are boxes properly ventilated and of proper construction and strength to bear safe transport in mail?

Note: Boxes of approximately identical size, securely fastened to prevent separation in transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel if the mailpiece does not exceed DMM limits for combined length and girth or exceed 70 pounds in weight.
Boxes are not to be stacked more than 10 units high.
Go to No. 5.
Do not accept.

5.
Are the date and hour of hatching noted on box by representative of hatchery who has personal knowledge of facts?
Go to No. 6.
Do not accept.

6.
Did shipment originate at other office, or was it sent by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing?
Before accepting, take special precautions to ensure that shipment is in excellent condition.
Go to No. 7.
Go to No. 7.

7.
Is the shipment being mailed with special handling service charge in addition to regular postage, or at the First–Class Mail rate?
Go to No. 8.
Shipment must bear special handling service to be mailable, unless sent at the First–Class Mail rate.

8.
If shipment is COD, have all conditions for using COD service (as required in DMM 503.11) been met? If not COD, go to No. 9.
Go to No. 9.
If COD, do not accept unless all applicable requirements in DMM 503.11 are met.

9.
Is poultry being mailed sufficiently early in week to avoid arrival at the delivery post office on Sunday or holiday, or on afternoon preceding Sunday or holiday?
Go to No. 10.
Do not accept.

10.
Can poultry be delivered to addressee within 72 hours of time of hatching, regardless of whether addressee resides in town or on rural or highway contract route?
Accept for mailing.
Do not accept.