So why are hatcheries "above" the rules?

[asher]

Does anyone know why hatcheries are allowed to ship biddies, despite the temperatures? I hate seeing so many getting biddies dead or close to it and, in most cases, I do not see how there can be many reasons other than IT'S TOO COLD!

So why are hatcheries able to ship, despite so many areas still not having temps above freezing for a low? Is it just because they have such a huge contract with them or what? It's very frustrating seeing so many sad potential new chick owners, opening a box of partially (or all) dead chicks. It's not a good time of year for birds to be shipped, add to that these hatcheries are not being held to the same standards as other bird shippers and it spells potential chick disaster.

(I am not pointing fingers at specific hatcheries or people. I am truly wondering if anyone knows why the difference between them being able to ship despite the weather, compared to us "common folk" (who hopefully have the good sense not to, anyway).)

 

[Buster52]

Assuming it is "against the rules" (I wouldn't know because I have never shipped birds)...

CFE
Common Farming Exemptions

 

[EweSheep]

Personally I do not have a problem with hatcheries shipping chicks in the cold weather. I've done it a few times before in the last 30 years and I never got too much losses. The worse ones were ten chicks during the spring than I do with cold weather. It probably due to how it was shipped, how long they stayed out in the tarmac and flights in between post offices. I have a friend that works for the airlines and they put the chicks into the warm facilities while they are waiting for the planes to come down or load up and in the summer, they put them in the outside of body coolers....that is O"Hare Airport. She adores those chicks LOL! I thanked her for looking after them even they are not mine but appreciative to all chicken lovers out there that ordered some chicks.

It is more of a hit or miss. The hatcheries can hatch out more if you do lose some. So be in mind that there are thousands of chick orders and a very small number of them will be lost. It is the chance we all take and it is part of life. Not all chicks can survive the travels even if you ship them personally yourself like I did, bringing in ten faverolle chicks to a friend lived three hours from us and making sure they were all settled in and heat lamps all around, peeping and eating and pooping. Two hours later, all of them were dead! Unknown reason why so they can be stressful from shipping despite of your best efforts. So it is not any different than hatcheries.

If you are worried about higher mortality, best to order from a hatchery closest to you or hatch out some of your own.

I will continue to order chicks, regardless of weather conditions...some will make it and some wont.

 

[asher]

I would assume you would not be complaining if they arrived DOA then?

I'm just wondering why they are allowed, despite P.O guidelines not allowing others to ship birds until certain temps are met, regardless of if someone thinks it's okay or not. (Not being snarky. Just trying to understand. )

 

[saddina]

I'll suggest that "right time" varies from place to place to. Right now it's 65 outside and the chicks that arrive end of Jan do just fine. However i'd like to think that people in wyoming or other places still with snow have the sence not to order chicks for Feb shipping, same way I wouldn't order June chicks and have them arrive in 112 heat here.

 

[CityChicker]

It's not technically that the post office has temperature requirements, although I'm sure they do have have their own set of rules as well. The official guidelines, including for temperature, are in the Animal Welfare Act and apply to all forms of shipping, not just postal service. I am really not sure why they can ship outside of the normal temperature limits. I have to assume (as dangerous as that word is, lol) that there are some sort of exemptions for baby poultry. I have not read the Animal Welfare Act in several years though, but I imagine there must be something in there that allows them to do this. They also ship in very hot temperatures which would be beyond the temperature requirements (for other birds) in the other direction. Anyway, you can probably find out by googling "animal welfare act" and "shipping poultry". I may look into when I have more time. I would be curious to know as well, just for curiosity sake.

 

[Cara]

What do you expect them to do with tens of thousands of chicks if the weather turns out to be bad that day? They cannot predict the weather three weeks in advance. If they ship the chicks they have a chance at life.

It is not the hatcheries' fault, it is common sense if you live in MT, VT etc not to order chicks in the middle of winter. Kind of reminds me of the guy who bought eggs from me on Ebay to ship to SD in winter and then complained that they froze.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Still Not ordering chicks or eggs til Spring, I will hatch my own fuzzy butts til then!

I have soring fever and the weather thinks we need more snow!!

 

[Mahonri]

Weather can change in days and orders have to be filled. Hatcheries cannot predict a January thaw, just like they can't predict and Indian Summer.