Texas

[jockeyeba]

Feed store struck!!!! I have avoided it since getting chickens. And all spring. I've been so good!!!

*sigh* but they are just soooo cute!!! Amercaunas from ideal.

Which feed store?

 

[TexasLisa]

Just in case if you guys didn't know this was posted on the natural thread:

Got this today from Metzer Farms - Might want to make your voice heard to the USPS or we will all be paying a LOT for shipping on any future birds!! Any emails must be sent to USPS today!

The Post Office is proposing that we pay an additional $9.00-11.95 for every box of day-old poultry. This is a 75% increase! They are accepting comments on this proposal through this Friday, May 24th. We are asking you to contact the USPS today and protest this additional charge.

Why do we oppose this postage increase?

1) The average postage we now pay for all our duckling and gosling shipments is about $12.00 per shipment. If they add this additional charge, your postage charges will go up at least 75%! How often has the USPS raised rates 75%?

2) The USPS gives no indication how this new income will improve service in any way. It will not make shipping faster or easier. It is not designed to better track shipments. It is not for better ventilated trucks to carry your birds. It is only a way to increase their income at your expense.

3) This new regulation will only affect day-old poultry shipments and bee shipments. Was either industry notified in advance or was our input requested? Absolutely not. It was only when an AP reporter phoned another hatchery that we learned the USPS was proposing this 75% increase in fees. As mailing is our only option, hatcheries such as ours work closely with the USPS and we have our own Live Shipment Representative in Washington, DC. The only response I received when I asked my local rep about it was "Who sent this to you?" It appears to me the Post Office is trying to hide this proposed regulation until it is too late!

We are asking you to send a quick email to the USPS to protest this exorbitant and heavy handed increase!
You must send all emails to: [email protected]
The subject line must read Live Animals
It must be received by this Friday, May 24th
A sample email is below. All you have to do is copy, paste, make it more personal about you, sign and send it.

By all of us sending an email, we can prevent this ill-conceived postage rate increase!

Thank you very much for your assistance!
John Metzer
Metzer Farms



To read the proposed regulation, click here.

Sample email you can send:

I am very much against the additional postal charges you are proposing for the live animal shipments. Do you realize this is an average increase of over 75% in what I now pay to receive my day-old poultry?

Your proposed regulation does not indicate how this money will be spent. Will it speed service? Will it making tracking of my birds easier? Will it provide a better environment for my birds during shipping? What does this 75% increase do for me?

I am also very disappointed you did not contact the day-old poultry and bee shipping industries prior to or after your posting of the regulation. Unfortunately it gives the impression that: 1) you don't care about me and 2) you don't care about any input from the hatcheries directly affected by your new rates.

Are you proposing a 75% increase in rates for any of your other customers? Or is it only us?

I do not feel this 75% increase in my postage rates for receiving day old poultry should be implemented.

Sincerely,

It is done!

Lisa

 

[kkidsmom]

Email Sent

x2 - meaning I sent it from two different email addresses, figure it couldn't hurt. lol

 

[ChixAddict]

Ditto, This not only affects the big hatcheries, but will absolutely cripple small private operations. Thanks for posting this GFamily.

 

[Kilsharion]

It's a "special handling fee" - at least, that's what they are calling it. It does specify that it's intended to be applied because more care is expected to be taken with live birds and bees than with non-live packages. However, they don't go into detail to describe how it is that they will actually provide special handling. They make it sound like they already are - but, many of you have made comments here that show it's quite clearly not the case. They also tried to downplay how much the additional fee was going to be. **le sigh** Ain't politics and governmental agencies just grand?

 

[Zootopia]

x2 - meaning I sent it from two different email addresses, figure it couldn't hurt. lol

I knew all those ghost accounts had a purpose.

 

[Cockle-Dood]

It's a "special handling fee" - at least, that's what they are calling it.  It does specify that it's intended to be applied because more care is expected to be taken with live birds and bees than with non-live packages.  However, they don't go into detail to describe how it is that they will actually provide special handling.  They make it sound like they already are - but, many of you have made comments here that show it's quite clearly not the case.  They also tried to downplay how much the additional fee was going to be.  **le sigh** Ain't politics and governmental agencies just grand?

Is that going to include egg shipments as well?

 

[showbarnmom]

Which feed store?

New Braunfels Feed

 

[Kilsharion]

Is that going to include egg shipments as well?

Only live birds and bees were specifically called out. Let me see if I can find the specifics for you.

 

[bnjrob]

Thanks for the info, I have oyster shells that I sneak in their food (They dont seem to like them).I also put a little raw apple cider in their water, I heard its good for their digestive tracts. Do you recommend any other items or supplements I can feed them?

You don't need to sneak oyster shell into their food. Just put a container full of oyster shell out for them. They will know when they need to eat the oyster shell.