It's until at least 26th, but can be extended
USPS embargo on live animals (chicks) through Feb 26, 2021!
- Thread starter sfchixn
- Start date
WestTNriverrat
Songster
I reckon I understand the concept of the embargo, but it’s not like the post office was running properly pre covid.
I do the lawn maintenance at a church prolly 10 miles from the house. I had to ask them to hold their check for me to pick up when I came back in 10 days. The check left Jackson Tn went to Memphis for a couple days then headed back to Jackson for another day or two. It’s like they really did not use common sense. Once I understand twice ok I can deal with but this was a continual problem. It shouldn’t take over a week to get something I could hand deliver on foot in a few hours.
I do the lawn maintenance at a church prolly 10 miles from the house. I had to ask them to hold their check for me to pick up when I came back in 10 days. The check left Jackson Tn went to Memphis for a couple days then headed back to Jackson for another day or two. It’s like they really did not use common sense. Once I understand twice ok I can deal with but this was a continual problem. It shouldn’t take over a week to get something I could hand deliver on foot in a few hours.
Here's the letter I wrote to my senators and representative, much of which is borrowed from @CaroleW on the arizona chickens thread:
"I hope you will make sure the USPS can support the hatcheries shipping live, day-old poultry. Yesterday I learned that the USPS has an embargo on shipping live animals due to a BACKLOG of packages and having nothing to do with weather!
My understanding is that the big hatcheries, such as Hoovers, Privetts, etc, operate on quite a thin margin. This time of year, they're gearing up for high production to supply birds to stores like Tractor Supply, Cal-Ranch, and other feed stores. So to announce on February 18 (the letter I saw from a different hatchery), that the birds can't be shipped until February 26 **at the earliest, subject to an EXTENDED embargo** means that many eggs will either have to be destroyed, or the chicks all destroyed at hatch day. This is because 1) the eggs must be set to start incubating 21 days before they hatch (for chickens) and 2) the day-old chicks can only survive up to 72 hours after hatch and therefore must be shipped immediately upon hatch--even a delay of several hours, can spell death for several chicks, according to the manager of one local feed store near me. Thus this extended embargo is not only heartless, but destroys revenue for the hatcheries. Will the hatcheries' electric company forgive them the electricity they already spent incubating all those eggs? I doubt it.
Also, the revenue from these stores' sale of day-old chicks helps sustain the farm/feed stores for years, as the chicks grow to be hens, who need nest boxes, feed, oyster shells, feed dishes, etc.
Don't forget, people are increasingly believing that the government is not supporting their lives or livelihoods - and prioritizing a backlog of packages over LIVE packages proves it. People ordering chicks are trying to take responsibility for their food and teach their kids something in a time when government services may not be relied on to do so. As you know, Arizonans are among the most self-reliant citizens in this country. So, please act to support our way of life in Arizona."
"I hope you will make sure the USPS can support the hatcheries shipping live, day-old poultry. Yesterday I learned that the USPS has an embargo on shipping live animals due to a BACKLOG of packages and having nothing to do with weather!
My understanding is that the big hatcheries, such as Hoovers, Privetts, etc, operate on quite a thin margin. This time of year, they're gearing up for high production to supply birds to stores like Tractor Supply, Cal-Ranch, and other feed stores. So to announce on February 18 (the letter I saw from a different hatchery), that the birds can't be shipped until February 26 **at the earliest, subject to an EXTENDED embargo** means that many eggs will either have to be destroyed, or the chicks all destroyed at hatch day. This is because 1) the eggs must be set to start incubating 21 days before they hatch (for chickens) and 2) the day-old chicks can only survive up to 72 hours after hatch and therefore must be shipped immediately upon hatch--even a delay of several hours, can spell death for several chicks, according to the manager of one local feed store near me. Thus this extended embargo is not only heartless, but destroys revenue for the hatcheries. Will the hatcheries' electric company forgive them the electricity they already spent incubating all those eggs? I doubt it.
Also, the revenue from these stores' sale of day-old chicks helps sustain the farm/feed stores for years, as the chicks grow to be hens, who need nest boxes, feed, oyster shells, feed dishes, etc.
Don't forget, people are increasingly believing that the government is not supporting their lives or livelihoods - and prioritizing a backlog of packages over LIVE packages proves it. People ordering chicks are trying to take responsibility for their food and teach their kids something in a time when government services may not be relied on to do so. As you know, Arizonans are among the most self-reliant citizens in this country. So, please act to support our way of life in Arizona."
Tractor Supply has their own supply chain on their trucks. I think it should be fine. They can do what they like and don't have to be dependent on the post office that is currently backlogged.
biscotti204
Hatching
- Feb 19, 2021
- 2
- 3
- 7
Of course I just placed my first order ever with Mt. Healthy. Mine aren't shipping until the second week of April so I hope this will be over with by then. I do know that I am still receiving Christmas cards from a dog card exchange this week. I also have a package that has been sitting in Virginia for over a month. Ugh.
TheAlrightyGina
Crowing
Privatizing is definitely not the way to go with the USPS, for one simple reason--business in the US is all about profit (y'all might scoff, but it didn't used to be that way; sure, there were always those in it for the money but the primary drive was to provide a needed service for the community, but the extension on corporate charters put an end to all that...they used to be limited to 10 years). It is not profitable to deliver to many rural locations in this country. If they were to go private, such places would pay out the...well, you know...to get service, if they were able to get service at all. The whole point of USPS is that citizens have a service that they know that they can all access, and yes it is a necessary one. We all need to be able to receive and ship mail. One of the reasons so many packages still get sent via USPS despite their struggles and the competition of FedEx and UPS? Because they are consistently cheaper, ie more affordable for the average American. We privatize, that goes right out the window. It shouldn't have to be profitable. It is a necessary service that we all need access to! To require profitability is to cause crises just like this embargo--they can't implement everything that would be necessary to keep things running smoothly because *gasp* it'd cost more. But that's the price we pay if we want something to always be dependable.
What we need to do is run it like the government service it is and stop allowing partisan bickering to destroy what used to be a great and fantastic service. We need to repeal all of the crap that is pulling it down (such as requiring them to fund pensions 75 years in advance, I think it is? No one else has to do that. It's INSANE) and get people in there that are interested in getting it back to function instead of making it so useless that people don't think it's worth saving. If we can do that, we won't have to deal with nonsense like these embargoes...but it's gonna take a heck of a lot of effort at this point because a lot of damage has already been done.
What we need to do is run it like the government service it is and stop allowing partisan bickering to destroy what used to be a great and fantastic service. We need to repeal all of the crap that is pulling it down (such as requiring them to fund pensions 75 years in advance, I think it is? No one else has to do that. It's INSANE) and get people in there that are interested in getting it back to function instead of making it so useless that people don't think it's worth saving. If we can do that, we won't have to deal with nonsense like these embargoes...but it's gonna take a heck of a lot of effort at this point because a lot of damage has already been done.
How is that any different? They still get their chicks from hatcheries that are far, far from at least the ones I have nearbyTractor Supply has their own supply chain on their trucks. I think it should be fine. They can do what they like and don't have to be dependent on the post office that is currently backlogged.
TheAlrightyGina
Crowing
Because this embargo only affects air shipments, and if they are using freight shipment USPS is not involved anyway (as far as I know they don't do freight shipping...I used to be a freight clerk and I don't remember ever hearing about them doing such things).
biscotti204
Hatching
- Feb 19, 2021
- 2
- 3
- 7
Interesting. I just checked with Mt. Healthy and they are still able to ship right now.
A lot of places that are self contained like that do they’re own deliveries. Admittedly I don’t know if that’s the case for TSC.
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