USPS embargo on live animals (chicks) through Feb 26, 2021!

[EggSighted4Life]

Interesting. I just checked with Mt. Healthy and they are still able to ship right now.

NOT by AIR.

But wouldn't it still take more than 3 days by truck?

When chicks do ship by air.. they hit SF before switching to the truck to head north.. But if they're already on the truck.. it gets here.

When they come NOT by air.. they usually arrive HERE in the SAME time or LESS.. because they somehow mix around airports, and miss the truck heading north until a couple hours later.. which equals a whole extra day for MY portion of the route!

As NatJ pointed out.. there are usually team drivers and/or relay points that do make it possible to arrive in 3 days.. Noting MOST hatcheries print their tickets but do not drop chicks off until 4 pm ish their time.

From what I’ve found TSC has their own planes. No idea if they actually use them to ship chicks but they have them.

Perhaps in some destinations.. they might.. but HERE TSC chicks come from Hoover's hatchery and they arrive at USPS like ALL others in MY area.

Our small airport does have Fedex planes coming and going.. yet they're the slowest packages CURRENTLY to my location. but not necessarily from. Route matters.

The shipping of live chicks done only by USPS.. I'm SURE has something to do with legislation, deals, and reasons I'm NOT privy to from way back in the day when others were coming on scene.

Yes, I almost always use USPS.. because it is the most affordable, has been very predictable, and is available at MANY locations.. I've lived in rural location where mail boxes did not exist and we had to go to the office to receive/send correspondence. It still doesn't come to my front door but It's a service I value as long it remains available to me.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That's been my case too. They get theirs mailed to them just like a private person does. As far as they know, they're still starting early march, so hopefully that stays that way

Apparently, its regional - some areas only have Spring chick days, others do Spring and Fall, still others do most of the year, and when they start/stop varies as well.

(Source: Observation of their FB page, and numerous poster complaints about TSC "Chick Days" advertising on FB when local stores are not, in fact, participating.)

 

[BleuSaphir]

I must respectfully disagree. As in any enterprise, even a public one, sustainability is the objective. If an enterprise can not sustain itself it will fail. When the expense out weighs the value of the service then the service is bound to fail. Privatization of the service guarantees it's success. If a service is valuable enough for the public to continue to support it, and make it profitable for a private company to invest it's resources in, then it will thrive. Government funding and control only serve to decrease efficiency and increase corruption! Profit is not evil, it is inherently necessary.

This is a bleeding entity. I never heard of any government service making profits. What make post office so different? I’m still laughing of the idea privatizing the post office. Amazon will definitely kill them off if they ever get to be independent away from the government. They wouldn’t know how to survive in private sector.

 

[Kirkwooder]

This is a bleeding entity. I never heard of any government service making profits. What make post office so different? I’m still laughing of the idea privatizing the post office. Amazon will definitely kill them off if they ever get to be independent away from the government. They wouldn’t know how to survive in private sector.

The USPS certainly wouldn't survive a quarter in it's current state, but a company like ups/fed ex, certainly could survive delivering packages. Do away with it completely and let the free market fill the need.

 

[springvalley123]

I think Hatcheries should petition to allow them to use any business to ship off their chicks than just relying on the Post Office.

would they really need to petitition to be allowed to engage in business with another business entity? Why can't Big Box Feeds talk to Hoover's hatchery and arrange for Joe's Logistics to pick up 1000 chicks, and Joe's would arrange a flight to Phoenix, and for Joe's delivery trucks to take 100 chicks to each of 10 Phoenix stores, once the plane lands (for example)?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

... I never heard of any government service making profits.

I'll fix that for you.

The Federal Student Loan Program has reported profits for years,. sizeable enough that they appear on CBO budget projections offsetting Gov't spend.

That said, the most recent projections (last two years or so) now put them in the red, I've not dug into the why of it - but it has been a consistent source of positive revenue for our Government, essentially since creation.

Not sure what this has to do with chickens, but it was an easy fact check. Happy to assist.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

I had gotten an e-mail from Ideal about the air embargo, but I don't have any chicks coming from them. I do have some that were supposed to ship this Monday though (Feb 22nd), from Cackle. I reached out to them and they said they're not sure what the situation is yet and to monitor their facebook page. So I'm not sure whether it's a guaranteed that they're not going to ship Monday?

 

[springvalley123]

The USPS certainly wouldn't survive a quarter in it's current state, but a company like ups/fed ex, certainly could survive delivering packages. Do away with it completely and let the free market fill the need.

It just seems the timing has the obvious effect of threatening to kill off the season (at least). Any other month of the year, you could announce the permanent banning of live chicks via USPS, and let the hatcheries and stores work out the logistics and pricing so people could continue to buy chicks from this source.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

would they really need to petitition to be allowed to engage in business with another business entity? Why can't Big Box Feeds talk to Hoover's hatchery and arrange for Joe's Logistics to pick up 1000 chicks, and Joe's would arrange a flight to Phoenix, and for Joe's delivery trucks to take 100 chicks to each of 10 Phoenix stores, once the plane lands (for example)?

They can.

Initial set up would be expensive, as Joe's logistics works with the various States, FAA, etc to ensure certification and compliance with existing legislative restrictions and obligations. As a "one off" those costs are too high to be worthy of exploring, thus USPS maintains its virtual monopoly on high volume, low value livestock shipments. Additionally, any time Joes is not transporting, his labor and machinery is idled - more costs. Could take on different loads, sure, then balance the demands of competing clients, seasonal overlap, etc.

Over a longer time period, it might be worth it - same as companies are contracted to haul livestock from local breeders to slaughterhouses, or to freight lines for transport (or offloading at the destination railyard). But there are high up front costs which serve as barrier to entry. and the more specialized and local the service, the less flexibility and the less ability to react/respond to market shifts.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Reading all this makes me wonder if I should exercise the legal option of keeping a roo....here....in town....maybe just borrow one for a few weeks from a trusted friend.....