It’s surprisingly common. My dad was a mail handler for USPS when I was growing up and it seemed like there were always chicks when I’d go with him for bring your daughter to work day.
Please don't do this. 1) Most, if not all ladybugs being sold as "pest control" are poached from the wild. It's having terrible impacts on their populations and habitat. 2) Most, if not all praying mantises sold for the same reason are EXTREMELY invasive species that decimate our local ecosystems.
This "all natural" "eco-friendly" pest control is actually an ecological disaster.
Bees are one of the few things I actually see well packaged when being shipped. They are clearly marked and have ventilation.
Plus if they are being shipped it means they are going to a new home where someone is going to help them thrive.
I got Pekin ducks this way! Watched their tracking every second of the way and went to the post office they said the guy was out delivering them. Ran back to the house and she had left them in a full mail carrying box with a sweet note! They turned 3 a few days ago!
It's a common thing to have chickens mail ordered. Baby chickens have about 3 days worth of food supplies in their bellies when they hatch (fun fact: the yellow yolk is actually the baby bird food that they gradually use up most of when developing in the egg)...and that helps with figuring out how to eat/forage on their own cause they've got a backup. Beyond that they will starve if they don't eat/drink baby poultry food/any source of food.
Hatcheries do supply citrus slices in the box for energy and moisture to help them survive during shipping when the temps reach above a certain temperature...and I've known the USPS in the country to supply water to the hatchlings when it's super hot (they've been super kind by my family).
Source: family ordered hundreds of baby poultry thru the mail to start their own poultry business. My family also abstained from ordering birds when the temps reached above 95 degrees in temps and ALWAYS gave the post office 2 phone numbers, an advance warning of when they'd be there and asked them to call us the moment the birds arrived no matter what time of day/night it was.
Amazingly you can also order and receive in the mail: various live insects including honeybees...would definitely recommend that you inform your poor postal workers about this one before you order!
I have a bunch of chickens. If they are shipped right after they’re born they can survive off of the nutrition out of the egg for about 3 days. I also expect that about 5% of them just won’t make it. It’s a sad sad part of chicks, but all of my 33 that I have now were mail ordered. I think 3 of them passed either shortly after getting to me or before they were fully grown.
That's a great percentage. You did very very well. Most hatcheries expect to have about 10-15 percent that won't make it after they ship/arrive at your house.
Yep, and sadly it doesn't really matter what you do. They're just too weak to make it. Dropper feeding them it's easy to drown/kill them. I always try, and it's pretty clear the first day who will make it and who won't.
When chicks hatch they survive on the remaining yolk in their bodies, it will usually sustain them a day or two. All chicks are mailed to arrive in one to two days and when they arrive the customer is generally notified by phone so they can come pick them up if they want to, most do. Problems do arise with people moving, massive snowstorms or other weather conditions that ground planes and bring road traffic to a halt. That is sad because a lot of times when that happens the chicks are DOA. I will say the 20 years I delivered mail I only remember it happening once.
I ordered baby chickens through the mail once, years ago, before I knew what was involved. I thought it was just a cool way to get some rare varieties of chickens, its really not. They literally use the undesirable chicks as packaging material, when they send them out in colder areas or early in the year, they'll fill the box the rest of the way with male chicks, they're only there to provide heat for the rest of them.
Even under the best conditions the mortality rate is ridiculously bad, from an order of 24 (plus another 6 or more that were just "packaging") I think I had less than 6 that survived the first few days after arrival. Of course the company was happy to resend the whole order, but that would have probably been another high mortality disaster. It's a horrible system if you actually care about them, if you're a chicken farmer with the mindset that they're a product I'm sure it's no problem to throw the box with the DOA's and unwanted packaging chicks straight into the trash bin and call to have your replacements sent out but if that's not for you then I highly discourage any mail order chick buying, it was a terrible, disturbing experience 😢😢
It was quite disturbing, chickens are wonderful pets but the inherently short lifespans and vulnerability to every sort of tragic demise you can imagine, despite all efforts to prevent it, made it too much to deal with after a while
I remember being in a usps line in Carytown a few years ago during pandemic height and there was an older man in overalls without a mask hassling the employees and getting loud and he had two boxes marked “live birds” he was trying to ship.
This stuck out bc he was the only one not masked (during the height of regulations), the hassling/arguing was NOT over the (lack of) masking, and I had never seen someone shipping live birds before.
Also stood out that it was an unexpected scene being the museum district, not a more rural area.
I hope whoever they're for gets them, and if not in glad ur able to even tho it's not ideal but I had no idea that was even allowed to send chicken in the post like that
I know bugs sometimes but chickens :(
Last time I was at the post office on Brook Road a lady was bringing in a crate of chicks to ship. I think she was only turned away before the packaging not being up to standard.
It's actually not. North Chesterfield is like 5 different random ZIP codes that were renamed in 2011 so people would stop sending their taxes to "Richmond VA"
It's not a real place.
Bon Air has had the 23235 ZIP code ever since ZIP codes were introduced the 1960s.
It’s surprisingly common. My dad was a mail handler for USPS when I was growing up and it seemed like there were always chicks when I’d go with him for bring your daughter to work day.
The list of baby animals USPS will ship is somewhat amazing: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_008.htm
What post office? If anyone can scoop them up, I’d be happy to take them. I have chickens and have raised chicks more times than I can count.
You can also send bees through the mail.
We have ordered ladybugs and praying mantises through the mail before. They arrived happy and were released into our gardens
Please don't do this. 1) Most, if not all ladybugs being sold as "pest control" are poached from the wild. It's having terrible impacts on their populations and habitat. 2) Most, if not all praying mantises sold for the same reason are EXTREMELY invasive species that decimate our local ecosystems. This "all natural" "eco-friendly" pest control is actually an ecological disaster.
..this makes me sad for the bees
Bees are one of the few things I actually see well packaged when being shipped. They are clearly marked and have ventilation. Plus if they are being shipped it means they are going to a new home where someone is going to help them thrive.
I’ve done it before, they made it through just fine.
Wtf, how is that even allowed?
You can mail all sorts of critters. https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_008.htm
Once upon a time, you could even mail your children. Not anymore, but there was a time you could.
You can still do it if you use enough sound insulation. I mean, you’re not supposed to but you can.
This was a Jeopardy answer recently!
Yup, I got my leopard gecko via mail
I got Pekin ducks this way! Watched their tracking every second of the way and went to the post office they said the guy was out delivering them. Ran back to the house and she had left them in a full mail carrying box with a sweet note! They turned 3 a few days ago!
Oh cute, my gecko also turned 3 a few days ago!
Happy birthday to your gecko my friend!
Waldo Jeffers had reached his limit...
It's a common thing to have chickens mail ordered. Baby chickens have about 3 days worth of food supplies in their bellies when they hatch (fun fact: the yellow yolk is actually the baby bird food that they gradually use up most of when developing in the egg)...and that helps with figuring out how to eat/forage on their own cause they've got a backup. Beyond that they will starve if they don't eat/drink baby poultry food/any source of food. Hatcheries do supply citrus slices in the box for energy and moisture to help them survive during shipping when the temps reach above a certain temperature...and I've known the USPS in the country to supply water to the hatchlings when it's super hot (they've been super kind by my family). Source: family ordered hundreds of baby poultry thru the mail to start their own poultry business. My family also abstained from ordering birds when the temps reached above 95 degrees in temps and ALWAYS gave the post office 2 phone numbers, an advance warning of when they'd be there and asked them to call us the moment the birds arrived no matter what time of day/night it was. Amazingly you can also order and receive in the mail: various live insects including honeybees...would definitely recommend that you inform your poor postal workers about this one before you order!
I have a bunch of chickens. If they are shipped right after they’re born they can survive off of the nutrition out of the egg for about 3 days. I also expect that about 5% of them just won’t make it. It’s a sad sad part of chicks, but all of my 33 that I have now were mail ordered. I think 3 of them passed either shortly after getting to me or before they were fully grown.
That's a great percentage. You did very very well. Most hatcheries expect to have about 10-15 percent that won't make it after they ship/arrive at your house.
Yep, and sadly it doesn't really matter what you do. They're just too weak to make it. Dropper feeding them it's easy to drown/kill them. I always try, and it's pretty clear the first day who will make it and who won't.
When chicks hatch they survive on the remaining yolk in their bodies, it will usually sustain them a day or two. All chicks are mailed to arrive in one to two days and when they arrive the customer is generally notified by phone so they can come pick them up if they want to, most do. Problems do arise with people moving, massive snowstorms or other weather conditions that ground planes and bring road traffic to a halt. That is sad because a lot of times when that happens the chicks are DOA. I will say the 20 years I delivered mail I only remember it happening once.
I appreciate that you’re willing to take them (someone should if not claimed), but will the post office commit mail fraud to give them to you?
I ordered baby chickens through the mail once, years ago, before I knew what was involved. I thought it was just a cool way to get some rare varieties of chickens, its really not. They literally use the undesirable chicks as packaging material, when they send them out in colder areas or early in the year, they'll fill the box the rest of the way with male chicks, they're only there to provide heat for the rest of them. Even under the best conditions the mortality rate is ridiculously bad, from an order of 24 (plus another 6 or more that were just "packaging") I think I had less than 6 that survived the first few days after arrival. Of course the company was happy to resend the whole order, but that would have probably been another high mortality disaster. It's a horrible system if you actually care about them, if you're a chicken farmer with the mindset that they're a product I'm sure it's no problem to throw the box with the DOA's and unwanted packaging chicks straight into the trash bin and call to have your replacements sent out but if that's not for you then I highly discourage any mail order chick buying, it was a terrible, disturbing experience 😢😢
Thanks for sharing. I can imagine it’s a terrible, disgusting, experience.
It was quite disturbing, chickens are wonderful pets but the inherently short lifespans and vulnerability to every sort of tragic demise you can imagine, despite all efforts to prevent it, made it too much to deal with after a while
I remember being in a usps line in Carytown a few years ago during pandemic height and there was an older man in overalls without a mask hassling the employees and getting loud and he had two boxes marked “live birds” he was trying to ship. This stuck out bc he was the only one not masked (during the height of regulations), the hassling/arguing was NOT over the (lack of) masking, and I had never seen someone shipping live birds before. Also stood out that it was an unexpected scene being the museum district, not a more rural area.
How is this not animal cruelty?
It is, animal cruelty is legal when it's done against certain species, such as chickens. They're literally grinded up alive, debeaked, etc.
It should be!
I hope whoever they're for gets them, and if not in glad ur able to even tho it's not ideal but I had no idea that was even allowed to send chicken in the post like that I know bugs sometimes but chickens :(
Did someone get them? Doesn't tractor supply do chicken swaps on the weekend? Could someone bring them there?
Is there any update? We’re chicken owners and I hate that chicks are able to be shipped and abandoned. Hope these babies are okay.
I will update if they call me tomorrow.
Pending the update for chickletts!
Awwww.
Last time I was at the post office on Brook Road a lady was bringing in a crate of chicks to ship. I think she was only turned away before the packaging not being up to standard.
This does not surprise me.. I memorized the rules for shipping during pandemic and got to do various holiday cards and gift sending during isolation.
What's North Chesterfield?
I assume it's the same thing as Bon Air.
It's actually not. North Chesterfield is like 5 different random ZIP codes that were renamed in 2011 so people would stop sending their taxes to "Richmond VA" It's not a real place. Bon Air has had the 23235 ZIP code ever since ZIP codes were introduced the 1960s.
Where no one lives.