Chickens Shipping
How silly, “chickens shipping”., I googled it and thats what it tried to change it to.
Anyway, I digress, I am doing a Coturnix Corner Live on shipping and explaining all the ways to ship chicks, quail and eggs! You should check it out here.
The first is hatching egg shipping and of course, you should use my eggshippers because they are the best! I personally double box most of my orders as I have found that gives my customers a better hatch rate. The boxes are free at USPS so don’t be stingy with the packaging.
Next up is chick shipping. Anytime you send live birds through the mail they HAVE to go Express and yes that costs more, but you don’t want birds hanging out on a truck for a week. I have shipped cross country and they show up the next day all ready to hang out. The boxes must be approved by the USPS, not any box will work. You will need your NPIP paperwork, customer’s phone number and some simple things for the chicks. I use Grogel in little cups from the dollar store. Shavings and some feed. I also add some reptile warmers as they last longer than hot hands. The boxes for chicks are here.
You can also ship older birds, I ship started chickens and sexed quail. This takes a taller box as they are bigger and need more air and space. Whereas you want to limit space on the chicks, you want to give space to the older birds. I also add grogel in cups for them and feed. Shavings and if it’s hot, add some cucumber. Remember, older birds will do better in cooler weather. The boxes I use are here.
"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."
Lastly, I ship frozen feeders in dry ice. Kroger is the largest supplier of dry ice and they are all over and easily found. I simply package my products up in USPS boxes, write “DRY ICE” on the side, per their regulations. I use insulated foam inside the box, add product and weigh it. I add 4# total weight to account for the dry ice. On the way to the post office, I stop and get the dry ice, pack it in and tape it up!
A couple tips to make this smoother. I keep a supply of boxes on hand for these shipments. Do not wait to order foam when you need it, keep a few on hand. Talk to your post office, a basic understanding of how the system works will help you make good decisions for your business. For example, the Express van doesn’t pick up at my post office until 5 pm, therefore there is no reason to get birds there at 8 am, I drop mine off around 4. This gives them all day to eat and hydrate and then the dark box is like an early bed time.
This information is great for sellers and customers. Sellers should do their homework and have appropriate supplies. Customers should do their homework to know what questions to ask and what to expect. Communication is key to every relationshp.