| United States Postal Fees & Regulations - concerning shipping Poultry from www.usps.com |
| k. Cost of bees, crickets, or baby poultry destroyed by physical damage to the package or delay for which the Postal Service is responsible. (In the absence of definite evidence showing responsibility for death of these insects or animals, the Postal Service is presumed to be at fault if 10 percent or more are dead on delivery, and will pay indemnity for all dead bees, crickets, or poultry; if less than 10 percent, the Postal Service is not presumed to be at fault.) |
| Us Postal Service Payable Claims (refund if poultry dies while shipping) The types of indemnity claims that are payable are as follows: |
| Poultry Must be Mailed Express Mail |
| 9.3 Live Animals 9.3.1 Animal Fighting Prohibition Under 7 USC 2156, the mailing of a live animal for the purpose of participating in an animal fighting venture is prohibited (regardless of whether such venture is permitted under the laws of the state in which it is conducted). The term state means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory or possession. Violators can be subject to the criminal penalties in 7 USC 2156. 9.3.2 Day-Old Poultry Day-old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle disease (live virus) is nonmailable. Live day-old chickens, ducks, geese, partridges, pheasants (pheasants may be mailed only from April through August), guinea fowl, quail, and turkeys are acceptable in the mail only if: a. They are not more than 24 hours old and are presented for mailing in the original unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin. b. The date and hour of hatching is noted on the box by a representative of the hatchery who has personal knowledge thereof. (For COD shipments made by a hatchery for the account of others, the name or initials and address of the hatchery or the post office box number and address of the hatchery must be prominently shown for this standard.) c. The box is properly ventilated, of proper construction and strength to bear safe transmission in the mail, and not stacked more than 10 units high. d. They are mailed early enough in the week to avoid receipt at the office of address, in case of missed connections, on a Sunday, on a national holiday, or on the afternoon before a Sunday or holiday. e. They can be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching, whether the addressee resides in town or on a rural route or highway contract route. f. The shipment bears special handling postage in addition to regular postage, unless sent at the First-Class Mail or Priority Mail rate. g. When live, day-old poultry is to be transported by aircraft, all provisions of the airline tariffs are met and air carriers have equipment available to safely deliver shipments within the specified time limits, allowing for delays en route in air and ground transportation. h. Day-old poultry, originally shipped by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing, must be in First-Class condition and prepared as specified in 9.3.2a. through 9.3.2e. i. Boxes of day-old poultry of about identical size, securely fastened together to prevent separation in transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel, if such parcel is not more than 100 inches in length and girth combined. 9.3.3 Small Cold-Blooded Animals Small, harmless, cold-blooded animals (except snakes and turtles) that do not require food or water or attention during handling in the mail and that do not create sanitary problems or obnoxious odors are mailable (e.g., baby alligators and caimans not more than 20 inches long, bloodworms, earthworms, mealworms, salamanders, leeches, lizards, snails, and tadpoles). 9.3.4 Adult Fowl Adult turkeys, guinea fowl, doves, pigeons, pheasants, partridges, and quail, as well as ducks, geese, and swans sent by Express Mail in biologically secure containers approved by the manager of Mailing Standards (see 608.8.0 for address) are mailable if the number of birds per parcel follows the container manufacturer limits, and if each bird weighs more than 6 ounces. Under the applicable standards, indemnity may be paid only for loss, damage, or rifling, and not for death of the birds in transit if there is no visible damage to the mailing container. 9.3.5 Adult Chickens Adult chickens must be sent by Express Mail. The Express Mail containers used must pass the standards in International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) Test Procedure 1A (detailed in Publication 2, Packaging for Mailing); be designed to remain intact during normal handling; be constructed to totally confine the chickens; contain shavings or other material to prevent damage to the bottom of the container; and be ventilated properly to ensure humane treatment in transit. The number of birds in each parcel must not exceed the container manufacturer's limit. Under the applicable standards, indemnity may be paid only for loss, damage, or rifling, and not for death of the chickens in transit if there is no visible damage to the container. The mailing of chickens for animal fighting purposes is prohibited under 9.3.1. 9.3.6 Warm-Blooded Animals Warm-blooded animals, except the specified birds under specific conditions in this section, are not mailable (e.g., hamsters, mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, squirrels, parakeets, and canaries). |
| 12.0 Special Handling (needed for poultry shipment) 12.1 Fees for Special Handling 12.1.1 Fees Fee, in addition to postage and other fees, per piece: Weight Fee Not more than 10 pounds $6.25 More than 10 pounds 8.70 12.1.2 Fee and Postage The applicable special handling fee must be paid in addition to postage for each addressed piece for which special handling service is desired. Except for official mail, the special handling fee must be paid at the time of mailing. For official mail, the special handling fee is collected under established reimbursement procedures. 12.2 Basic Information 12.2.1 Description Special handling service provides preferential handling, but not preferential delivery, to the extent practicable in dispatch and transportation. The service does not itself insure the article against loss or damage. Special handling service is mandatory for material that requires extra care in handling, transportation, and delivery. 12.2.2 Availability Special handling service is available only for First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Package Services. 12.2.4 Bees and Poultry Unless sent at the First-Class Mail or Priority Mail rates, special handling is required for parcels containing honeybees or baby poultry. Under 601.9.3.8, only queen honeybees may be shipped by aircraft. Check with your local post office for mailability prior to mailing honeybees other than queen honeybees at First-Class Mail or Priority Mail rates. 12.2.5 Marking The marking "Special Handling" must appear prominently above the address and to the right of the return address on each piece for which special handling service is requested. 12.2.6 Nonmachinable Parcel Post The Parcel Post nonmachinable surcharge is not charged on parcels sent special handling. |
| Adult birds acceptable: Geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, doves, pigeons, pheasants, partridges, quail, ducks, chickens, swans - Approved packaging required. - Express MailŪ only. Each bird must weigh 6 oz. or more. Adult birds unacceptable All other types of birds not listed above, such as canaries, parakeets, parrots, finches, emus and cockatiels. 601.9.3.4 526.4 Day-old poultry Chicks, ducks, geese, quail, partridges, pheasants (April through August), guinea fowl, turkeys 601.9.3.2 526.3 |
| US Postal Service Regulations |