Deliveries of chicks are arriving dead, costing Maine farmers thousands of dollars

[jpak]

Source: Portland Press Herald

Last week Pauline Henderson was shocked when she picked up a shipment of what was supposed to be 800 live chicks from her post office in New Sharon.

Henderson, who owns and operates Pine Tree Poultry, a family farm and chicken meat processing facility that specializes in chicken pot pies, said all 800 chicks sent from a hatchery in Pennsylvania were dead.

“We’ve never had a problem like this before,” said Henderson, who has been running her farm for five years and regularly receives shipments of live birds.

“Usually they arrive every three weeks like clockwork,” she said Wednesday. “And out of 100 birds you may have one or two that die in shipping.”

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Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/08/19/dead-chick-deliveries-costing-maine-farmers-thousands-of-dollars/

[mainer]

1. Farmers I know always got their chicks in the mail

and it was never a problem before DeJoy.

[getagrip_already]

15. Bee's also....

Live Honey Bee's have been shipped usps for years. They always ship in the spring though. A lot of beekeepers will be scrambling if the post office delivers dead packages.

[lagomorph777]

41. Trump got his chick in the mail too!

[customerserviceguy]

2. Why would anyone

use the USPS for shipment of live animals? Even Express Scripts, the mail order pharmacy that I'm forced to use for maintenance drugs ships my refrigerated diabetes medication by UPS, they ship the pills by regular mail.

[Thekaspervote]

4. It's been done that way for decades without issue...seriously

[customerserviceguy]

9. I had no idea

but I guess times have changed.

[getagrip_already]

16. no, trump broke it, nothing else has changed n/t

[Bantamfancier]

23. It's because of the chick's unique physiology.

Just before the chick hatches, it absorbs the last of the egg yolk in its abdomen. This gives the newly hatched bird enough energy to survive for 3 days without eating. The postal service delivers millions of these day olds every year with only the occasional screwup.

I have no words to describe the outrage towards those that would think delaying mail delivery is a smart political move.

They also will ship adults, but you must include a water source. Either sponges or fruit pieces.

Forget Fedex for birds. UPS will only accept for next day delivery, which means no way. It’s the Post Office or drive em yourself.

[Kali]

31. hmmm suspicious name for this reply

just kidding, you are absolutely correct. have received chicks in the mail a number of times.

[yardwork]

33. Times changed in July 2020, because of Trump's new policies.

[SharonAnn]

40. It's been done for more thN 50-60 years that I know of. My grandfather ordered them.

[Rebl2]

12. I seem

to remember my Mom (in her late 80’s now) saying her parents would get the chicks for their farm through the mail.

[BamaRefugee]

6. Pretty sure it's been done for over 100 years, always the way my family did it

[doc03]

8. That's the way farmers have always got them. Maybe UPS doesn't ship in remote areas nt

[Hekate]

10. It has always been one of the myriad ways the USPS has served rural customers...

I think live chicks have been delivered at least a century.

[Karadeniz]

25. That's how we got ours years ago...they took care of them...kept them in a shady spot..

Called when they arrived. Usually took just two days...the chicks made it fine.

[Bayard]

28. I used to get chicks shipped all the time

Its usually next day delivery, and you have to go pick them up at the post office.

[MissB]

39. It's literally been happening for over 100 years in the US

So they generally have it down pat.

I’ve gotten day old chicks in the mail. It’s kinda cute to open a box of chirping chicks.

[Thekaspervote]

3. Awh..that is so sad! The farmers should get to sue dejoyless

[GopherGal]

13. Their Stick-it-to-the-Libs Machinations

All too predictable to anyone with even minimal foresight. Of course crippling the postal service would harm businesses that use it in their operations. Not even minimal red tape of requiring impact studies before implementing their genius "cost-saving" measures should have been needed to anticipate this one. More flunkies running around like bulls in a china shop rushing to do Dotard's bidding not realizing or caring how their actions are going to screw over the small-businessman constituency they supposedly care so much about.

It's the March Europe Air Travel ban all over again. Not even an ounce of empathy to think how their genius acts might affect people...

[Blue Owl]

5. Susan Collins: Baby chick killer

They are dead because of her actions.

[flibbitygiblets]

24. How many chicks have to die because of Susan Collins???

[BamaRefugee]

7. But trump fixed the lobster problem...

[Frustratedlady]

11. That brings back sweet memories of coming home from school and walking into the brood house to...

the sweet smell of baby chicks that had been picked up that day. That was one of the perks of growing up on a farm.

I remember the huge hood in the middle of the house where the chicks gathered under the lights for warmth and the "cheep-cheep" as they explored the area. I don't recall what kind of bedding they had, but it seems like it might have been hulls from some type of seed that kept the floor dry and softly padded.

Poor babies.

[keithbvadu2]

14. The Trump economy

[nancy1942]

17. Perfectly normal.

Growing up on a farm in Kansas this is how our chicks were delivered:the mailman drove up and honked and there they were. I'm sort of surprised that it's still done that way.

[MizLibby]

18. I'm in WA state and I order chicks from TX

I Order over the phone and 2 days later I pick them up at 7:30 am. Walking into the PO you can hear them cheeping in the back room. I've never received a dead chick. I sure wouldn't do it now. FU DeJoy, you chick killer!

[yaesu]

19. I hope the farmers are fed up with all of the greatness tRump promised them and, like many in

,my state fell for it voting him in.

[Bengus81]

20. Let me guess...those farmers will still pull a lever for Trump instead of some Librul.

[sakabatou]

21. Probably

[jpak]

26. Anti-Susan Collins ads attacking her on her USPS policies

Are airing now in Maine.

They are pretty hard hitting.

[DENVERPOPS]

38. Good

another article documents her leading the destruction of the USPS for years and years.......

I'll stop there for fear of getting my hand slapped by DU if I describe her in more acutely perfect words......

[bronxiteforever]

22. Kick and recommend for visibility

[ck4829]

27. K&R

[jorgevlorgan]

29. Yeah. Another indication of how fucking criminal this hold up is. And how there will not be justice

until DeJoy is sitting in prison.

[dalton99a]

30. Louis DeJoy killed them

[2naSalit]

32. They should be delivered to their

Senator so she can really appreciate their plight.

[warmfeet]

34. Self destruct mechanism seems to be working.

The rest of the world is very appreciative.

[icymist]

35. I say we send Trump through the mail on Jan. 20!

All the way back to Florida!

[Danascot]

36. She should forward the 800 dead chicks to Susan Collins

by USPS.

[Retrograde]

37. Maybe they should bring this up with their senator

I'm sure Susan Collins will be concerned

[Paladin]

42. We need to go national with images of these dead chicks. IMMEDIATELY. (nt)