Article regarding shipping day old chicks....

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I just got through reading the following article about shipping day old chicks. Link: http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010929/14/flying-chicks

I have a couple of things to say on the subject. Firstly, when I received my day old chicks I only had one loss out of 26 chicks.

Secondly, they mentioned that they would like to see chicks shipped the same way that dogs and cats are shipped via the airlines. I only had one experience with having a dog shipped via the airlines and I was not at all happy about it.

Basically a retired seeing eye dog - age 13 was going to be put to sleep unless our rescue group took it in. So we had to have it shipped in from out of state. I happened to be 8 months pregnant at the time sitting around the airport waiting for this poor dog. She didn't arrive.... no-one know what had happened to her.... finally I found out that they hadn't put her on the flight she was supposed to be on and arrived hours later on another flight. All this time she had no water and was covered in poop when she finally got to me. Now that's humane treatment (not) and they moan about day old chicks. Where were the caring airline staff to let a poor whining dog out for a potty break or give her a drink of water? What a way to treat a dog who spent years of its life in the service of a person.

The dog was placed in permanent foster care by us and went on to have 3 more well cared for and happy years.

Okay, I'm done with my moaning.

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), October 04, 2001

Answers

Anita:

If you haven't sent letters to your senator and congressperson-- please do --easy to do at the Murray McMurray website.

Add this sad anecdote--it packs a punch.

Thanks

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 04, 2001.


I got a letter back from my congressman the other day in response to the email I sent to him from the Murray McMurray site . Congressman John McHugh said in part: "Officials at the United States Postal Service Headquarters here in Washington assure me tht the Service is working diligently to get the airlines to resume the carriage of live birds. As a member of the Committee on Government Reform, which has jurisdiction over the Postal Service, I assure you that I will monitor this process closely."

He mentioned further about Senator Chuck Grassley's bill S.1397, which will ensure the availability of the mail to transmit shipments of day-old poultry.

So it might pay to look up other memebers of the Committee on Government Reform and email them, especially if they are your Congressmen.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), October 04, 2001.


At the moment (and that can change at any time), there are a couple of airlines shipping live critters, but only as cargo. Costs are considerably higher than when they go as mail. A company by the name of Kittyhawk is shipping day old chicks for some hatcheries as mail, from airport to airport, and only in certain areas.

Your best bet right now is to use a hatchery near you so that you can pick up the birds or they can be trucked to you.

It's really best for you to call the hatchery you want to purchase from. They'll tell you their present status for shipping. Be prepared, if need be, to drive to the airport for pick-up.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), October 05, 2001.


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