As a vendor selling live birds or hatching eggs, ensuring the product reaches the customer quickly is a priority. However, in 2025, many vendors are facing the challenges of USPS delays and rising shipping prices. These issues are especially concerning when you’re shipping sensitive items like live poultry or hatching eggs, where timing and safe delivery are key. If you’re finding yourself in this situation, you’re not alone. Here’s a closer look at the shipping options available to you and how to work around the ongoing delays.
USPS: The Most Common, But Not Always Reliable Option
For many vendors, USPS has long been the go-to carrier for shipping live birds and hatching eggs. The service allows for the shipment poultry through Priority Mail Express, which is the fastest service USPS offers. This is often a good option for shipping live birds, as it promises the quickest delivery. The USPS also allows the shipping of eggs through Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Ground Advantage.
However, in recent months, USPS has been experiencing widespread delays, especially in certain regions, and these delays can severely affect the safe arrival of your birds or hatching eggs. To add to the challenges, USPS has strict packaging requirements for shipping live birds. These guidelines are designed to ensure that the birds are protected during transit, but if you don’t meet these standards, your shipment could face even more delays or, worse, be rejected.
What can you do? To minimize the impact of delays, it’s important to use Priority Mail Express for all shipments, which is the fastest option available with USPS. Additionally, keeping your customers informed about potential delays is crucial. Transparency can help manage their expectations and avoid frustration. Lastly, make sure to follow USPS’s packaging guidelines to ensure your birds or eggs arrive safely.
USPS Mailable Live Animals Policy: This outlines the guidelines for shipping live animals, including specific requirements for different species. USPS
USPS Container Requirements for Adult Birds: Details on the necessary packaging standards to ensure the safe transit of adult birds. PostalPro
FedEx: Not an Option for Live Birds or Hatching Eggs
While FedEx is a popular choice for many types of shipments, it’s not an option when it comes to shipping live birds or hatching eggs. FedEx has strict policies prohibiting the shipment of live birds, which means you’ll need to look elsewhere if you’re a poultry vendor.
Even if you’re only shipping hatching eggs, FedEx isn’t the right carrier. The company also doesn’t allow the shipment of perishable items like eggs, largely due to the temperature control needed during transit. For both live birds and hatching eggs, FedEx simply isn’t an option.
So, what should you do? Your best bet is to look into other carriers, like USPS or UPS, which do allow the shipment of hatching eggs under specific conditions.
FedEx Prohibited Items List: This list outlines items that are not accepted for shipment, including live animals and perishable food items. FedEx
UPS: Limited Options, But Still a Viable Choice for Eggs
UPS is another carrier that comes with its own set of rules. Unfortunately, UPS prohibits the shipment of live birds, placing them on their prohibited items list. This makes UPS an unsuitable option if you’re selling live poultry.
However, if you’re primarily shipping hatching eggs, UPS can be a great choice. They do allow the shipment of eggs, as long as you meet their specific packaging and shipping guidelines. In fact, for the best results, it’s highly recommended that you use Next Day Air to ensure your eggs arrive in optimal condition. This service is designed to provide fast delivery and help preserve the quality of the eggs during transit.
UPS does require attention to detail when it comes to packaging, so make sure to follow their guidelines closely to prevent damage to your eggs while they’re in transit.
UPS Guidelines on Shipping Plants and Live Animals: Provides information on UPS’s policies regarding the shipment of live animals and plants. UPS
UPS List of Prohibited and Restricted Items: A comprehensive list of items that UPS restricts or prohibits, including specific details about live animals. UPS
Making the Right Shipping Choice in 2025
With USPS delays on the rise and prices climbing, choosing the right carrier in 2025 can be tricky. Here’s what you need to consider:
- USPS is still your best option for shipping live birds and eggs, but keep in mind the ongoing delays. Always opt for Priority Mail Express to minimize shipping time and manage customer expectations.
- If you’re only shipping hatching eggs, UPS is a solid option, but be sure to use Next Day Air to ensure timely delivery and quality preservation.
- FedEx is unfortunately not an option for either live birds or hatching eggs, so you’ll need to look at other carriers.
Shipping Options at a Glance
Here’s a quick chart to help you compare your options at a glance:
| Carrier | Live Birds | Hatching Eggs | Recommended Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| USPS | ✅ Allowed (via Priority Mail Express) | ✅ Allowed | Priority Mail Express |
| FedEx | ❌ Not Allowed | ❌ Not Allowed | Not Applicable |
| UPS | ❌ Not Allowed | ✅ Allowed | Next Day Air recommended |
Tips for Managing Delays and Shipping Risks
No matter which carrier you choose, it’s important to plan for potential delays, especially with USPS. One of the most important steps is to set clear expectations with your customers regarding shipping times. Avoid shipping around a holiday or long weekend, and always offer expedited services. Shipping live birds and hatching eggs isn’t always straightforward, especially when faced with the current USPS delays, but with careful planning, you can help ensure that your products reach their destination safely and on time.
