Is Ordering Broiler Chicks by Mail Safe?
Interest in raising broiler chicks has grown steadily across Virginia as more families, homesteaders and small farms look for greater control over how their food is raised. As backyard flocks and homesteading continue to grow in popularity, many people consider ordering chicks online and having them shipped through the mail.
While this practice is common across the poultry industry, it raises an important question: is ordering broiler chicks by mail actually safe for the birds?
By understanding how the shipping process works and what alternatives may be available locally, you can make the best decision for your flock and ensure your birds begin life as strong and healthy as possible.
How Mail-Ordering Broiler Chicks Works
Shipping baby chicks through the mail has been practiced in the United States for more than a century. Because chicks are shipped so soon after hatching, they rely on nutrients absorbed from the yolk before birth, allowing them to survive for a limited time without food or water during transport (1).
Hatcheries package chicks in ventilated containers that allow air circulation while protecting birds during transport through the postal system (2). The process is designed to move chicks quickly, but that requires multiple handling steps, transportation hubs and environmental changes before reaching their destination.
While this system works much of the time, the journey can still be stressful for young birds.
The Challenges of Shipping Broiler Chicks
Even under normal conditions, shipping is a demanding process for day-old chicks (3). The biggest concern with mailed chicks is the amount of time they spend in transit. While most shipments are delivered within a couple of days, transportation schedules are not always predictable. Travel delays, temperature changes or extended handling times can unfortunately lead to significant mortality before the young birds reach their destination.
Even when shipments arrive on schedule, chicks may experience fatigue or dehydration from the journey. Young birds that begin life under stressful conditions may take longer to adjust to feeding and growth once they reach their new home.
For those hoping to raise healthy broiler chickens, these early stresses can affect the birds’ overall performance and growth.
A Better Start for Broiler Chicks in Virginia
For farmers, growers and homesteaders across Virginia within driving distance of Sunrise Farms, picking up chicks locally eliminates the danger and uncertainty of multi-day shipping.
Rather than shipping broiler chicks through the mail, we work directly with Myers Poultry to bring Cornish Cross chicks straight from the hatchery to the farm. This approach dramatically reduces the amount of time chicks spend in transit and eliminates many of the stresses associated with shipping.
By minimizing handling and transportation time, the chicks arrive stronger, more alert and better prepared to transition into their new environment.
In addition to the benefits to the chicks, we view this approach as more agriculturally responsible for the birds we raise.
Why Cornish Cross Broiler Chicks Are So Popular
Sunrise Farms offers Cornish Cross broiler chicks, the industry leader for efficient meat production. Growers value them for their ability to convert feed efficiently and produce a large amount of meat in a relatively short time.
Because of their growth characteristics, Cornish Cross chickens can be processed at different stages depending on a grower’s goals. Some growers harvest them as Cornish hens around four weeks, while others raise them to six or eight weeks for traditional broilers.
Their clean white feathering also makes them easier to process, while their broad, stocky build produces the high-quality breast meat many growers prefer.
Healthy Birds Start With Less Stress
The earliest days of a chick’s life often play an important role in its long-term health and development. By picking up your chicks locally instead of relying on shipping, you can give your flock a healthier start while supporting a family farm committed to ethical agriculture.
At Sunrise Farms, our goal is simple: provide growers with healthy Cornish Cross broiler chicks and a reliable local source you can trust right here in Virginia.
- University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Management of Newly Hatched Chicks.
https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/AN182 - United States Postal Service. Shipping Live Animals – Poultry Requirements.
https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c5_009.htm - USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Movement of Poultry Regulations. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/rule_movement_poultry.pdf
