Posted on 05/19/2025 2:17:24 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
CAMDEN, Delaware (AP) — A Delaware animal shelter is trying to care for and rehome thousands of chicks that survived being left in a postal service truck for three days. Trapped in a warm enclosure, without food and water, thousands died before they were discovered.
Involved parties are still awaiting answers as to how 12,000 chicks were abandoned within the truck at a Delaware mail distribution center. The United States Postal Service said in an email that it was aware of a process breakdown and was actively investigating what occurred.
Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery raised the chicks for their weekly distribution to clients across the country, said a spokesperson for the company. Due to biosecurity concerns, the hatchery cannot take the chicks back.
The spokesperson said it would have been best if USPS, after discovering the chicks, had completed delivery as the recipients would have been adequately equipped to handle the birds — even malnourished ones.
For more than two weeks, the surviving chicks have been nursed and cared for at First State Animal Center and SPCA, said John Parana, executive director.
Last Tuesday, the shelter began offering the birds for adoption, but only a few hundred out of thousands have been picked up. There is no complete count of the chicks, as the shelter has no feasible way to do so, but Parana estimates there to be more than two thousand available.
Some have inquired about buying the birds for meat, but, as a no-kill shelter and SPCA, those were refused.
The strain has turned the animal care center into a 24/7 operation and necessitated a staffing increase, Parana said. Money remains the biggest concern for the donation-reliant nonprofit. Some employees have begun spending their money to support the operations, he added.
Among the birds were young turkeys, geese...
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
From you dude...I shoulda seen that coming. =;^)
The USPS has become completely unreliable.
When I worked on a research farm we would order the birds USPS and as long as they got there in three days they were almost all alive.
Frankly I don’t remember a silent box.
They can survive at least three days off their yolk so this was a massive oversight and charges of at least animal neglect are warranted.
That should force them to do a better job.
"If ever I hope to reach the Pearly Gates,
I hope I am not sent by Postal Service.
It would be embarrassing to arrive marked "DAMAGED IN TRANSIT"
Or - God forbid - not to arrive at all."
Ill take all the cockerels for eggs. 😏
Yes. That’s still true. I recently read a poster referring to singer Adele as a “Bloomin’ Bird!”, meaning marvelous, I think.
Chickens are not indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. Did the Polynesians bring them or was it only when the Americans began to settle in the islands that they had chickens?
With our hatcheries male chicks are raised for two-three months and go to the processing plant. No different from female chicks raised for eggs.
My uncle Berford was excited about all the money he would make after years of trying, finally breeding 3-legged chickens to sell to KFC.
Problem was, no one could catch them they were so swift.
Ive ordered live chickens through USPS. I bought 16 week old layers. When you get them they are about the age to start laying eggs. Pretty expensive, but buying chicks is a suckers deal. No telling what sex you get or if they will live.
Got the call from the post office one day, “your roosters are here”.
Well, I told her, if they are roosters we have a problem!!
What occurred? Pretty damn obvious some mail carrier got to close to clock out time and just parked his truck not giving a rats ass what happened to all those chicks……probably went for barbecue and beers sayin its five o’clock and not my problem.
Post 6... Good one!
I work for USPS. I’ve never delivered chick’s. All chick’s shipped through the post office are picked up by the buyer. We’ve had hundreds. I think this was a contract driver truck. Why it was left at the facility is unknown. But I’ve never left chickens, ducks, or turkey in any mailbox.
Shipping options have really improved over the past due to the better hatcheries including a green hydrating gel with the chicks in the event shipping takes longer than expected -for the first 3 days after hatching chicks naturally get their nutrition and moisture from the remaining yolk in the abdomen- but after that they need water that the gel provides. It is tinted green because chicks are very attracted to that color. That is well a d good, if the postal service standards had remained the same.
Unfortunately, while the packing has improved from the shipper, the service from the USPS keeps getting worse, taking longer to deliver than before, effectively cancelling the improvements.
“One way to judge people is how they treat helpless animals. The USPS obviously failed here, bigly”
Yep, no sarcastic quip from me unlike others in this regards.
sum body takes the day off or sumthing that z all
Usps government mail no wonder.
Mailed eggs took so long to deliver they turned into chicks.
Bill Bellichick got one!
I always wondered what trafficking meant...
I’ve always liked animals better than people. They’re always exactly who they appear to be. Chickens, I must admit, are the only ones I eat.
Terribly sad they died this way. The USPS needs to at least pay for this.
Shhhh.
You’re going to undermine the whole narrative that these chicks died because of an irresponsible Black USPS driver who was no good at his or her job.
The FR racists can’t have that...
(For what it’s worth, I have always enjoyed excellent service from the USPS and have always appreciated it.)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.