shipping

[Cynbad]

OK, whats the most inexpensive forms of shipping finch....GO

[lem2bert]

Cynbad

I have never done it before, but have looked into it. I do not think it is cheap any way you do it, but the only way I would have them shipped is if they can be shipped usps. The only one I found that will ship usps and you pick them up at the post office is The Finch Farm. The others I looked into you have to pick them up at an airport. Hope this helps.

[Dave]

United States Post Office doesn't officially allow shipping finches. They do allow shipping chickens, ducks, turkeys and pigeons. I've shipped poultry via the Post Office and it worked fine.

I know that quite a few finches are shipped via the Post Office. I just wanted to point out that if there is a claim, you might be disappointed.

I've also had birds shipped via air (Delta Cargo) and that worked out great. The birds were shipped in the morning and I picked them up at the airport later that same day.

[lem2bert]

Dave

I thought the same thing and called my local post office and they said as long as the company I am buying them from knows what they are doing it is fine ....there are instructions from the company that ships them......I was very surprised because I told her they were pet finches and she said that is fine.

[Cynbad]

Dave thank you

[Cynbad]

lem2bert I think this is the case.

[Dave]

lem2bert, I've heard the same thing. But, it is still officially not allowed to ship finches via the Post Office. I've heard stories of individuals or particular post offices refusing to allow this because the regulations don't support it.

[Sally]

Cynbad@lem2bert@Dave

Dave is correct, it is still illegal to ship finches on USPS. The regulation that changed from not allowing them at all said they could be shipped if they weighed at least a certain amount. I can't remember the amount, but no finch that I ever owned would have been that big. The small size of our finches makes them illegal, even if the regulations make it sound like they are OK on USPS.

The confusing part is that individual post offices interpret the rules differently, and some allow the finches and some don't. Many finches are shipped USPS without incident, but as Dave said, if there is a problem, they can deny your claim.

A breeder on the West Coast used to ship USPS routinely. One time, after a long drive to the post office he used, he was denied shipping, and had to turn around, drive a long way home, and then a long way to the nearest airport.

I once shipped some finches to a woman who lived nowhere near an airport, so I sent them USPS. Of course, they didn't arrive, but the post office was great at tracking them down for me. Turned out, they were still at the holding facility where I turned them in! They were sent on their way and arrived safely, but the post office could have confiscated them. Instead, we went all the way up to a regional supervisor, who went out of his way to locate them.

I usually ship airliine. I haven't done it in a while, but United used to have the best price, if they come into your airport. One of the reasons the post office always objected to shipping finches is that they need water for the 2-3 days it may take for them to be delivered. Most shipping boxes for the post office are cardboard. Poultry can be shipped without water, I believe, but when water is included in a cardboard box, it can spill and cause the box to fall apart. The one time I did ship USPS, I glued a small water container in the box, cut a piece of sponge to cover the top of the water (plus using a water container that curved inward at the top) and then I added a horizontal slice of cucumber, with the bottom half wrapped in aluminum foil and then glued in place. This is actually how I provide water in the wooden shipping boxes I use.

[finchlyn]

The weight is 6 oz. There are 28 grams to an ounce, so bird should weigh 168 grams. Most finches like gouldians or zebras weigh around 16 to 18 grams. strawberry, stars, weigh around 12 to 14 grams. This should put the regulations in perspective. Flying small birds is the best way for shipping long distances. Regulations can be found on the USPS home page. The size section is :
526.42 Mailability Requirements
Adult birds are mailable only when sent under the following conditions:
The shipment is mailed using Priority Mail Express service.
Each bird must weigh more than 6 ounces and no more than 25 pounds.