Baby chicks arrive dead in the mail

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Rachel Peden McCarty finds joy in her agricultural roots.

“This is where my grandparents walked, where my parents have been, just preserving a life that for a lot of kids are three generations removed from. It grounds you, “ said McCarty.

Her family farm in Bloomington, established in 1941, is an oasis where kids can learn about the animals from their role in food production to their contribution and place in the environment.

“Being on a farm, seeing the beauty, seeing them run around, bird calls, it’s fantastic,“ added McCarty.

It’s nothing new for Rachel to have animals delivered by the U.S Postal Service. In early March, she had several ducks and turkeys join the farm. So she had no reason to worry about the 25 baby chicks on their way before Easter.

The baby chicks were ordered from the McMurray Hatchery in Iowa. They were shipped in a box clearly labelled that chicks were inside and to please rush.

The chicks were tracked as they made it through the postal service. The box was processed in Minneapolis on March 24. There was a stop at Indianapolis Distribution Center on March 25 at 7:05 a.m. It arrived at its final destination in Bloomington on March 26 at 4:44 a.m.

Rachel paid an extra $15 fee for delivery required by the postal service.

When she got to her vehicle with her package in Bloomington, the silence was not a good sign—not one of her 25 chicks arrived alive.

“It was devastating. I was—I was hoping to save one—at least would be alive.”

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the U.S Postal Service via email asking for a review of the situation and requesting a response. The Postal Service sent the following:

“The Postal Service has been working with hatcheries for more than 100 years to safely transport mail-order chicks during the spring and summer months. Chicks can be safely transported without food or water within 72 hours of hatching. In fact, placing food and water inside the hatchery box could jeopardize the integrity of the box and/or endanger the health and safety of the animals inside. According to the tracking information for this shipment, the chicks were entered into the mail stream on Mar. 24 and delivered less than 48 hours later on Mar. 26. Thousands of chicks and other day–old animals are transported through the U.S. Mail every year. This is a legacy operation we take very seriously as lives are literally at stake.”

Rachel was frustrated with the process. In the early days, she was not given much information about what happened.

She did get a call offering an apology from the Postal Service and her next shipment of chicks was better. Out of 26 chicks, 24 survived the trip.

The Postal Service also provided information on filing a claim to recover from the initial loss.

The shipment of animals via mail is a common process. For more information on the types of live animals that can be shipped as well as packaging and labeling information, click here.