Thank you for writing this. I've mentioned in my writings, too, how shipping poultry like this is not ok. I'd happily let my broody girls hatch some babies again for a neighbor that wants healthy, unjabbed, poultry instead of ordering online. The answer is in our neighborhoods not our broken systems that have no regard for the sacredness of life.
Thank you, Angela. I couldn’t agree more—real solutions often begin in our own backyards. Your approach honors life in a way the current system never could. Keep spreading that message!
I have a rooster bachelor pad and they are awesome, they also help keep rodents under control and scare off some predators. I love my Roos, they are very sweet, I pet them a lot and tote them around with me.
This is a horrific system and has been for years. The USPS also allows the shipping of adult birds without food and water nationally and internationally. Cockfighters regularly send game bird roosters and hens to each other. On several cockfighting raids, I witnessed stacks of shipping boxes with labels from all over the US and as far away as the Philippines and Mexico.
A system that is humane and safe needs to be in place to allow small poultry breeders and backyard flock keepers to access higher quality chicks and rare breeds that may not be available in the local area. I am unsure how to make this happen if it involves a federal system.
Thank you, Melissa. You’ve captured the deeper layers of this issue perfectly. The abuse of the system by cockfighters and the broader lack of oversight are unacceptable. I agree—if there's to be a future for humane, small-scale poultry breeding, it has to be rebuilt from the ground up with ethics and transparency at the core.
This was an atrocity born of callous, carelessness, and just plain not caring. Thousands of little chicks died of starvation and thirst. The punishment should be severe.
Thank you, Anne. You're absolutely right—this was a preventable tragedy rooted in systemic indifference. Those responsible must be held accountable, and the system itself demands urgent reform.
Thank you, Trudi. It truly is shocking—and sadly, not as rare as it should be. Hopefully, shedding light on it will spark the change these animals so desperately need.
Thank you, SFS—I know it’s not an easy read, but I’m grateful you took the time. Shining a light on these hidden cruelties is the first step toward change.
One Tablespoon of flax meal plus three Tablespoons of water is an excellent egg replacement when making cookies. The best chocolate cake recipe is Wacky Cake, from WWII when eggs were rationed. It uses vinegar and baking soda for leavening. No eggs. I knew about male chicks being ground up as useless at egg farms, but didn't realize the chicks were mailed in such awful conditions. Thank you for this information. It just reinforces why I gave up eating eggs ten years ago.
I received a crushed box with 16 out of 20 chicks dead. It was a two day delivery. The next time I paid for overnight delivery. The horror of those dead chicks was bad. I think I would like to support this initiative. There has got to be a way to make transport safe and humane.
I’m sorry farmers, it should be illegal to ship chicks. They are alive for god’s sake!!! Don’t put them in a hot box and into a hot truck for shipping.
Thank you for writing this. I've mentioned in my writings, too, how shipping poultry like this is not ok. I'd happily let my broody girls hatch some babies again for a neighbor that wants healthy, unjabbed, poultry instead of ordering online. The answer is in our neighborhoods not our broken systems that have no regard for the sacredness of life.
Thank you, Angela. I couldn’t agree more—real solutions often begin in our own backyards. Your approach honors life in a way the current system never could. Keep spreading that message!
What do you do with the roosters?
I have a rooster bachelor pad and they are awesome, they also help keep rodents under control and scare off some predators. I love my Roos, they are very sweet, I pet them a lot and tote them around with me.
That's amazing!!! I live in the suburbs. We aren't allowed to have roosters. They end up in shelters. I'm glad your boys are safe and happy.
Awe bummer, Roosters Rock! Dang burbs and their rules!
This is a horrific system and has been for years. The USPS also allows the shipping of adult birds without food and water nationally and internationally. Cockfighters regularly send game bird roosters and hens to each other. On several cockfighting raids, I witnessed stacks of shipping boxes with labels from all over the US and as far away as the Philippines and Mexico.
A system that is humane and safe needs to be in place to allow small poultry breeders and backyard flock keepers to access higher quality chicks and rare breeds that may not be available in the local area. I am unsure how to make this happen if it involves a federal system.
Thank you, Melissa. You’ve captured the deeper layers of this issue perfectly. The abuse of the system by cockfighters and the broader lack of oversight are unacceptable. I agree—if there's to be a future for humane, small-scale poultry breeding, it has to be rebuilt from the ground up with ethics and transparency at the core.
This was an atrocity born of callous, carelessness, and just plain not caring. Thousands of little chicks died of starvation and thirst. The punishment should be severe.
Thank you, Anne. You're absolutely right—this was a preventable tragedy rooted in systemic indifference. Those responsible must be held accountable, and the system itself demands urgent reform.
Shocking. This is so bad.
Thank you, Trudi. It truly is shocking—and sadly, not as rare as it should be. Hopefully, shedding light on it will spark the change these animals so desperately need.
Thank you for this Ed. Tough to read, but necessary.
Thank you, SFS—I know it’s not an easy read, but I’m grateful you took the time. Shining a light on these hidden cruelties is the first step toward change.
One Tablespoon of flax meal plus three Tablespoons of water is an excellent egg replacement when making cookies. The best chocolate cake recipe is Wacky Cake, from WWII when eggs were rationed. It uses vinegar and baking soda for leavening. No eggs. I knew about male chicks being ground up as useless at egg farms, but didn't realize the chicks were mailed in such awful conditions. Thank you for this information. It just reinforces why I gave up eating eggs ten years ago.
I received a crushed box with 16 out of 20 chicks dead. It was a two day delivery. The next time I paid for overnight delivery. The horror of those dead chicks was bad. I think I would like to support this initiative. There has got to be a way to make transport safe and humane.
I’m sorry farmers, it should be illegal to ship chicks. They are alive for god’s sake!!! Don’t put them in a hot box and into a hot truck for shipping.