I am seriously debating on whether or not to renew my certification this year. I want to be able to ship chicks and was under the understanding that you had to be NPIP certified to do that. After talking with a breeder who says he's been shipping chicks and hatching eggs for years without NPIP and has never had a problem, I decided to research this. I first called 800-ask-usps...who then referred me to call my "local mailing requirements"...who then spoke with "transportation." This is what I was finally was able to come up with.
Someone please correct me if they know of (or have heard) something different.I was sent to this weblink:
http://pe.usps.gov/text/dmm300/601.htm#1064884 and advised to click on the 9.0 which is perishables - then told to scroll down to 9.3.2 Day-Old Poultry (pasted below) which explains the requirements to ship baby chicks.
(To summarize what I THINK I have learned - as long as the baby chicks haven't been vaccinated with New Castles, they are packaged in proper and secured mailing boxes, mailed within 24 hours of hatching and due to arrive at their destination by the time they are 72 hours old - I'm not seeing where NPIP is a requirement...nor do they need any kind of health paper. There are specific things stated below that need to be followed, but I don't see anything about NPIP.)
9.3.2 Day-Old Poultry
Day-old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle disease (live virus) is nonmailable. Live day-old chickens, ducks, emus, geese, guinea fowl, partridges, pheasants (pheasants may be mailed only from April through August), quail, and turkeys are acceptable in the mail only if:
a. They are not more than 24 hours old and are presented for mailing in the original unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin.
b. The date and hour of hatching is noted on the box by a representative of the hatchery who has personal knowledge thereof. (For COD shipments made by a hatchery for the account of others, the name or initials and address of the hatchery or the Post Office box number and address of the hatchery must be prominently shown for this standard.)
c. The box is properly ventilated, of proper construction and strength to bear safe transmission in the mail, and not stacked more than 10 units high.
d. They are mailed early enough in the week to avoid receipt at the office of address, in case of missed connections, on a Sunday, on a national holiday, or on the afternoon before a Sunday or holiday.
e. They can be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching, whether the addressee resides in town or on a rural route or highway contract route.
f. The shipment bears special handling postage in addition to regular postage, unless sent at the First-Class Mail or Priority Mail prices.
g. When live, day-old poultry is to be transported by aircraft, all provisions of the airline tariffs are met and air carriers have equipment available to safely deliver shipments within the specified time limits, allowing for delays en route in air and ground transportation.
h. Day-old poultry, originally shipped by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing, must be in good condition and prepared as specified in 9.3.2a. through 9.3.2e.
i. Boxes of day-old poultry of about identical size, securely fastened together to prevent separation in transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single parcel, if such parcel is not more than 100 inches in length and girth combined.
