The shipment is on the way from Freedom Ranger Hatchery, in south-central Pennsylvania. Stephen Horst not only owns the hatchery, he operates Fifth Day Farm there as well. The hatchery is now focused on shipping all types of poultry. This has consequences for birds raised for egg and meat production, including guinea fowl that eat ticks and are used in pest control across the United States.
The birds had originally been sent on or about April 29th, expected to make it to their final destination within two days. About 2,000 of them were headed to Spokane, Washington. Unfortunately, thanks to a USPS miscalculation, the fish never made it to their final destination.
Emergency Response and Adoption Efforts
Things came to a head when area animal shelters were notified that the birds in distress would be coming in. From the First State Animal Center The dogs at risk suffer from critical health and safety hazards. Food and water insecurity is a big worry. Shelter staff called the rescue efforts “incredible,” considering the sheer volume of birds requiring round-the-clock special care.
The adoption campaign started on May 13, with chicks available to be taken home by the locals. As of May 20, roughly 3,000 chicks had successfully been adopted out, but an estimated 2,000 were still looking for a new home. The adoption batches ranged from as few as 5 birds to as many as 100 birds at a time.
Biologist Stephen Horst told the Houston Chronicle that he wasn’t sure how the birds got so trapped in the first place. He emphasized that this shipment was a reflection of the usual process going wrong due to USPS mistakes.
“Don’t know how they ended up where they did,” – Stephen Horst.
As more birds were adopted into loving homes, the shelters worked diligently to ensure that those remaining would find suitable environments. Normally, birds are bred for a particular use. As Horst noted, they either need to stop being used to produce egg-laying machines or be allowed to live healthy natural lives.
USPS Accountability
In response to the incident, the Postal Service stated that it has “established processes and procedures for the safe handling of these shipments.” Freedom Ranger Hatchery said that overall, USPS failed by not providing clear communication throughout this specific situation.
“We have not gotten any clear answers from the post office about this situation,” – Freedom Ranger Hatchery.
Protecting the sanctity of the hatchery with every inch of the facility strictly regulated. They’re keeping the poultry to within 24 hours of hatching when delivering to USPS. Protecting public health further helps ensure that the birds are treated humanely and can be shipped in a timely manner to their destinations. Horst said they had to think about how good their shipping process is when they were successful but failed sometimes.
“When the shipping system fails, which it does sometimes, that’s unfortunate,” – Stephen Horst.”But overall, we have really good success shipping them.”
This troubling incident highlights a lack of oversight and accountability of the postal service’s treatment of shipments of live animals.
Future Implications
This shipment has revealed significant systemic failures with our animal transport systems. It highlights just how important timely delivery is for live animals. The hatchery’s focus is on shipping thousands of birds each week to backyard growers and commercial enterprises around the country.
Though the hatchery lost Josie, both the hatchery and local shelters wish to move forward with increasing communication and establishing a process to avoid similar situations. Birds of all colors and species still need to be adopted. Animal welfare advocates encourage would-be adopters to have these animals a new lease on life.
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