Chicken Shipping 101: Mailing a Chicken Through USPS

I know what you're thinking… you always wanted to ship a chicken to someone special, but you were not sure how. Here is the Cornerstone Services Inc. step-by-step guide for making your chicken shipping dreams come true. Follow this guide to ensure the chicken mails safely and successfully to any destination across the United States.

In compliance with USPS Publication 52 Section 526.4 ("Live Adult Birds"), chickens are indeed mailable when also shipped in accordance with USPS DMM Section 601 (Mailability) Subsection 9.4.3 as well as USPS Publication 14 ("Prohibitions and Restrictions on Mailing Plants, Animals, and Related Matter") Chapter 5. Of course, there are rules for everything government-related, but basically your chicken must comply with common sense measures. They must be disease-free, can't be dead already, and weigh at least 6 ounces but not over 25 lbs.

Step 1. Purchase a USPS-Approved Container

No, Kevin, you can't just go get an empty wine box, punch holes in it and duct tape it. You need a container from the USPS list of Approved Manufacturers of Adult Birds Mailing Containers — a rare instance of the Postal Service working with specific industry manufacturers to create something useful for both. A typical compliant chicken shipping box measures 18″ × 20″ × 8″, perfect for sending your maximum 8 lb. fowl.

The approved chicken shipping containers must be designed with consideration of the birds' comfort, awareness, health, and welfare. In addition, the container must (a) remain intact and withstand crushing during transportation, (b) prevent the bird from puncturing or breaking any part of the container or escaping, (c) contain shavings or similar absorbent material to prevent damage to the bottom of the container, and (d) have a plastic window for inspection of the birds — covered by a fiber board flap that can be lifted. All this implies that it's best to leave the container design to the chicken-shipping professionals.

Step 2. Mark Your Container

Create a large SHIP TO / FROM address label. Write "ONE CHICKEN" in large letters. Write the word "UP" and use directional arrows.

Your parcel must be marked appropriately as required by U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50 — Wildlife and Fisheries, Subpart H (Marking of Containers or Packages), sections 14.81 and 14.82: "each container or package conspicuously on the outside with both the name and address of the shipper and consignee" and "an accurate and legible list of its contents by species scientific name and the number of each species and whether or not the listed species are venomous must accompany the entire shipment." There you have it — no sending venomous chickens to Uncle Phil.

Step 3. Present Chicken to an Approved Post Office

Our professional retail experience with the Postal Service is this — if they don't see it every day, you're going to have to reassure them it's do-able, and we bet that your local PO doesn't do chicken shipping every day. Not just any Post Office can accept chickens for shipment; typically, only larger post offices handle this service. Internally, a post office location shipping live animals likely had to get internal training and clearance for proper handling, but it's up to you to find this out in advance.

To call ahead, the USPS wants you to use their Post Office Locator for retail branch information, but you won't find phone numbers there. We suggest trying an unofficial USPS online resource such as PostalLocations.com which lists phones. Calling ahead is a really good idea — just explain what you're trying to do well in advance and get guidance on where to send your chickens.

Also important — you have to send birds via Priority Express Mail. "Adult birds are mailable only when sent by Priority Mail Express service." Pricing and acceptance guidance may be found using the USPS Postage Price Calculator, where both weight and destination are factored into final costs. Expect to pay between $35 and $75 on average. For more on current USPS pricing, see our postage rates guide.

What This Tells Us About USPS

The fact that you can mail a live chicken — in a specially approved container, through a specially approved post office — speaks to the breadth of the USPS system. The Domestic Mail Manual covers everything from mailing potatoes to live bees to venomous reptiles (with permits). After 30 years of navigating USPS regulations at our mailing facility in New Paltz, NY, we appreciate anything that keeps the postal system interesting.

At Cornerstone, we don't ship chickens (though we've seen stranger requests), but we do help businesses navigate the same USPS regulations every day for direct mail campaigns, Every Door Direct Mail, and commercial printing. If you're thinking about unconventional mail formats — oversized postcards, dimensional mailers, or anything designed to stand out in the mailbox — we can tell you what USPS will accept and what it'll cost. Check our envelope and mail piece size guide for standard formats, or call (845) 255-5722.

For more USPS history and fun facts, read about famous postmasters who worked for USPS or the story of the Point Roberts post office, where USPS trucks drive through Canada to deliver domestic mail.

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