Certain animals are mailable under specified conditions. Refer to the following sections for detailed instructions:
- Live Bees: 526.2 and Exhibit 526.21.
- Live, Day–Old Poultry: 526.3 and Exhibit 526.33.
- Live Adult Birds: 526.4.
- Live Scorpions (Under Limited Circumstances): 526.5 and Exhibit 526.5.
- Other Small, Harmless, Cold–Blooded Animals: 526.6 and Exhibit 526.6.
Note: Regarding dead animals or parts of animals, refer to 527 and Exhibit 527.
Honeybees and queen honeybees must be free of disease, as required under federal and state regulations. The following additional conditions apply:
- Honeybees: Acceptable to mail only via surface transportation (except for queen honeybees; refer to b.). Mailpieces must be plainly marked on the address side with "Live Bees" and "Surface Only" or "Surface Mail Only."
- Queen Honeybees: May be shipped via air or surface transportation. Each mailpiece shipped via air transportation is limited to one queen and eight or less attendant honeybees. All mailpieces containing queen honeybees must be plainly marked on the address side with "Live Queen Bees."
Refer to Exhibit 526.21 for a general summary of the requirements for mailing live bees.
Indemnity claims (refer to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 609) for damage, partial loss, and loss of insured shipments of mailable bees are accepted only in the following situations:
- Death of Bees: Resulting from Postal Service handling provided mailability conditions were met and the shipment was likely safe for transport.
- Loss of Bees: Resulting from damage to the container while in Postal Service custody.
- Package Loss: The complete package was lost in the mail.
The following types of live, day-old poultry are acceptable for mailing when properly packaged:
- Chickens.
- Ducks.
- Emus.
- Geese.
- Guinea birds.
- Partridges.
- Pheasants (only during April through August).
- Quail.
- Turkeys.
All other types of live, day-old poultry are nonmailable. Day-old poultry vaccinated with Newcastle disease (live virus) also is nonmailable.
The types of day-old poultry specified in 526.31 are mailable under the following conditions:
- Age: Poultry must be no more than 24 hours old.
- Hatching Information: The box must indicate the date and hour of hatching provided by a representative of the hatchery with direct knowledge. For Collect on Delivery (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 displayed.
- Container Requirements: Poultry must be presented for mailing in the original, unopened hatchery box from the hatchery of origin. The box must have proper ventilation, construction, and strength to bear safe transport in the mail, and not stacked more than 10 units high.
- Mailing Schedule: Day-old poultry must be mailed early enough in the week to avoid a delivery date that falls on a Sunday, a national holiday, or the afternoon before a Sunday or national holiday.
- Delivery Timeframe: Day-old poultry may be delivered to the addressee within 72 hours of the time of hatching.
- Air Transportation Compliance: Day-old poultry sent via air transportation must meet all provisions of the airlines. Delivery is contingent on air carriers having appropriate equipment to safely deliver the poultry within the specified time limit.
- Commercial Air Shipments: Day-old poultry that is first shipped via commercial air express or air cargo service and then presented for mailing to a final destination must be in good condition and properly packaged as specified in 526.32(a-e).
- Bundled Boxes: Boxes of day-old poultry of about identical size, securely fastened together to prevent separation during transit, may be accepted for mailing as a single package, provided the combined length and girth comply with Postal Service limits (refer to DMM 201.7).
Refer to Exhibit 526.33, Refer to Chapter 7 regarding domestic mail shipments sent via air transportation.
Indemnity claims (refer to DMM 609) for damage, partial loss, and loss of insured shipments of mailable, live, day-old poultry are accepted only in the following situations:
- Death of Poultry: Resulting from Postal Service handling, provided mailability conditions were met and the shipment was likely safe for transport.
- Loss of Poultry: Resulting from damage to the container while in Postal Service custody.
- Package Loss: The complete package was lost in the mail.
Exhibit 526.33
Requirements for Mailing Live, Day–Old Poultry
REQUIREMENT | YES | NO |
1. | Live, day-old poultry is a mailable type, as listed in 526.31 | If pheasants, they are mailable only during April through August. See No. 2. | If not day–old poultry, item is not acceptable for mailing. If not poultry or not day-old, check other mailable animal types in Section 52 to determine mailability. |
2. | Hatching time was within last 24 hours. | See No. 3. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
3. | Poultry was presented for mailing in original, unopened hatchery box from hatchery of origin | See No. 4. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
4. | Boxes are properly ventilated and of proper construction and strength to bear safe transport in mail (refer to 526.32(h)). | Boxes are not to be stacked more than 10 units high.
See No. 5. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
5. | The date and hour of hatching are noted on box by representative of hatchery who has personal knowledge of facts. | See No. 6. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
6. | The shipment originated at another office, or it was sent by air express or air cargo and then presented for mailing. | Before accepting, take special precautions to ensure that shipment is in excellent condition.
See No. 7. | See No. 7. |
7. | All conditions for using COD service (as required in DMM 503.9) have been met. If not COD, see No. 8. | See No. 8. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
8. | Poultry is being mailed sufficiently early in week to avoid arrival at the delivery post office on Sunday or holiday, or on afternoon preceding Sunday or holiday. | See No. 9. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
9. | Poultry can be delivered to addressee within 72 hours of hatching | Acceptable for mailing. | Not acceptable for mailing. |
Domestic mailings of disease-free adult birds are permissible when in compliance with all applicable governmental laws and regulations, including the Lacey Act, the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Animal Welfare Act, regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and any state, municipal, or local ordinances. Mailings must also comply with the requirements provided in Publication 14, Prohibitions and Restrictions on Mailing Animals, Plants, and Related Matter, Chapter 5.
Each container or package must be marked as required by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under 50 CFR § 14. Adult birds must be properly packaged and capable of sustaining shipment without food or water because liquids, moisture, and loose foodstuffs can cause damage to the shipping container, other mail, and Postal Service equipment during transport.
Adult birds are mailable only under the following conditions:
- Service Requirement: The shipment is mailed using Priority Mail Express service.
- Weight Limit: Each bird must weigh more than 6 ounces and no more than 25 pounds.
- Container Capacity: The number of birds per package must adhere to the container manufacturer‘s specifications.
- Approved Containers: Mailers must use containers that have been pre-approved by the director, Product Classification.
- Unapproved Containers: If unable to secure a pre-approved container, the mailer must submit the proposed container for approval to the director, Product Classification (refer to 214 for contact information). Submissions must include valid written evidence of the proposed container having passed a 3-day challenge test conducted by a competent authority with a full container of live birds. The test must satisfy the following criteria:
- Health and Treatment: Confining live birds in the container must neither endanger the health of the birds nor subject them to inhumane treatment.
- Temperature Resilience: Birds must withstand extended periods at temperatures as high as 99° F and as low as 0° F, experiencing no greater physiological stress than in containers with conventional ventilation.
- Stress Reduction: The container must be designed to minimize light and visual stimuli to reduce the birds‘ awareness of movement or the presence of humans or other animals, thereby reducing the birds‘ psychological stress.
- Packaging Instruction: Requirements in Packaging Instruction 10D of Appendix C must be followed.
Indemnity may be paid only for articles that are lost, damaged, or for missing contents, and not for death of the birds in transit if there is no visible damage to the mailing container.
The Postal Service will not refund postage if the Priority Mail Express shipment was delivered, or delivery was attempted, within 3 days of the date of mailing shown in the “Date In” box on Label 11. Refer to DMM 604.9.5.5.
The mailing of scorpions is limited by the restrictions in Title 18 United States Code (U.S.C.) § 1716.
Under this limitation, scorpions are mailable only when sent for the purposes of medical research or the manufacturing of antivenin. Scorpions are nonmailable under any other circumstances.
Refer to Exhibit 526.5 for mailing conditions that apply to permissible shipments.
Small, harmless, cold-blooded animals, except for snakes, turtles, and turtle eggs, are mailable only when they meet requirements specified in Exhibit 526.6.
Contents must be either queen honeybees or honeybees. Bees must be securely packaged (refer to