USPS Postage Increase Is Here—What It Means for You

Heads Up, Poultry Fam: USPS Postage Increase Is Here—What It Means for You

We know you’ve noticed the rising costs of, well, everything. And if you’re a poultry lover, hatchery regular, or small farm owner, you’re about to feel it in your shipping costs too. Here’s the deal: the USPS has dropped a big change that’s going to impact all mail-order poultry businesses, including us here at Mt Healthy Hatcheries. And we want to be straight with you about what’s happening, why, and how we’re trying to make this as smooth as possible for our customers.

The Short of It: Rising Postage Costs

Starting January 19, 2025, the USPS will introduce a new 'Live and Perishable Handling fee' for live animals (that includes chicks, ducks, turkeys, and all poultry). Here’s what it looks like:

$15.00 per box for live animal shipments
A 3.2% increase in overall postage rates

To give you some perspective, the cost of shipping has already been creeping up, but this increase is steep - ranging from 126% to 287% total increase in postage cost. And while the big-box retailers can absorb this a little easier, it hits businesses like ours (and our customers) hardest. We’re not happy about it, but it’s an industry-wide issue—not just us.

Priority Mail pieces containing live animals or perishables ( e.g. fruit, meat) are subject to the nonrefundable Live Animal and Perishable Handling fee (see Notice 123—Price List). This fee is in addition to the Live Animal Transportation fee provided in the Notice 123—Price List, when applicable. For additional information on the Live Animal and Perishable Handling fee see Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable, Mail, (526).

https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-27463/p-57

Important Clarification: While this fee helps USPS cover handling costs, it does not provide insurance, guarantee faster delivery, or change how live animal shipments are managed. There is no other shipping option at scale beyond USPS. Fedex and UPS do not ship day old poultry.

Why It’s Hitting Small Orders the Most

Unfortunately, the smaller the order, the higher the per-chick shipping cost. Why? That $15 per box fee adds up fast on smaller shipments, while larger orders (like 100+ chicks) distribute that cost better.

For example:

If you order 10 chicks, the $15 fee makes the per-chick postage cost increase by $1.50, again, per chick; a significant price jump.
On larger orders of, say, 100 chicks, the postage increase per chick is 15¢ per chick. It’s still an increase, but spread out—meaning smaller jumps per chick.

We totally understand that smaller backyard flocks are the heart of many of our customers. We’re doing everything we can to soften the blow.

What We’re Doing to Help

Pickup Discounts for Local Customers: If you can pick up your chicks from our hatchery in Cincinnati, Ohio, we'll offer a 10% discount. Plus, you’ll save on the $40 - $25 small-order fee we’re waiving for local pickups.
More Flexibility for Larger Orders: If you’re able to place larger orders, the per-chick increase is a lot smaller. If you’re working with neighbors, family, or your local feed store to group orders, this could save everyone money.
Transparency First: We’re not hiding behind excuses or jacking up prices just to make an extra buck. These increases are covering the real cost of shipping—nothing more, nothing less.

Industry Implications: What Shifts Might Happen

This USPS change isn’t just affecting hatcheries like ours—it’s shaking up the entire backyard poultry industry. Here are a few shifts we expect to see:

Local Sourcing on the Rise: With shipping costs climbing, many customers may turn to local feed stores or local-to-them hatcheries to avoid these fees. This could benefit local businesses but may limit breed availability for customers.
Bulk Orders Becoming the Norm: Smaller, single-family orders may decline, with customers banding together to place bulk orders to offset shipping costs. Expect to see more community buying efforts and shared shipments.
Impact on Small Operations: Small-scale hatcheries and specialty breeders could face the greatest challenges as they rely heavily on shipping to distribute smaller batches of chicks. Rising costs might force some to scale back or adjust pricing significantly.
Innovating and/or incentivizing in Pickup Options: Breeders and Hatcheries will likely expand local pickup programs and other creative solutions to accommodate customers who want to avoid shipping fees. This could reshape how poultry buyers source their chicks.

While these shifts might change how people order and receive their birds, one thing remains constant: the demand for healthy, high-quality poultry. And as always, Mt Healthy Hatcheries will adapt and stand by our customers.

How This Impacts You (And Your Flock)

Here’s the bottom line:

Prices are going up industry-wide—not just here at Mt Healthy Hatcheries.
We’re committed to keeping our pricing as fair and affordable as possible.
For small orders, consider local pickup or teaming up with others for bulk orders to save on costs.

We know this isn’t the news anyone wants to hear, but we’re all in this together. Whether you’re raising chicks for the first time or running a big backyard flock, we’ll continue to provide the healthy, high-quality birds you know and trust—without compromise.

Got Questions? Let’s Chat

We’re here to help. If you’ve got questions about the USPS live and Perishable Handling Fee, how it impacts your orders, or want to take advantage of our pickup options, reach out to us. Call, email, or stop by the hatchery—we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to plan for the season.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate this change. It’s not easy, but with our poultry fam by our side, we know we’ll weather it together.

Read up on it:
Source
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/11/27/2024-27463/domestic-competitive-products-pricing-and-mailing-standards-changes?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Mt Healthy Hatcheries
Cincinnati, OH | Family Owned Since 1924
www.mthealthy.com | info@mthealthy.com