Thousands of baby chicks were found dead or dying in a postal truck in Delaware, sparking outrage and overwhelming a local animal shelter.
At a Glance
- USPS left a shipment of 14,000 chicks in a truck for three days, killing roughly 4,000
- First State Animal Center and SPCA is caring for the 10,000 surviving birds
- The chicks were part of a routine shipment from a Pennsylvania hatchery
- The original hatchery cannot reclaim the birds due to biosecurity concerns
- The shelter is appealing for donations and support to manage the crisis
Postal Negligence Unleashes Tragedy
A horrifying discovery in Delaware has left animal welfare advocates reeling. After a routine USPS delivery failed to reach its destination, approximately 4,000 chicks were found dead and another 10,000 barely alive in the back of an abandoned postal truck. The First State Animal Center and SPCA was alerted to the situation by the Postal Service, which described it simply as an “undeliverable box of baby birds.” What they found instead was a mass casualty scene.
The birds—primarily Freedom Ranger chicks along with geese, turkeys, and quail—were being shipped from a Pennsylvania hatchery to customers nationwide. However, the crates were left in the vehicle for over 72 hours without food, water, or temperature control. “After three and a half days in the heat, these crates were wet with dead fowl. It was a mess,” shelter staffer John Parana said.
Watch a report: Thousands of chicks found dead in USPS truck.
Shelter at Breaking Point
The First State Animal Center has been working nonstop to care for the surviving chicks, hand-feeding and attempting to place them in adoptive homes. Yet only a fraction have been claimed since adoptions opened on May 13. The shelter has reached out to the Delaware Department of Agriculture for assistance as costs mount and resources dwindle.
Due to biosecurity concerns, the birds cannot return to the Freedom Ranger Hatchery, which shipped them. The hatchery, which typically supplies birds to small family farms across the U.S., says it has received no explanation from USPS and is unsure whether it will be compensated for the loss. “This shipment was part of a routine shipment that never reached its intended destination due to USPS error,” said hatchery representative Stephen Horst. “We’re asking questions too.”
Accountability and Appeal
While USPS policy allows chicks to be transported without food or water for up to 72 hours post-hatch, this case far exceeded that limit. Shelter staff say they plan to seek compensation but are struggling with immediate logistical and financial strain. “They said they’re gonna try to go after the post office to get recoupment. That doesn’t help us in the meantime,” Parana added.
The shelter has issued a public appeal for donations, supplies, and volunteers. Meanwhile, a USPS internal investigation is underway to determine how such a critical failure occurred. The incident has not only spotlighted systemic flaws in live animal shipping protocols but also raised ethical questions about the treatment of animals in mass transport systems.
In the wake of this disaster, the community has rallied around the shelter, offering support and seeking answers. Yet for thousands of young birds and the people who tried to save them, the damage is already done.
