Monday, May 11, 2026
We ship our birds via the United States Postal Service because the USPS is one of the only agencies that will ship live animals in America. FedEx and UPS will not deliver ducklings to your doorstep although FedEx planes do work in conjunction with the USPS in transporting live animals such as ducklings by air across the country.
We commonly get this question: Why does Metzer Farms ship ducklings via USPS Priority Mail? Isn’t Express Mailing quicker and in the better interest of the waterfowl? Good question! The answer is in the numbers.
The following statistics were gathered from Metzer Farms shipping data from January 2025 through May 2026. We looked at how long a delivery took to get from our hatchery to our customer’s local post office. Two-day delivery means the birds arrive two days after shipping (ie: mailed Monday and arrive Wednesday). The results we found were very interesting:
We commonly get this question: Why does Metzer Farms ship ducklings via USPS Priority Mail? Isn’t Express Mailing quicker and in the better interest of the waterfowl? Good question! The answer is in the numbers.
The following statistics were gathered from Metzer Farms shipping data from January 2025 through May 2026. We looked at how long a delivery took to get from our hatchery to our customer’s local post office. Two-day delivery means the birds arrive two days after shipping (ie: mailed Monday and arrive Wednesday). The results we found were very interesting:
The reason lives shipped via Express and Priority take the same amount of time is because Priority lives are handled separately than generic Priority parcels. FedEx is contracted with the USPS to move Priority Lives as well as all Express (lives and parcels). Whereas UPS handles the generic (non-lives) Priority parcels.
In summary, this data confirms why we continue to recommend Priority Mail for most live bird shipments. Based on our recent shipping data, Priority and Express shipments arrive in nearly the exact same timeframe. Express does not guarantee faster delivery for live birds. Customers can also save $35 per package by choosing Priority Mail while still receiving the same fast transit times. Most importantly, minimizing time in transit helps support the health and well-being of the birds.
In summary, this data confirms why we continue to recommend Priority Mail for most live bird shipments. Based on our recent shipping data, Priority and Express shipments arrive in nearly the exact same timeframe. Express does not guarantee faster delivery for live birds. Customers can also save $35 per package by choosing Priority Mail while still receiving the same fast transit times. Most importantly, minimizing time in transit helps support the health and well-being of the birds.
Ground shipping:
Beginning in 2026, some customers located closer to our hatchery may see their live bird shipment travel through the USPS regional ground network instead of the FedEx air network. This routing is assigned entirely by USPS based on destination, and we do not control whether a shipment travels by ground or air. For addresses within this local delivery zone, upgrading shipping from Ground to Priority will not change the transportation route or how your birds travel, it would only increase the postage cost.
Our goal is always to choose the shipping method that provides the best combination of bird safety, delivery efficiency, and value for our customers. We know welcoming new birds is exciting, and we’re committed to being transparent about every step of the journey from our hatchery to your home.
