# Mailing a Pigeon? What do I need to do this?



## sunshade (Jul 11, 2016)

I *urgently* need to sell my two pigeons, and the only people who are interested are people out of state. I'd rather sell them to someone in my area, but since nobody in my area is interested, I thought I had no choice but to ship.

I thought I would have to order a special bird mailing box from online, and send them out through Priority Mail Express shipping, then the buyer would pick them up at the post office, and then that would be it. Not that big of a deal, right? *Apparently, if you want to ship a bird you have to have a veterinary health certificate in pretty much all states, and they also need to be NPIP certified, possibly along with some other tests depending where you live.* That sounds like a _huge_ hassle just for mailing two birds.  Btw I'm in New Jersey, and the person who wants the birds are in Texas. Is this really the case? Do they really check for all this? Or could you get by with not having it?
(Btw if your in my area or close to it (Pitman, NJ) and your interested in buying this fancy pair (an old frill hen and a bronze catalonian tumbler cock, let me know!)
Here's pics


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

The post office is going to require a micro-barrier box for shipping birds. You can get them for around $10 from the pigeon supply sites. This link is to a type I have received. The birds arrived in good shape.

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/shipping-boxes/2800-single-mailing-box


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## sunshade (Jul 11, 2016)

Chuck K said:


> The post office is going to require a micro-barrier box for shipping birds. You can get them for around $10 from the pigeon supply sites. This link is to a type I have received. The birds arrived in good shape.
> 
> http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/shipping-boxes/2800-single-mailing-box


Thank you! That's much cheaper than the other bird shipping boxes I have found. But do you know anything about health certificates/blood tests that are required for shipping a bird? I read online that if you want to ship a bird you have to have a veterinary health inspection certificate in pretty much all states, and they also need to be NPIP certified, possibly along with some other tests depending where you live. Do you know anything about this? Does the post office actually ask/check for these things before you send the birds, or can you get by with not having it? I see bird owners and breeders talk on the forums about mailing birds, and they make it sound very easy - just buy a pigeon mailing box for it and ship it off. I'm wondering if they're unaware of the blood tests and health certificates that are required by law, and maybe the post office just doesn't care enough to ask for the paperwork? Or maybe they do have all the required stuff, they just don't mention it.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I've shipped birds before and they never ask for any of that, when you get to the Post Office don't bring it up don't ask them about it and it will be ok. Feed and water before you ship and if you pay online and print out the shipping label you will save a lot. Again do not mention health certificates the less they know the better. Some clubs require that before shipping for a race but not the PO.
Dave


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Hello! I am in central NJ and have seen your add. You only need the special bird box. Get a 2-bird box from Foy's or boxesforbirds.com. I just shipped two from Metuchen, NJ to Georgia, sent on Tuesday they arrived today and I have sent and received a couple of times. Send them Priority Express I find the people at the Post Office are usually very kind. If not, go to a different post office. Make sure the birds are fed and watered the morning you will ship. Box them up and secure the box appropriately. I usually put an extra label on the box with my name and phone number and the receivers name and phone number. They can deliver right to the house or held at the PO for them to pick up. Even if it says overnight it often takes to the second day for them to receive it but the birds should be fine, esp. this time of year. Always ship on a Monday or Tuesday at latest so they can arrive on time before the weekend even if they are delayed an extra day. I imagine it will cost about $45 to $50 to mail them to Texas.

Nice looking birds I haven't seen any Catalonians around here. Why are you selling them?? BTW if your out of state sale falls though there is a decent size show in East Brunswick in mid November or the HUGE show in Lancaster in January. The shows are fun and you could always sell them there.......nice looking birds I am sure they would sell easily.


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## sunshade (Jul 11, 2016)

Woodnative said:


> Hello! I am in central NJ and have seen your add. You only need the special bird box. Get a 2-bird box from Foy's or boxesforbirds.com. I just shipped two from Metuchen, NJ to Georgia, sent on Tuesday they arrived today and I have sent and received a couple of times. Send them Priority Express I find the people at the Post Office are usually very kind. If not, go to a different post office. Make sure the birds are fed and watered the morning you will ship. Box them up and secure the box appropriately. I usually put an extra label on the box with my name and phone number and the receivers name and phone number. They can deliver right to the house or held at the PO for them to pick up. Even if it says overnight it often takes to the second day for them to receive it but the birds should be fine, esp. this time of year. Always ship on a Monday or Tuesday at latest so they can arrive on time before the weekend even if they are delayed an extra day. I imagine it will cost about $45 to $50 to mail them to Texas.
> 
> Nice looking birds I haven't seen any Catalonians around here. Why are you selling them?? BTW if your out of state sale falls though there is a decent size show in East Brunswick in mid November or the HUGE show in Lancaster in January. The shows are fun and you could always sell them there.......nice looking birds I am sure they would sell easily.


Thank you Woodnative and Crazy Pete! I really appreciate the help! Also I'm selling them because I bought them from a breeder thinking I could hand tame them and make them into nice pets, like I did with my roller pigeon, Dean. Unfortunately they are extremely flighty and never did warm up to me, despite having them and trying to handle them for two years. It's a shame because they are so darn beautiful, and I was hoping they would at least produce some offspring so I could tame and keep the babies, but the catalonian is the worst father ever and they have yet to successfully hatch an egg together.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Do you still have the roller? Usually you can tame them up with food but some individuals are always more tame than others and of course handling them from a young age helps too. They are sharp looking birds! I thought old frills were supposed to be a relatively calm/tame breed (they are often used by the homer people for droppers) but once again they are individuals and you don't know their history. I don't know much about Catalonians except they were originally good fliers and the flying types can be used to evade and outrun hawks!! Maybe he is flightier and making her nervous too (?). Just rambling thoughts. Good luck getting them a home and hope you stay in the pigeon hobby!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Lovely birds! Just wanted to mention that even if a bird takes a while to tame it can happen down the road. Our racing pigeon Lucy who came from a local racer as an adult was frightened and not tame for nearly a year. We put her in a different cage with a cage friend, Tracy, and now she is quite friendly. Pigeons are weird.


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