Shipping & Delivery Information
At Southern Rise Farms, shipping live animals and perishable products requires careful planning, proper packaging, and carrier-specific rules.
This page explains how shipping works, how charges are calculated, and what to expect after placing your order.
Please read carefully before ordering.
🚚 What We Ship
We currently ship the following product categories:
Day-Old Chicks
Juvenile Birds
Grower & Adult Birds
Fertilized Eggs
Frozen Products
Each category has different shipping requirements and is handled separately to ensure animal welfare, food safety, and carrier compliance.
📦 Separate Packages by Product Type
If your order contains multiple product types (for example, chicks and frozen products), your order will be split into separate shipments.
This means:
Each shipment may have its own shipping charge
Each shipment may arrive on different days
Each shipment may use a different USPS service
This is required by USPS regulations and best practices for live animals and perishables.
🐣 Live Poultry Shipping (Chicks, Juveniles, Growers, Adults)
Shipping Method
USPS Priority Express or Priority Mail, depending on bird type and destination
Live poultry does not ship via ground services
Packaging
Birds are shipped in ventilated, USPS-approved boxes
Box size and quantity per box are determined by:
Bird size and weight
Weather conditions
USPS live-animal limits
Orders are automatically packed into multiple boxes if needed.
Shipping & Handling Charges for Live Poultry
All charges are calculated automatically at checkout based on:
Shipping live poultry requires specialized packaging and handling beyond standard parcel shipping.
Your shipping total is calculated automatically at checkout and may include:
- USPS live animal postage (calculated in real time)
- USPS live animal service fees, when applicable
- Specialized live poultry shipping box and packaging materials (per box)
- Live animal handling and packing fee, which covers the preparation and safe packaging of your chicks
- Regional or carrier surcharges, when applicable
Your final shipping total is based on:
- Delivery destination
- Shipping service selected
- Total weight of the order
- Number of shipping boxes required to safely transport your birds
Current USPS live animal shipping rates and applicable fees
Please note: The USPS postage shown on your shipping label represents only the postage paid to USPS. It does not include the specialized packaging, live animal handling, or other shipping-related charges included in your checkout total.
⚠️ Important Live Arrival Notice
While USPS Priority Express offers the fastest delivery available, live arrival is not guaranteed due to factors beyond our control, including:
Weather delays
Carrier routing
Seasonal volume
Postal facility handling
We package carefully and ship according to industry best practices, but carrier delays are not refundable.
🥚 Fertilized Egg Shipping
Shipped via USPS Priority Mail
Packed in protective cartons inside USPS-approved boxes
Box capacity is limited to prevent damage during transit
Due to the nature of fertilized eggs:
Hatch rate is not guaranteed
Shipping fees are non-refundable once shipped
❄️ Frozen Product Shipping
Frozen products ship separately from live animals.
Shipped with insulation and cooling materials
Shipping method depends on destination and order size
Orders may ship early in the week to reduce transit time
🏡 Local Pickup (Available for Select Products)
Local pickup is available for customers near Winfield, Alabama.
Pickup options appear automatically at checkout when eligible
Local pickup charges may include box or handling fees, depending on the product
Live birds must be picked up during scheduled pickup windows
📍 Shipping Zones & Regional Rules
Shipping availability, pricing, and service options vary by region.
Some products:
May not ship to certain states
May require faster services based on distance
May require additional handling due to transit time
Available options are shown at checkout based on your address.
📅 Shipping Schedule
Orders ship Monday–Wednesday unless otherwise noted
Live birds are never shipped late in the week to avoid weekend delays
Tracking information is emailed once your order ships
❓ Questions Before Ordering?
We strongly encourage customers to contact us before placing an order if you are unsure about:
Shipping costs
Delivery timing
Combining multiple product types
Local pickup eligibility
📧 Contact us before ordering — we’re happy to help.
