In this episode, your host, Dana DiPrima, dives into the surprising connection between your breakfast omelet and the U.S. Postal Service. Learn about the century-old tradition of shipping live chicks by mail, the challenges facing this practice today, and the potential consequences for small farmers, backyard chicken keepers, and our broader food system. From historical quirks to modern logistical nightmares, this episode explores how a few changes to the mail system could ripple across rural economies and hit our dinner plates. In This Episode, You'll Learn: The origins of shipping live chicks by mail in the U.S. How major hatcheries like Ideal Poultry, Murray McMurray, and Hoover's Hatchery keep this tradition alive The impact of recent USPS policy changes on small farms and hatcheries The challenges facing large-scale poultry producers like Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride What the future might hold for this critical, but often overlooked, part of our food supply chain Additional Resources: Find out how to support your chicken farmers and local egg producers at For Farmers Movement If you have any stories that you would like to share about shipping challenges, please reach out here .
