Delaware

Shipping mishap in Delaware leaves thousands of birds dead, thousands more rescued

The shelter said that, as of Monday, half of the birds in their care are in "stable, but cautious" conditions.

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Thousands of birds were found dead, and thousands more had to be rescued after a shipping mishap in Delaware last week.

First State Animal Center and SPCA shared that 10,000 birds, which were part of a shipment, were discovered at a distribution center in New Castle County on Friday, May 2, 2025, after sitting in a tractor-trailer for nearly four days without food or water.

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The shelter said the birds had come from a hatchery in Pennsylvania and were supposed to go all over the country, even as far as Washington state, but somehow ended up at the post office.

The birds -- chickens, ducks, quail, geese, and more -- were all in crates, and tragically, thousands of them were found dead. The shelter then took thousands of other birds into their care.

The shelter said that, as of Monday, half of the birds in their care are in "stable, but cautious" conditions.

With so many birds in their care, the shelter shared that they need support with the financial costs. You can visit fsca-spca.org to learn more information on how you can help.

The shelter added that the plan is to make all the birds available for adoption at some point.

Freedom Ranger Hatchery, where the birds came from, told NBC10 that they have no idea how the animals ended up at the distribution center. However, this incident has affected dozens of customers.

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