Thousands of newly-hatched chicks are arriving dead in the mail following rapid cuts to the US Postal Service's operations, according to New England farmers.
In a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, Democrat congresswoman Chellie Pingree said at least 4,800 chicks sent to farmers in Maine did not survive the USPS's delays and mishandling, as first reported by the Portland Press Herald.
"In one case, 800 chicks arrived dead in Maine," Ms Pingree said in a series of tweets this week. "Like so many others, rural America relies absolutely on USPS and it's why we must save the post office."
That case was of Pauline Henderson, who has never seen the loss of chicks on this scale in her five years of operating the Pine Tree Poultry farm in New Sharon.
"Usually they arrive every three weeks like clockwork," she told the Press Herald. "And out of 100 birds you may have one or two that die in shipping."
The USPS has shipped live, day-old chicks since 1918, and will also ship baby ducks, emus, geese, guinea birds, partridges, pheasants, quail and turkeys if packaged properly for transport, according to the agency's website.
While the USPS did not respond to The Independent's request for comment on the allegations, spokesman Steve Doherty told Politico that the agency "can't locate a claim being filed for this loss".
Mr DeJoy implemented several changes to the agency after his appointment by the Trump administration in June, including the banning of overtime and limits on mail delivery times.
"If the plants run late, they will keep the mail for the next day," Mr DeJoy wrote in an internal document leaked to The Washington Post titled, "New PMG's [Postmaster General's] expectations and plan"
Mr DeJoy is testifying before the Senate on Friday.
