Effective July 9, 2026, the Postal Service™ is revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), section 526.32, to reflect that the Postal Service recommends that day-old-poultry mailers add to the address side of the shipment text stating that 72-hour mail delivery is expected.
Although this revision will not be published in Pub 52 until later, this standard is effective immediately.
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Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail
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5 Perishable Matter
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52 Animals
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526 Mailable Live Animals
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526.3 Live, Day-Old Poultry
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526.32 Mailability Requirements
[Revise the text of item b. to read as follows:]
b. Hatching Information: The box must include on the address side of the mailpiece (see 221.1) information specifying the poultry hatching date and hour, provided by a representative of the hatchery with direct knowledge of this information. The Postal Service recommends that the text “Delivery is expected within 72 hours of hatching” also be included. In addition, the following apply:
(1) All markings must be on the address side of the mailpiece (see 221.1).
(2) For Collect on Delivery (COD) shipments made by a hatchery for the account of others, the following must be prominently displayed:
(a) Name or initials of the hatchery; and
(b) Address of the hatchery, or the Post Office box number and address of the hatchery.
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The Postal Service will incorporate this revision into the next update of Pub 52, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Product Solutions, 7-9-26
