How to ship live rodents throughout the U.S.

my rodent colony is getting big enough that i want to take on more customers. But i dont know how to ship them, and with what shipper any help would be great.
Jason Bouton
Naja-kaa Exotic Pets and Supplies

The only allowed method of shipping live mammals is through the airlines. Overnight carriers will not accept them at all.
As I understand it, the cost is substantial as well, more than for shipping herps.

Unless you're shipping very large orders of rodents, you'd be better off shipping them frozen.

Clay is right, the only shippers that legally take the live mammals are the airlines, and they can be quite pricey as well as very strict with their regulations. We have been shipping live mammals for years (both feeders & pet quality) & the minimum rate is $125 per box. Packaging size, type & volume of animals allotted per package are all regulated by the USDA(&other agencies), which makes it even more expensive to ship the animals as full compliance is need or the airlines will refuse shipment. There are also vet certificates needed for most airlines & regulations as to time of year & temperatures in the departing & arriving cities which can also affect whether you can ship. The regulations on mammals are strictly enforced and much more difficult to deal with then for reptiles(as we can adjust the climate in their boxes so much better with heat/cool packs) With the mammals if the nationwide temps are too high or too low, the airlines put a hold on all live mammal shipping for sometimes months at a time before they lift it and allow shippers to resume. It is much more economical & consistant for the breeder & customer to ship frozen, unless you are talking about 10's of thousands at a time- but again they do not allow year round shipping, which can be a major hassel.
Hope that helps a little- if you have any more detailed questions please feel free to email us about it.