Mailer order chick question?

[duluthralphie]

I had chicks sent from the hatchery yesterday. I went to the post office to pick them up at 6am. They did not arrive.

I live in a place with terrible mail service. There will not be another delivery to the post office until tomorrow AM. Do you think my chicks will survive a day setting on some postal dock in Minneapolis?

 

[MohicanHase]

I think it would depend on how many days they have been n rout so far. How long have they been traveling already? 3 days should be fine but after that they will need water and food.

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks, I feel better.

They were sent yesterday.


They are foreign born chicks, they come from Iowa.

 

[MohicanHase]

My ducklings came from California to Ohio. (I thought they were local but turns out they have a sister hatchery they sent them from) So your chicks should be fine.

 

[duluthralphie]

They all arrived today, a day late but appear in good shape.

Here they are!





They were very thirsty when they go here.

 

[MohicanHase]

How cute!!! What kind are they?

 

[duluthralphie]

How cute!!! What kind are they?

They are Cornish X's. I plan to raise them as free range as possible after reading the threads here. In 2 weeks they will be free ranged. I hope they grow very slowly and I can butcher the majority around the first of November. I also hope to keep a couple over winter on the "hopes" they lay some eggs. I know from the threads that is iffy.

If the hens do make it I will try to mate them with another CornishX, if a rooster survives winter, or with a Dixie Rainbow.

 

[rc4u]

oh dont count on eggs ....not with cx's and they will still need food as they do not free range well ...i mean they will but wont do them any good without some food...and if you got them for meat then i think you should really treat them as such...but to each there own...jeff

 

[duluthralphie]

I will feed them a little feed. I do not want a chicken that tastes like it came from Tyson foods. I want a chicken that tastes like it came from a farm. My last batch did some free ranging, BUT I kept food to readily available for them.

If you read the threads on CornishX's you will see they do lay eggs, however, because of the time of year I am getting them that is in doubt. I will eat them, I did buy them for meat, I just want to slow their growth rate down, and force them to exercise a little.

 

[chickenhound]

Good luck trying to slow their growth rate. I got three of them last spring and had 5 lb birds at 5 weeks. This is when we butchered the first one ( a male ). The other two were butchered at 8 weeks and were between 7 and 8lbs ( both pullets ). I would not recommend letting he birds go much beyond 8 weeks. I also want to point out that the pullets were more tender than the male. Good luck with your birds.