I will never order chicks through the mail again...UGH!! USPS rant!!!!

I ordered two shipments of chicks from two different hatcheries: 25 random assortment from McMurray and 16 specific breeds I wanted from Chicken Scratch Poultry.

McMurray shipped Monday night, 2-day shipping, out of Iowa, and I received all 27 chicks in good health Wednesday morning in upstate, NY. No problem. Texting from location to location was fun to track (see a previous post.) Thought this was fantastic and I was wrong about this whole shipping live animals thing.

Chicken Scratch shipped Tuesday afternoon from Mcleansboro, IL at 2:30pm. By 10:30 that night they were in St. Louis, MO. Tracking said "Priority Mail Express--1-day--guaranteed delivery by 3:00pm Wednesday. Then those little chicks SAT THERE in St. Louis until they shipped out Wednesday at 3:21pm!!! 21 minutes after I was supposed to have them near Albany, NY.

By this point, I'm clueless and assuming they'll just come this morning. 7am? No chicks at our Post Office. 10am? No chicks. That's the last delivery. No sign of them moving at all on USPS with tracking number. After THREE HOURS on the phone mid-day, I get a text fromUSPS that my package is in St. Paul, MINNESOTA!!!

Two more hours on the phone and no one can tell me where they are. I literally spoke with 9 different agents, supervisors, bosses, managers--you name it.

Finally got a call tonight that they are on a commercial jet leaving St. Paul and arriving in Albany, NY at 7:15am. Then I called back to ask if I can pick them up there rather than wait for the delivery down to my town. NO YOU CAN'T--says the USPS.

So these poor little chicks, coming from a lovely, caring hatchery, with ONE DAY SHIPPING are now supposedly coming in the morning.

I am so angry right now...I told my husband that he's opening the box. I just can't bear to do it. I will be so heartbroken if they didn't make it!!!!


Some luck this first time chicken girl is having...

Sarah

(I even had one poor agent write that CHICKS NEED WATER in case some nice soul takes pity and opens the box to give them water...which I know they won't b/c it's mail and all...but I feel so helpless!!!! If I could find the idiot that screwed this up....)

You poor mama. I'm praying they make it safely.

Don't know if this will help you or not...I ordered earlier this year from Chicken Scratch. My babies also went everywhere, all over the midwest, and I, too, expected them after one day. I added up the hours and, after all was said and done, they had gone without food/water for 71 hours when they got here. I sent my teenage son to pick them up and told him to expect the worst. All I can tell you is that they jumped out of the box and went for the FOOD like crazy and didn't really want to drink...I was stunned. I don't know if they packed something in there with them, like maybe gelatin, but they weren't really thirsty. BUT, they were hungry. They acclimated very quickly. May yours arrive safely as well.

Please give an update when you get your chicks! Praying they make it to you all right.

P.S. We ordered from Murray McMurray for the 1st time earlier this year and had excellent delivery, service and chicks. I would not hesitate to order from them again.

Oh that makes me feel a little better--I'm a mess!!! Tomorrow morning can't come soon enough--my local Post Office clerks have been tirelessly working to track down my chicks--Dale, our Postmaster, promised to drive up and get them in Albany for me as soon as he hears anything!! And Barb at our counter is just as concerned, as a chicken owner too.

I went back to the Chicken Scratch website and read that they add GrowGel to the box--I bought and used that two days ago with my McMurray chicks and it turns into a gelatinous blue squishy blob--hopefully this is what was in the box and it will tide them over!

Glad my brooder has two halves I can separate--will clean out one side and make everything all fresh and new first thing tomorrow. Fingers crossed!!!!!!!!

I'm a little annoyed because I've emailed Chicken Scratch several times throughout the day and they haven't gotten back to me since 10:30am. I would be one ****** small business owner if the USPS botched up an order this badly--I feel like an idiot emailing them multiple times.

There MUST be a more direct route from southern, Illinois to Albany, NY! Going to have to find hatcheries in NYS from now on...

Sarah

(Well, that made me giggle! Ok, backyard chickens. I'll rephrase. P.O.'d!)

Oh nooooo! I'm praying they're all ok!!!! Please let us know!

Still waiting....

Praying for you