Greenfire Farms Chick Survival Rate

[Miss Ashly]

I recently received an order from GFF and had the same issue with the Gro-Gel - I lost three birds (which is the number of gro-gels in the box. So far, my survivors are doing well. Josette was great about the whole thing and offered a refund, but I asked for a discount on a future order. In the future, I would specify no GroGel. This is the first shipment of chicks with it and I see no benefit.

 

[UberchicRanch]

@Miss Ashly ,

Thank you for your post! We've always been wary about the Gro-Gel product but honestly haven't "tested" it out ourselves. When you receive your next batch without the Gro-Gel, please post your results. If you have no casualties, then we know who the culprit is.

 

[elkinsacres]

I recently received some Twentse chicks from Greenfire. Same issues as before, but a little bit different...

Nine chicks shipped on Monday afternoon. I knew exactly when they would be arriving so I was at the Post Office bright and early on Wednesday morning. The total time in transit was only 36 hours, minimizing handling, delays, etc. I clipped the tie-wrap right there in front of the Postmaster to find six chicks upright with three trampled down and covered with GroGel. I harshly criticized the USPS handling of packages as this was not the first (or second...) time I have had bird issues or losses.

Luckily, and I believe this is due to minimizing total time in transit, all nine chicks were still alive. I rushed home and put the six healthy chicks in my brooder. They seemed lethargic and exhausted (unlike my recent shipment of Isbars), but I introduced them to water and feed. I examined the three trampled chicks to find they were a bit cold and now suffered from splayed legs. My hypothesis is that they got jostled pretty early on, got bumped into the GroGel cups and got sticky (which doesn't help with movement) and cold (the gelatin will slowly rob the chick of body heat due to evaporation). Mostly immobilized, the other chicks either willfully or accidentally stepped on them over and over. Good times, right?

The three splayed leg chicks are sitting in the bottom of my incubator, in isolation...but warm, so they can recuperate. I'm using the split Band Aid method of gently binding their legs together. I have some water and feed with them; the water has an electrolyte and vitamin powder added. They don't seem super-stoked about being hobbled, but they are perky (most likely thanks to the solution - something I now HIGHLY recommend).

I'm sure GroGel provides a solid electrolyte and nutritional supplement...but only when eaten by the chicks. If it isn't eaten, if it is placed somewhere that the chicks can fall into it, it becomes a huge liability. My recommendation is one of the following:
1. Request GroGel be withheld from shipping. If the chicks are day old, and especially if transit time is as short as it is for me, they will be just fine without it. After all, they should still be absorbing their own yolk sacs.
2. Shippers should affix some kind of modified lid on the GroGel cups, sufficient to allow access via the chicks beaks...but also prohibiting them from falling into the cups.
3. Greenfire glues the cups to the side of the box to prevent them from getting knocked around. My suggestion to them was to use TWO CUPS, glued bottom to bottom to look like an open-ended hourglass. The top cup gets GroGel, the bottom cup gets glued to the box bottom. This way the GroGel is still accessible to the chicks, but the possibility of them walking through it or creating body contact is minimized.

If I ship chicks, I would only provide GroGel upon request. And if I did include it, I would use the methodology of #3 above.

 

[UberchicRanch]

Wow @elkinsacres

Thank you so much for that feedback! I couldn't agree with you more. I think you nailed it as far as identifying the problem. Hopefully your chicks will sustain their injuries.

 

[Fancycochin27]

I had a quick question where do you bid on your chicks?
Could you please give me the website information thank you.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

I had a quick question where do you bid on your chicks?
Could you please give me the website information thank you.

rarebreedauctions.com

 

[Fancycochin27]

Hello I recently won on rare breed auctions. I'm a new member and I am having difficulties on what to do. How do I pay for my item? I know I pay through paypal but I am unsure on what to do now. Could you please assist me. Give me a step by step. I received an invoice through my email now what's next? I sent a message to the seller but they haven't get back to me. I'm so lost. Any kind of assistant would help me. Thank you. I didn't know who to ask. I know you are probably more familiar with this site than I am. Thank you

 

[realsis]

[TR] [TD]Hello I recently won on rare breed auctions. I'm a new member and I am having difficulties on what to do. How do I pay for my item? I know I pay through paypal but I am unsure on what to do now. Could you please assist me. Give me a step by step. I received an invoice through my email now what's next? I sent a message to the seller but they haven't get back to me. I'm so lost. Any kind of assistant would help me. Thank you. I didn't know who to ask. I know you are probably more familiar with this site than I am. Thank you[/TD] [/TR]

Hi I hope my familiarity with pay pal can help. I'm not at all familiar with their auction site but I know how to send money through pay pal if you have the sellers email address. This should get you paid and paypal will have proof of payment . ok first log into your paypal account, then press send & receive money, it will have a place to put the sellers email address which is linked to the sellers pay pal account/ Bank account. then you will see a place to put the amount of money your sending, then press send. As long as your pay pal is linked with your bank (most accounts are)then the money comes out of your bank and is placed into the sellers. paypal will also provide a reciept. SAVE YOUR RECIEPT. once you do these steps you will see its pretty easy to do. now, I don't know a thing about the auction site your on but this method WILL pay the seller with proof of payment available from paypal. please let me know how it goes. it may be a round about way to do it, but it will get the seller paid instantly. please let me know if this helps.

 

[Fancycochin27]

Thank you so much. I am familiar with paypal I know my message was very confusing. I thought rare breed auction was like paypal once you win the bid you automatically make a selection of payment right away. Little did I know the seller had to contact you first and provide the information on where to send the money. I pay through pay pal so my chicks will be shipped tomorrow. I'm praying for a safe trip. YAY I will be a new owner of 8 Buff Orpingtons chicks from green fire lines and Marc Scare lines. So excited. Thanks for all your help I really appreciate it.

 

[realsis]

Thank you so much. I am familiar with paypal I know my message was very confusing. I thought rare breed auction was like paypal once you win the bid you automatically make a selection of payment right away. Little did I know the seller had to contact you first and provide the information on where to send the money. I pay through pay pal so my chicks will be shipped tomorrow. I'm praying for a safe trip. YAY I will be a new owner of 8 Buff Orpingtons chicks from green fire lines and Marc Scare lines. So excited. Thanks for all your help I really appreciate it.

Congratulations!! oooh I wish I had some Buff Orpingtons!!♡♡♡♡ They didn't have any females for my hatch date which is April 11th. I pre-Ordered in January. This year's chicks I ordered are 7 Female Barred Rock chicks, 1 free production layer Suprise breed, and 1 Female Golden Cuckoo Maran. That's a total of 9. I have Silkie females at home. They are about 3 to 3 1/2 years old. Such sweet girls! Please post pictures of your cutie pies when they get here! can't wait to see them!