How do chicks get lost in the mail?

[shortgrass]

Was it McMurray? I have had HORRIBLE times getting them to update me on tracking! I even emailed them the last time it happened, because the tracking said that my order went to St. Paul Minnesota! I'm in Colorado! Well as soon as I email in a panic, my DH shows up with the box from the post office.

I emailed back, and they told me it has happened before, a package missed the scan at the airport or mislabeled etc etc.. Excuses, I don't like excuses... And to tell me it happened before and they didn't fix it?

I dont usually order, but I HAD to have a new breed lol.... I don't know that I would order from mail again, but both times had 100% live healthy chicks, no losses. Just perturbed at lackadaisical shipping protocols. Too much stress over stressed babies!

 

[NatureChica]

The post offices tracking site had my package still sitting in cali until day 3!!! They never updated My tracking. :-( what a waste of tracking.

 

[DeansMill]

I am sorry you went thru that. It was my concern with ordering chicks. But I luckily had a wonderful, easy experience. My pet chicken gave me the tracking number in my email and I signed up for the texts. The babies had already made it from origin, to Ohio and on the road again. I got a text at 5am that they were just down the road. It was awful waiting for the PO to open at 8:30, but at seven they called and said to come on down and get them. Everyone healthy and happy but very very tired.

 

[izziebean]

Thank you for your update. So sorry that this happened. YAY that the new babies arrived safely! Enjoy, enjoy!!!!

Someone mentioned that they lived in Colorado. I do too. My local post office here only get packages in the morning.. never later in the day. That is why mine arrived a day late. Yesterday, they turned 2 weeks old and are healthy but gosh.. one was in bad shape that first 24 hours. Mine were from My Pet Chicken. I would definitely order again, but will expect it to take 2 days instead of next day (even though I'll pay for next day!) I blame USPS though. As much as I want to GRRRRRRRRRRRR, I am grateful that they do ship live pets or else I wouldn't have a way to get new chicks this fall and I really needed to add some girls to my flock.

 

[shortgrass]

Thank you for your update.  So sorry that this happened.  YAY that the new babies arrived safely!  Enjoy, enjoy!!!!

Someone mentioned that they lived in Colorado.  I do too.  My local post office here only get packages in the morning.. never later in the day.  That is why mine arrived a day late.  Yesterday, they turned 2 weeks old and are healthy but gosh.. one was in bad shape that first 24 hours.  Mine were from My Pet Chicken.  I would definitely order again, but will expect it to take 2 days instead of next day (even though I'll pay for next day!)  I blame USPS though.  As much as I want to GRRRRRRRRRRRR, I am grateful that they do ship live pets or else I wouldn't have a way to get new chicks this fall and I really needed to add some girls to my flock.   

It must be a Colorado thing, the post offices closing early... That or you live in the boonies like me; our post office isn't even OPEN after noon lol; that creates panic of "I missed the post office lady and now my chicks have to sit there all day until tomorrow"... We let her know when we're expecting them so she can give us a jingle in case I lose track of time.. Or have no idea when they're even supposed to be here because of the ridiculous tracking problem

 

[NatureChica]

I live in North Carolina. Thanks to their shipping delays 5 of my chicks died. Not a Colorado thing. Just a post office thing.

 

[rides2far]

My order from Ideal was packed on March 3rd. That was the day there were some bad storms & Fed Ex grounded their planes. They shipped on a Tuesday & I didn't get then until Sat morning. 14/20 survived, which was a miracle. I'm glad you have some survivors! It's so stressful, but if you want certain breeds you almost have to go through a hatchery. I'm not ordering any babies for a while!

 

[MeepBeep]

I emailed back, and they told me it has happened before, a package missed the scan at the airport or mislabeled etc etc.. Excuses, I don't like excuses... And to tell me it happened before and they didn't fix it?

The hatchery has no control over USPS routing (and sometimes they have mind boggling routing due to how their hubs are configured) missed scans are a reality as your package is just one of hundreds on a skid being loaded into planes... Yeah we all know that live animals should be treated better but when you are just paying for standard shipping you can't realistically expect more then standard service...

I sold exotic animals for living many years ago, I gave up on USPS/FedEX, UPS and DHL for incoming shipments to many loses... The only way I shipped animals in was Delta Live Animal Cargo airport to airport, it was a hassle driving to the airport to pickup and it cost more but same day delivery anywhere in the continental US can't be beat if the seller/buyer is willing to drop off/pick up at the airport...

 

[izziebean]

Will they do that with baby chicks? I had my cats shipped that way in 2010 with Delta. It was expensive, but worked out really good.

 

[NatureChica]

Yep, they do. I had 16 sent to me that way.