Is anyone else having issues with the USPS and dead chicks?

[happyappy]

I received my order from Myer hatchery 2 weeks ago in freezing Pa temps and all 16 of my chicks arrived via express mail, alive and peeping. They were packed with extra bedding and a heat pack. The little cuties are all happy and healthy. They have been THE BEST hatchery I have ordered from.

 

[SimplyLogan]

I received my order from Myer hatchery 2 weeks ago in freezing Pa temps and all 16 of my chicks arrived via express mail, alive and peeping. They were packed with extra bedding and a heat pack. The little cuties are all happy and healthy. They have been THE BEST hatchery I have ordered from.

Good to hear, I ordered from them for the first time this year. I am hoping for a successful shipment. I did wait for a little warmer weather for my order to ship.

 

[chickenWill]

Y'all got me worried bout my Brahmas now lol...shipped out today from mt healthy hatchery...say 1-2 days to post office here...praying for a good result

 

[song of joy]

It sounds like the problem with chick fatalities was probably two-fold: 1) the hatchery used priority rather than express shipping, and 2) the cold February weather made shipping very risky.

I'm in central PA, and I've ordered from Ideal Hatchery in Texas and from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio. In both cases, the orders arrived the day after they were shipped, so I'm assuming they used express shipping. All of my orders have been handled by the USPS and there haven't been any fatalities so far, but I've always ordered between April and June. I dread the day when I have to face shipping-related fatalities, as I'm sure it will be heart-breaking.

 

[brahmapapa]

I am so furious and sad.

I ordered 27 chicks from McMurray a while back to ship last week.

They shipped 30 on Fri/Sat 2/20 and they were all dead when they arrived Tuesday morning. Apparently, they were actually dead by the time they hit Columbus and then another day later they got to me. The temps were record cold here (-18 one day) so I was sad but not surprised they didn't survive. Although I was expecting that with that kind of weather they would have included heat packs of some kind?

I was surprised McMurray shipped given the severe weather/storm that was all over the news. I worked for a large specialty pharmacy that shipped out drugs that required special handling and we all checked the weather for our accounts and knew what/if there was bad weather coming and adjusted shipments accordingly. Just thought this was sad that they didn't. But certainly that was just a fluke.

McMurray was great and offered to replace them or refund my money. I need more hens after a particularly hard Fall and Winter so I opted for replacement. I looked at the weather and it looked warmer/clear for this week, so they reshipped the entire order on Fri/Sat(they say Sat, tracking says Fri).

Well, we are a 9hr ride from the hatchery and this shipment went from IA to MN to ATLANTA, GA then back to Columbus and out to me. I realized there would be a delay when I saw it went to GA, so I started calling to see if I could at least pick them up in Columbus and hopefully they'd be okay. USPS said no, there was no way for them to locate it, I'd just have to wait for them to arrive.

Out of 30 chicks, 8 arrived alive, 2 died immediately and 2 more are on their way out. So FOUR of 60 chicks total look like they might make it and that's only after 3hrs. Not sure what the next few days will bring.

It's not McMurray, it's the USPS. I understand mistakes happen but this is not only absurd but cruel. I'm not really sure what to do. How does the USPS not have a policy regarding live animal shipments that at least minimizes the possibility?! I had this happen once before and the "guaranteed" shipment in 2 days took 4 and they refused to refund my money. They could not have cared less!!!

McMurray says they'll try one last time and then they won't ship again. Do other hatcheries pack differently or am I kind of stuck because it's the USPS?

Sigh…I'm more complaining than anything else because I know you guys will understand. : (

I noticed that you questioned weather mcmurray should have somehow have adjusted the shipping. once those chicks hatch mcmurray has to ship that same day no matter what, as the yolk in the chicks tummy only lasts long enough to get them to you quickly. I had a similar experience years ago and mcmurray was great replacing the entire shipment. very sad when this happens but the deaths are attributed mostly to starvation rather than the cold. its a shame that the usps no longer guarantees delivery as quick as they used to. so sorry for your loss, good luck on the replacements.

 

[tjo804]

I am fixing to do my first mail order this year from Ideal it is only 1.5 hrs from me. I am thinking I want to pick them up if I can convince DH it would be a fun ride.

Anyhow I have a son in law who used to unload planes and packages he said he saw so many dead animals because the cargo planes are not pressurized to be able to regulate temps. it is too expensive and not all of them are equipped to carry live cargo.

 

[janoel8-48]

The yolk inside the chick would only last for two days, so if your chicks take longer than two days than i would worry about them.

 

[song of joy]

I feel as though mcmurray is making a huge mistake shipping on a Friday or Saturday, no? That's an extra day in transit over the weekend. Why are they doing this???

And a well established hatchery should have hatch times down so those chicks are hatching on Mondays and Tuesday's, so I justdont buy this "day of hatch". I recognize that is a necessity, but they need to schedule their "day of hatch" better.

I wouldn't order from them after hearing all these horror stories.

That's a good point. I was really taken back by the Friday/Saturday shipping as well. I've noticed that some other hatcheries have hatch days on Monday and Wednesday, so shipments will arrive at their destinations Tuesday through Friday (no weekend lay-overs).

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am fixing to do my first mail order this year from Ideal it is only 1.5 hrs from me. I am thinking I want to pick them up if I can convince DH it would be a fun ride.

Anyhow I have a son in law who used to unload planes and packages he said he saw so many dead animals because the cargo planes are not pressurized to be able to regulate temps. it is too expensive and not all of them are equipped to carry live cargo.

I would totally drive to get them.
I drove yesterday 2+ hours each way to get my littles. It was totally worth it.

 

[chickenWill]

Mine are safe at home...po worker didn't want to let me check em at counter...raised a fuss and made call yet super threats but all well