This is our first time owning chickens and we ordered from MM. We bought 25 and ended up with 27 (extra for warmth, in case some are roosters, etc.). We made sure that we shipped directly to the main post office and we drove there and picked them up. They were shipped Saturday and arrived Sunday morning/early afternoon. I think this made the difference for us; I don't think they would have survived the night and made it to the morning without food, water, and warmth. I would suggest trying to get the chicks on Sunday and being a nuisance about it. We got all the inside numbers, requested they call us Sunday when they arrived and not to be transported to the closer postal office. It is worth whatever amount of time to drive; a lady drove two hours to get her chicks because they died the last time they were shipped closer to her. Postal service seems to be the issue with chick death, not MM. Our chicks are a week old and surviving great! All are healthy, alert, and growing like weeds!