So sorry to hear about your lose. It's not easy and it will take some time to heal. You situation is indeed unusual. What I have read from your post is that express mail in your area takes 2-3 days. That is much too long. They may survive without food for that long but not without water. I think the poor babies died for overheating and dehydration like other post have suggested. Make sure next time they at lease put a gel pack in the shipping box for them.
Have them shipping priority overnight. That's the only way you can be sure you'll get them the next day. Orange label you should ask and insist upon.
So very so to hear of the loss of the chicks. I got a shipment of ducks four or five years ago from Sandhill and most of them were dead on arrival. It just hurts bad to see the little ones like that. On a lighter note, I have gotten several other shipments from Sandhill and the chicks have been in perfect condition. It sounds as if someone in the postal service was careless and/or clueless and left the chicks on a hot dock. This certainly should not have happened.
I just picked up chicks this morning that were shipped from a fellow BYC member located in NY. The chicks were mailed on Wednesday express mail. All chicks arrived alive and with a couple being a little droopy but after some water, food, and a warm brooder they are well. I also try to pick chicks up at the main hub in Colorado Springs if possible but these chicks didn't get to the hub until around Midnight last night.
Sandhill is good about trying to get you replacements or giving you a refund or a voucher for chicks in the future. The bad thing is Sandhill generally sell out of the popular breeds early in the season so they may not be able to replace some of the breeds you wanted.
There are a number of BYC member that sell chicks in Colorado. Maybe some of them will have the breeds you a looking for. Good luck to you.
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When you are bringing birds any older than day olds onto your place you really need to quarentine them for a minimum of 30 days to make sure they aren't sick with any illness. Bringing birds from here and there is a very good way to end up with sick and dying birds.
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When you are bringing birds any older than day olds onto your place you really need to quarentine them for a minimum of 30 days to make sure they aren't sick with any illness. Bringing birds from here and there is a very good way to end up with sick and dying birds.
I know, I forgot about that. However, I believe we might be ok, since the birds I got from the private person was a BYCer and of course no BYCer would ever give out birds that are sick or unhealthy in any way ;-) plus, with all the natural homeopathic stuff we give the birds we might actually squeak through ok by the grace of spirits.
thank you for reminding me, and the rest of us, proper procedures on introducing new birds to an established flock
You're stuck like the rest of us, Baby, and you'd better just give in and give it over to the Great Chicken in the Sky, because we're in it for life!
your telling me?! I saw a craigslist posting for baby blrw's and now we have six! although truthfully several look like slw and thats fine too! But, this is it, no more, and I am putting my wallet down firmly!!
although, i am already starting to research incubators