70% Dead Chicks - Meyer Hatchery

[animallover505]

the temperature and conditions are very fluctuating, and the Hatchery can't help it.

 

[Chickadee707]

On the farm, some chicks die just because they aren't strong enough. In a large hatchery like that, they probably just ship them and hope for the best.

 

[chickensinwasillaAK]

I'll throw my pennies in. I also ordered 50 from meyer, 11 DOA. Of those 11, five were not even dried off before shipping. They were the fresh hatched chick that hasn't fluffed out. That evening the survivors started dropping like flies. Brooder was set perfectly, they had no interest in food. Next day chicks from a father away hatchery arrived, none dead in the box and only two died in the two weeks following, they went right for food and water.
Now I know they have a long trip to get here but when an Iowa shipper can't get them here alive but an Ohio shipper can, I also see a problem. I don't feel Meyer shipped healthy chicks, I think they were weak chicks before they even left the hatchery. Lesson learned, I won't order from Meyer again but I won't tell anyone else not to order from them, your experience may differ. I have a couple friends in this area who have also had similiar problems with Meyer birds. They are a hugh hatchery so if they were totally bad they wouldn't be in business so they have to get it right most of the time. I will also say the PO creates a lot of the problems.
I think my Ohio brids did better because they're located near a major hub so shipping is fast from them.

 

[leadwolf1]

Some things that you need to remember when buying locally as opposed to a hatchery; Hatcheries have all their birds tested for a multitude of diseases, most backyard breeders do not. You can order your chicks vaccinated through a hatchery, most breeders do not immunize. When getting chicks from a multitude of people, you are opening your flock up to any diseases that the chicks may carry...some of which can not be weeded out through quarantine. Not all breeders are reputible or may not know what their birds carry. Therefore, you are never certain if someone's flock is carrying a disease.

If I had known then, what I do now...I would never have gotten chicks from a backyard breeder. Even though I wanted some SQ birds, the rest of my flock was doomed by that mistake. My flock is now battling Marek's Disease. Something that has been eradicated in hatcheries but is becoming more and more frequent in backyard flocks. It is not tested for in NPIP so even flocks with this 'license' can still carry Marek's. All my dreams and that of my sons' went down the tubes just because we wanted birds that would do well in 4 H shows. With that purchase, I doomed myself to never being able to show my birds...and, in the process, have buried 28 birds to date.

Moral of this story...it's not always better to buy locally....

 

[puglady]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It is so hard when you open that box only to find that many of the babies haven't made the trip well.
I'm actually in a bit of a pickle myself and am in the process of tracking down my shipment from a different hatchery. I order fairly frequently and always get a call from the PO on Wed at almost exactly 1:30 that the chicks have arrived. Today I did not receive the call and am very worried. I am tracing them backwards in the USPS chain and have called my local PO as well as spoken with the shipping dock at the sorting facility where they come through before getting to my local PO. I have left all of my contact info with the sorting dock and they will call me when they come in as they are there 24/7. Hopefully I'll be able to pick them up sometime this evening as from experience I've come to realize the longer they're in the mail the less their chances. I've had the brooder coop heated up and standing by since this morning and my home phone is now forwarded to my cell. My fingers and toes are crossed that they will call soon!

 

[PaintedCavalry]

I just got my birds from Meyer Hatchery a week ago today. They all arrived, healthy, chirping and no problems. I did have pasty butt with 2, but I had that happen with my local birds too.

All of my birds are still healthy and happy and thriving.

 

[ZenHens]

As someone new to chickens, I was also really surprised when I saw how prevalent mail order chicks are. Seems like breeders of pretty much anything else are very anti-ship--I was in dog showing and training and we once traveled five states to pick up a puppy because there wasn't a good local breeder. The idea of shipping fragile chicks via the same method that damages my Lego boxes boggled my mind, lol.

There are backyard breeders with problems, but people just need to do their research. We drove two hours and back the other day to pick up a couple WFBS. Even if I could find the breed online with a small minimum (couldn't) I like to see where they're coming from. My only option was hatching eggs and WFBS are notoriously hard to raise. Didn't want to risk the duds and loss.

 

[bj taylor]

in my opinion, receiving dead chicks is horrible. that being said, i received my chicks perfectly. i don't think these businesses are in business to send dead chicks. i think they have a pretty good system considering. i had certain breeds i wanted - i could not have gotten them locally. mail order was my only true option.

i think this time of year, overheating is more a risk than anything else. if they sit in a postal truck it can mean death.
i am also becoming more aware of the hazard of diseases from local breeders & backyard folks. i will not risk my flock on a new bird without a months quarantine - which would be a huge hassle for me.

i am very sorry for your loss though. it would be devastating.

 

[horseshowmomnv]

I ordered 25 chicks from McMurray, they arrived at the end of February. Some people had major problems during that time frame because of the holiday. However, mine all arrived healthy and survived the shipping fine from the mid west to Nevada. I have read about buying locally, honestly that scares me more than ordering the chicks via mail. I suppose both have their risks, one had to determine the risks they are will to take on both sides. It would be horrible to open a box of deceased chicks!
I am sorry for your experience.
I hope you can get some healthy chicks soon!

 

[leadwolf1]

If Marek's has ever been on your property, whether you cull or not, you are passing the disease on to unsuspecting people. The virus is masked by carrier birds and you would never know it. So, those birds you culled? They weren't carriers, the rest of your flock are the carriers...those birds? They were actively infected. Any birds that have lived on your property now are carriers and anyone you sell those birds to are now at the risk of having the disease in their flocks. My reason exactly for not getting birds from backyard breeders.

I did my research...I chose the breeder I did for many reasons and still ended up with Marek's. I will take my chances on hatchery stock..I've never read a thread from someone whose hatchery birds brought Marek's in.

Good luck to you with not immunizing. That is your choice. But, if you sell birds that have been on your property and exposed to your dirt, air, etc...you are passing on a deadly disease and not warning your buyers of the risk that they are taking!!!