70% Dead Chicks - Meyer Hatchery

[seminolewind]

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....

I've been battling this too. 2 years ago I bought a show silkie, and she ended up infecting my flock. Last summer I had 10 chicks die. My rooster just died, now I have a 10 week old chick who is not walking. She and 6 siblings were vaccinated twice!.

It just took one bird-to infect my whole flock, and still, from 2 years ago.

 

[EricaD]

I was originally going to order from a hatchery, but then changed my mind and opted to buy from my local feed store instead. They had the breeds I wanted (in fact they even had Salmon Favs, which all the hatcheries had sold out of) and I could choose from chicks that I know already survived shipping (the feed store also orders from the usual hatcheries) and were strong and healthy.

I couldn't handle DOA chicks - it would break my heart. For this reason I opted to buy locally. Still hatchery chicks, but no shipping risk or expense. Going forward I'll breed my own.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I just got my delivery of 8 healthy seeming lively little girls from mypetchicken. We are also on the west coast. I just wanted to help you to not worry.

It gives me hope! How long did it take them to arrive (once they call you)?

 

[ButchGood]

Ive ordered chicks on many occasions and I have NEVER received a dead chick. Ive lost more with the incubator babies and the all naturals with the broody mama. Its a shame that this happened to you, but I believe these chicks had to have had something wrong with them and most likely, most or all would have died regardless. The only advice I give people who have never ordered chicks before is, do not ship in the winter or the heat of the summer. Order when the weather is nice and order from a reputable hatchery. Meyers is one of them.

 

[ButchGood]

. just to share a postal story we just ordered and paid top dollar for a fed ex delivery, the guy drove by our place, blew the horn and kept going, he blew the horn again driving off the ridge and never stopped....can you believe it? He put on his report that delivery was declined to the next day, by the customer. I think this guy has lost all his marbles. The order came the next day, by someone else, and i think the other guy is now in psych eval.a

I was positive that FedEx or UPS will not ship poultry. Only the USPS ships chicks.

 

[justdeb1107]

I wanted to add also: 75 degrees F is cold for day old chicks. They should be at between 95-90 degrees F, were there heat packs in there?

Yes, there was a heat pack with the birds. It was still warm when I opened the box.

 

[silkiechicken]

One thing to consider is that it is starting to be towards summer months now. Often just a single courier's mistake (or lack of care) who puts a heated box of chicks in the back of their truck for an hour can cause heat stroke and kill the chicks that way. Even on a 75F day, the temp inside a car or a truck can go past 100 in no time. Over 100 in a box, with a heat pad, with live chicks moving about will quickly do them in. I almost feel cold chicks survive better shipping than hot ones. I've gotten a toasty box of chicks without a heat pad when it was in the 40's outside. It happens, and often, feed store chicks are also shipped, just the failed deliveries and dead ones are picked out of the batch before you see them.

 

[justdeb1107]

I don't want anyone to misunderstand my original post. It was not to cast blame on Meyer or the post office. It was simply to let people who have never ordered before know that this experience can happen for whatever reason. The chicks arrived overnight - there was no 2-3 day trip. They had a heat pack that was still warm. I don't know why they were dead, but it was traumatic and a waste of money. From reading the responses, it seems that illness lurks locally and through hatcheries. Personally, though, I would rather buy locally and at least know the chicks will get home alive and well than ever have an experience like that again. I naively assumed that since "everyone did it," it was safe for the babies. I found out I was wrong.

Today I went to a local Maran breeder and picked out beautiful blue splash, black copper, and blue chicks. He is someone who is licensed and vaccinates his flock. I also got an Americauna chick and the breeder gave my daughter an extra one. They are quietly playing, eating, or sleeping in the brooder and our family is much happier. Your mileage may vary, but this is the route I will go from now on.

 

[we2hens]

I had a bad experience with my guinea keets a week ago. I ordered from a different hatchery in Iowa and it took 4 DAYS for the keets to get here! I was a nervous wreck because I was expecting most of the 30 keets to be dead by the time they finally arrived. When they arrived, only one had died, but the next day I had 3 more dead, then 2, etc. So far, 7 of my 30 keets have died. Very disappointing. I won't be ordering from that hatchery again just because I don't want to have to go through that again. "Bad taste in my mouth" for that certain hatchery even though they refunded me the money for the 7 dead keets and were very nice.

Last spring we ordered from Mt. Healthy hatchery in Ohio. We got 50 barred rock chicks. All arrived quickly and healthy and cute as ever. They are still healthy, happy hens free-ranging their little hearts out and giving us beautiful eggs. Three thumbs up for Mt. Healthy Hatchery.

 

[stcroixusvi]

I also wonder if hatcheries try to ship too few birds. The hatchery we ordered from had a minimum order of 15. We also have a local store that orders large quantities so that people can buy smaller numbers of chicks without risking the shipping.