70% Dead Chicks - Meyer Hatchery

[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.

 

[Hazard]

Sorry to read this story. That is just awful.

I do have to say though that there are so many variables along the way, that good hatchery, bad hatchery, shipped, not shipped, warm weather , cold weather, ALL THESE THINGS can lead to a good or bad experience. You can find many videos from all the different hatcheries and see their facilities, equipment, staff, etc. Meyer specifically has videos that seem genuine in what they are doing. Their equipment is clean and state of the art, and the people seem as good hearted as can be.

Once they leave the hatchery, you have no idea how they are handled or what adverse conditions they go through until you get them. Left out in the cold, box shaken or dropped inadvertently, etc. A hourly worker in the sorting facility of a shipping service doesn't have the same concern as we do for our "precious babies". They're just chickens, but in reality, to them they are just another box to move along. You get what I mean?

I'm not saying anyone intentionally does anything or that bad things happen under normal circumstances, but you have to take the whole thing with a grain of salt. The whole idea that you can take something so fragile and young and ship it hundred or thousands of miles within hours of being born (hatched) is still boggling to me. And obviously the success rate is generally high enough that it can be called successful or they wouldnt do it hundreds (maybe thousands) of times a day form all the different hatcheries across the USA.

Just wanted to cast a different light on the subject.

Again, VERY sorry you have to go through this. I just got my first baby chicks ever today in the mail, so my heart is with you.

 

[Zanna]

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 do not believe that Mareks has been eradicated from hatcheries at all......... Mareks vaccine does not prevent transmission of the virus. It prevents the symptoms which often result in death from showing up (the tumors, paralysis, droopy wing, etc.). The birds can still carry the disease forward if bred even though they never exhibited any symptoms. I am a particular, small, local breeder working on various Heritage breeds. I choose not to vaccinate my birds for Mareks as I want to know who is a carrier so that I never breed it forward and can eventually eradicate it from my closed flock (I think I am there). I have had to cull a few birds with Mareks in years past, sad, but I would rather do that than do a disservice to potential buyers by selling them carriers that I did not know about because I gave the vaccine and it masked the symptoms........ It takes lots of culling and individual attention to breed tough, hardy flocks. I do not believe most large hatcheries have the time or the inclination to do this. Just my two cents worth

 

[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!!!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

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?