Ahhhh! Chicks from a feed store!!

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

This is the second time I have brought chicks home from the feed store only to have them drop like flies for NO REASON!

My brooder is set up just like I have done it in the past (been doing it for years and have never lost chicks like this) and for some reason this year I cant keep the chicks alive. This is the first time I have ever purchased chicks from this particular store and I am starting to think that the conditions at the store are affecting the health of the chicks. I have no other explanation. They just died suddenly. (Conditions at the store are horrible. Chicks basically packed wing to wing in some of the brooders and four week old chicks mixed in with week old chicks.)

In the past I have gone through my local feed store and had them order me chicks from the hatchery they order from, however this year I wasn't home in time to do that. Which really sucks because all the chicks I have ever gotten from them have been great hardy chicks that grow up wonderfully.

So instead of wasting more money and supporting a feed store that obviously doesn't care for their chicks I am thinking of ordering from MyPetChicken.com since their minimum order for me would be five. Has anyone ever ordered from them? Are they reputable?

 

[GAGE]

I just received my first order of 7 from MPC this past Monday afternoon. Aside from the high shipping (which is to be expected for overnight/1 day) everything has been great and our chicks are doing fine.

 

[katdam]

i ordered 9 brown layers....they are 2 wks old and doing great..my first chickens came from the tsc and they are doing great(12wks) except the fact i sucked at picking out the hens...4 roos 1 pullet...so i ordered from mpc so i could get hens..they were delivered on time and are doing great...if i order any more i will order from them again.

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

That's really good to hear. Thank you so much!

Did you opt to get them vaccinated or no?

 

[featherz]

I like my MPC chickens a lot. All are healthy. Shipping was very pricey but they showed up overnight so it's better for them (even if not for my wallet).

I only wish I had done more research before ordering and gotten something fancier than production type layers - so I had to order again and get a few interesting chicks! (hatching July 12th).

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

Quote:
I love the variety they have!

I have actually always wanted a naked neck so I am finally getting one!!

I am the complete opposite though. I used to want all the fancy breeds when I was in FFA but now that I have been out of high school for a few years I am ready to settle down with some good laying hens.

 

[elmo]

I think Mypetchicken gets its chicks from commercial hatcheries just like your feed store does. If you'd like to try something really different, do an internet search for local poultry groups in your area and see if you can find a local chicken breeder who is breeding to produce quality chicks, not just quantity.

We got our chicks from a local breeder, and are thrilled with the healthy chicks we got. They didn't get stressed from shipping, either.

 

[Mak]

My 10 girls came from My Pet Chicken. Great service. Nice healthy chicks that are growing like weeds.

 

[Peppermint]

Oh, I'm so sorry you are dealing with chicks not making it. That is sad and maddening too. You and I got our chicks at the same feed store, and so far (knock on wood) they're all still alive. They all have crackly breathing and took a few days to really get into being chicks, but I've had to give them a bit of TLC and vitamins and ACV. Here is a picture for you:

I will be calling the feed store and telling them that I won't be back to their store, and that I felt like the conditions were unacceptable. A few others have suggested I report them, but I haven't figured out who to "report" to yet.

As much as I wanted to "save" some chicks from the scary bins, I was to scared of bringing an illness home to my flock. So I chose tiny 2 or 3 day old chick from bins that ONLY had 2-3 day old chicks, no blood in the bin, NO dead chicks in the bin.

Good luck and I hope the rest all live! In general, I hear MPC is excellent. But of course A LOT depends on the handling in the mail.

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

I am calling them too. I am going to ask to speak to a manager directly. I REALLY want to bring to their attention that the conditions in their brooders are not acceptable and that the chicks I have purchased from them have not lived.

I am sure if a WSDA agent happened to pop in there it wouldn't be good on their part. I wish I new how to contact the WSDA avian health officials to report them but I haven't had any luck.

If I had known they might potentially be sick I would have had them in my bedroom separated from the others that have been doing well. Oddly enough I picked out healthy looking chicks too that were 2-3 days old and those are the ones that aren't making it. I had one little silkie survive and she looks like she's doing pretty good.