ALABAMA!!

[Razadia]

I stopped by my post office on the way home just now and this is how my conversation went about my chicks coming in...
Me: Hi, I have some chicks shipping from TX tomorrow and they should be here by Thursday or Friday so if I could give you my name and number so you can call me right away and I'll come get them.. then I would really appreciate it.
Lady: LIVE chickens?
Me: yes mam
Lady: *takes my name, number address* and says" wouldn't you just want them to deliver it to you?"
Me: No, because I need to get them as soon as possible and take care of them so they won't die.
Lady: You can't get them as soon as they get there because we won't be open for the public and I don't start scanning incoming mail until 8:30. Just fill this (blank paper) out with what you intend for us to do.

At this point I was definitely not feeling reassured and starting to worry about them coming >_< I wrote down the name of the company they were coming from.. it was live chickens etc and that I needed to be called as soon as they arrive so I could pick them up. I may call them again tomorrow just to make sure the note was kept and they still know about the birds showing up.
Anyone have trouble with their post office before? Hopefully I am worrying about nothing and they will all come in fine!

I've never had chicks shipped to me, so I would honestly just follow everyone else's advice and not my own.

Strangely enough, I've never had to call in about eggs while living in Montgomery. We've had the same driver for years now and he tries to deliver my eggs as early as possible. Never even commented on it. We had a sub one time and she pulled all the way up our driveway and talked to us about it for a bit. It was last year when I got my first or second batch of quail eggs. It was the strangest thing she'd ever delivered and thought the idea was great since she wanted to start raising chickens. Guess who she ended up buying chicks from?

 

[waynec1955]

Newspaper is slick for chick legs. Their legs can slip and get dilocated or they can get splay leg. Paper towels give them something to grip.

Thanks for the suggestion. I only use the paper for the first day so they will learn where their food is and not eat the bedding. It is slick though, I will try paper towels next time.

 

[Tomtommom]

Thanks for the suggestion. I only use the paper for the first day so they will learn where their food is and not eat the bedding. It is slick though, I will try paper towels next time.

Puppy pads. They're a little grippy and a breeze to clean up.

 

[DeannaA]

Yes, while the hens feathering is not as flashy as the roosters, there are som very nice color patterns in cochin hens.

I have a Cochin pullet. She is reddish with grey lacing and grey under fluff. So cute.

I stopped by my post office on the way home just now and this is how my conversation went about my chicks coming in...
Me: Hi, I have some chicks shipping from TX tomorrow and they should be here by Thursday or Friday so if I could give you my name and number so you can call me right away and I'll come get them.. then I would really appreciate it.
Lady: LIVE chickens?
Me: yes mam
Lady: *takes my name, number address* and says" wouldn't you just want them to deliver it to you?"
Me: No, because I need to get them as soon as possible and take care of them so they won't die.
Lady: You can't get them as soon as they get there because we won't be open for the public and I don't start scanning incoming mail until 8:30. Just fill this (blank paper) out with what you intend for us to do.

At this point I was definitely not feeling reassured and starting to worry about them coming >_< I wrote down the name of the company they were coming from.. it was live chickens etc and that I needed to be called as soon as they arrive so I could pick them up. I may call them again tomorrow just to make sure the note was kept and they still know about the birds showing up.
Anyone have trouble with their post office before? Hopefully I am worrying about nothing and they will all come in fine!

My post office was annoyed at first, after awhile they seemed ok with it. Last time they gave me my package even though they were closed. I did bring them veggies in the summer. Bribery helps. I had always gotten eggs before but the first time I got chicks, they asked to see. I don't even need my ID anymore. There is still one cranky lady. A friend odered eggs coming thru the same posst office and they were crappy to her. I guess it's a time thing. Eventually they get used to you.

 

[Hilda the Hen]

Hubby agreed to 2 more hens hmmmm.... what to get. My daughter wants a "zebra" chicken (Barred rock) I think EEs would be fun, but I also like the buffs. Out of those what ones would get along best with 4 RIR hens? Or just stick with the same breed? This last year was our first year raising chickens, and we raised them from day old chicks. Thinking I might get them older this time around, but I also want "nice" chickens. Thoughts? Input? Thanks in advance.

 

[Tomtommom]

Hubby agreed to 2 more hens

hmmmm.... what to get. My daughter wants a "zebra" chicken (Barred rock) I think EEs would be fun, but I also like the buffs. Out of those what ones would get along best with 4 RIR hens? Or just stick with the same breed? This last year was our first year raising chickens, and we raised them from day old chicks. Thinking I might get them older this time around, but I also want "nice" chickens. Thoughts? Input? Thanks in advance.

You've got 4 producers, so maybe something more toward unique egg color (cream legbar, ameraucana.. easter eggers are a grab bag on egg color... but fun) or broodiness (cochin, wyandotte, Kraienkoppe) or unique color (lavender or jubilee orp, swedish flower... heck, there's tons of fun and unique colors). I wouldn't toss a silkie or polish or other 'ornamental' bird in there... the RIRs will likely give that bird a constant make-over until it looks like them, which is not going to happen until it's dead.

 

[chickadoodles]

Happy Birthday.
Sorry about Tippy it is always hard to lose one.
Hope you come home soon.

X2 Happy Birthday. So sorry about Tippy.

 

[huntinwidow]

[quote name="Tomtommom"

You've got 4 producers, so maybe something more toward unique egg color (cream legbar, ameraucana.. easter eggers are a grab bag on egg color... but fun) or broodiness (cochin, wyandotte, Kraienkoppe) or unique color (lavender or jubilee orp, swedish flower... heck, there's tons of fun and unique colors). I wouldn't toss a silkie or polish or other 'ornamental' bird in there... the RIRs will likely give that bird a constant make-over until it looks like them, which is not going to happen until it's dead.
[/quote]


I agree, kids love eastereggers because of the unique egg color and because they are mixed breed, you can get almost any color you want.

 

[icandi]

It seems IDEAL poultry doesn't give a tracking number. Anyone that has ordered chicks.. do you normally get a tracking number when they ship? There's no place that I can see to sign in to an account with IDEAL to check on it. I did call the post office this morning just to check my paper I wrote and signed wasn't lost or anything and it was the same lady so I guess she works at this time each morning and I should be good there. My brooder is set up and waiting other than food and water in it, I made it this morning. I think they will grow out of it fast though and will have to move them to either an old play pen I have or steal my wire cube shelf from my girls room to make one like that with zip ties.
I learned today that the beginning of a roll of chicken wire is hard to work with and that when you open a fresh roll of wire you should cautiously unroll on the floor ready to let go because it spins open.

My phone screen keeps glitching and I can't answer calls or use the screen half the time so hopefully it won't do that if they call in the morning! Or at least I'm praying it's today and those poor babies don't have to spend another day in the mail!

It just needs paper towels on top and food/water.

 

[DeannaA]

Hubby agreed to 2 more hens

hmmmm.... what to get. My daughter wants a "zebra" chicken (Barred rock) I think EEs would be fun, but I also like the buffs. Out of those what ones would get along best with 4 RIR hens? Or just stick with the same breed? This last year was our first year raising chickens, and we raised them from day old chicks. Thinking I might get them older this time around, but I also want "nice" chickens. Thoughts? Input? Thanks in advance.

I have EEs if you want a few eggs to hatch. This is what I get.