almost had new babies today...heartbroken instead :(

[jdywntr]

Sadly that can happen when different sized babies are shipped together. Many places won't ship small breeds with large breeds.

Sorry for the losses.

 

[cymbaline]

I think they successfully ship all over the country. Here's a BYC thread about Metzers. It looks like others from the east coast have ordered without any problems.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/542525/metzer-farms/70

Well, I kind of already tested my sexing skills at Tractor Supply this evening. I feel pretty sure one is a girl...the other two I think are, lol. Guess we'll find out in a few weeks how accurate I am, and if I need a few more girls to balance it out I suppose I'll give Metzers a try. I just couldn't handle any more heartbreak right now..I needed some cuteness. These little babies have been snuggled up on my all evening - they are sooooo sweet.

Thanks everyone for the support and advice; it really means a lot to have people who care and understand what I'm going through. *hugs*

 

[TravisE]

sorry to hear this. if you go to order any more. wait til it warms up. i learnded this the hard way. i had order from mcmurrays and all 27 chickens died do to the cold. so i fell your pain. i live in fayette county wv. so i think it still to cold here in central wv.
hope this helps
travise

 

[kristy1980]

I would try using Cackle Hatchery. I have ordered chicks from them 3 times and all lived and I have ordered ducklings from them 4 times and all lived, have another shipment coming Monday. There prices are really good too. Average ducklings are around $ 3.50 a piece for strait run...

 

[ducklucky]

Haven't had experience with them but efowl.com offers this breed. Can't see many others that do, but google it and maybe you'll find someone posting them for sale other than a hatchery. So sorry for your loss and disappointment, we get so worked up when the babies are arriving, and to open the box and see that is a real heartbreaker. Had the same thing happen last year, ordered 12 pekins, only 1 survived the trip, and turned out to be a male (ordered females), and we immediately named him Lucky, and that he is. McMurray sent out replacements the following week, and all arrived healthy and were all females. Wonderful, healthy, and any hatchery worth its salt WILL and SHOULD replace them if they arrive DOA. Just make sure to call them right away, not the next day, they know when they got to the post office. And never delay picking them up from the PO either. As soon as you get that call, go down there in your PJs. Anyway, take a look at efowl.com, they offer your breed, can't back them up, but they have good reviews. Good luck to you and sorry for your experience, ahhh, makes me sick to remember...also might want to put it out there on Craigslist your state in the wanted section, maybe you'll get lucky.

 

[cymbaline]

sorry to hear this. if you go to order any more. wait til it warms up. i learnded this the hard way. i had order from mcmurrays and all 27 chickens died do to the cold. so i fell your pain. i live in fayette county wv. so i think it still to cold here in central wv.
hope this helps
travise

OMG, that is absolutely horrible, I'm so sorry.

 

[cymbaline]

I would try using Cackle Hatchery. I have ordered chicks from them 3 times and all lived and I have ordered ducklings from them 4 times and all lived, have another shipment coming Monday. There prices are really good too. Average ducklings are around $ 3.50 a piece for strait run...

It doesn't look like they offer any kind of mallard, and I really want to stay at that size. Thanks though, and if anyone I know wants some larger ones, I'll recommend them.

 

[cymbaline]

Haven't had experience with them but efowl.com offers this breed. Can't see many others that do, but google it and maybe you'll find someone posting them for sale other than a hatchery. So sorry for your loss and disappointment, we get so worked up when the babies are arriving, and to open the box and see that is a real heartbreaker. Had the same thing happen last year, ordered 12 pekins, only 1 survived the trip, and turned out to be a male (ordered females), and we immediately named him Lucky, and that he is. McMurray sent out replacements the following week, and all arrived healthy and were all females. Wonderful, healthy, and any hatchery worth its salt WILL and SHOULD replace them if they arrive DOA. Just make sure to call them right away, not the next day, they know when they got to the post office. And never delay picking them up from the PO either. As soon as you get that call, go down there in your PJs. Anyway, take a look at efowl.com, they offer your breed, can't back them up, but they have good reviews. Good luck to you and sorry for your experience, ahhh, makes me sick to remember...also might want to put it out there on Craigslist your state in the wanted section, maybe you'll get lucky.

I had looked at efowl too and their page for snowy mallards says they have no plans to offer them in the future. :\
I mainly wanted to order online so that I could get (nearly) guaranteed girls...getting the pretty snowy ones was just a bonus.
Your experience sounds terrible too, only 1 out of 12...I don't know how you all do it. They did offer to replace them but I just felt like I would've been ordering a death sentence for 3 more babies so they gave me a refund. I was at the PO about 20 minutes after they called me yesterday morning, and they knew to call me ASAP because I'd been telling them about it every day, all week long, lol.

 

[jdywntr]

What did you end up getting at TSC?

 

[countrygirl74]

I completely agree! Order from Metzers!! I lost all but one duck in my order from Ideal. Re-ordered through Metzers and they were all healthy and happy with grogel and a heatpack. I could tell an obvious difference between the health and activity of my Metzer ducks compared to my one surviving one from Ideal too.