Any chance they'll live?

[LA~Poulet]

I am very upset, I am not even sure how to proceed. I'm especially livid that when I realized they would be shipped so close to a holiday weekend and called to ask if I needed to change the ship date or upgrade to a faster shipping method that I was told that they aren't allowed to ship live animals Express mail (which I have since found out is untrue), and that they were going out "2-day" and would definitely arrive on time. I thought that was a special category for live animals, so I believed them and dropped this issue.

I have a website & ship Priority mail, all the time. Sometimes it arrives in 2 days, sometimes 3, sometimes 4, it is not guaranteed at all. Tracking is only an extra fifty cents. I would have been happy to pay for tracking, I assumed it would be included for such a precious cargo (I never ship without it, and my items aren't perishable). If I had known they were shipping that way I would have never gone along with a Wednesday-before-the 4th weekend ship date.

If anyone reading this learns anything, I hope they get that they should ask questions before ordering live chicks re: shipping method & tracking. I wish I hadn't assumed that the hatchery would have that under control and well managed.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I had a chick order from MPC get lost in the mail last week. They were a day late- but all of them were in excellent shape- and gorgeous. The chicks came from Meyer in Ohio. The MPC staff was diligently trying to find them- and I finally got the call in the middle of the night from the PO hub. I hope your babies make it- the wait heartwrenching.

 

[ChickLit]

OMG LA ~ I'm so sorry they didn't arrive today.

I don't know if USPS would dispose of the box; it's not really their place to do that is it? I'd sure call them and find out...

What a heartbreaker.

I was told that they aren't allowed to ship live animals Express mail (which I have since found out is untrue), and that they were going out "2-day" and would definitely arrive on time.

This hatchery has no sense!! As you said, you'd think they'd have their procedures down by now. They should be hit with some sort of liability...even if the babies arrive safely. :::AARRGGHH:::​

 

[LA~Poulet]

Well, I called back and they put me on the phone with the owner. She was very gracious and apologized, and after triple checking my address & the details, said that being that the birds never made it to my regional hub, someone with USPS probably intercepted them before if they were still healthy, and they have the right to destroy or turn them over the humane society or a zoo if they don't think they will arrive in time, which was probably done because of the holiday.

Apparently they refer to Express mail as "2 day" and whoever I spoke with mistakenly thought that was how my birds were being shipped already, not Priority which is how they actually were scheduled. It was a misunderstanding (I wish I would have clarified more, because I would have happily upgraded if I had known there was such an option).

They are issuing a refund b/c the breeds I wanted aren't even fully available any longer, I just wanted to update to let you know that the owner was aware of all the issues.

 

[farrier!]

I am so sorry you are not getting the chicks you wanted. It seems most of the hatcheries are out of chicks. I was unable to get replacements for mine.

 

[ChickLit]

I'm also sorry they are out of the chicks you wanted. It is good to know that they were probably intercepted and taken care of...I had no idea they could do that, but it's cool! You'd think USPS would notify you of that, though.

Anyway, I'm glad it's been resolved.

 

[LA~Poulet]

Well, my chicks weren't intercepted or saved. My local P.O. called that they arrived at 7:30 this morning-all dead, having been boxed for a full week. I'm sick to my stomach, and glad I decided against having more shipped. If I ever try this again, it will only be under ideal conditions with expedited shipping, I am so disgusted to have been a part of this miserable cruelty.

 

[gocrow77]

Sorry it turned out this way, I was hoping if not for a happy ending that at least like you said someone had taken them in and they were sheltered somewhere.

 

[Chicksdigit]

Well that just sucks......... Sorry to hear it.
I really hate this kind of crap.

 

[IggiMom]

I am so sorry about your chicks.

Don't loose faith in having chicks shipped. I think usually it goes just fine, my chicks this year from Estes and Ideal arrived in one and two days respectively.

I am in West Virginia, Estes is in Missouri, and Ideal is in Texas.

I did have a problem last year with Cackle.

Anyway, I am so sorry about your chicks and hope you are feeling better soon. None of this was your fault, don't beat yourself up.

Catherine