Anyone impatiently waiting for your baby chicks to arrive?!?!

[mamahmendez]

Me too!  First post;  hi everyone. I am waiting on 12 Lavender Cuckoo Orpingtons, due to hatch Feb 23.  I went with a small local breeder so I get to pick my babies up and drive them home!
My first choice was Barred Rocks but she had a long waiting list for those and her Rock hens aren't laying much right now. It is our first foray into chicken keeping and we are super excited.  I have a 5 yr old daughter who is going to be a dedicated little egg collector.
Happy waiting everyone!

Welcome!!!! I am new too. And I have a 9 and 6 year old that are super excited too!!!

 

[realsis]

Hi. I've heard nothing but great things about them. your hatch/ship date is mighty close to mine! .Mines April 11th. My order isn't from MY Pet Chicken but from Meyer. (My Pet Chicken gets birds from Meyer too) I understand your shipping concerns as I have concerns too because I live in California. I just keep telling myself they ship to Alaska and that's lots farther away! Are your chicks coming priority or express (not really sure there's much difference). I'm expecting Seven female Barred Rocks and one Female "suprise" layer bird so I can donate her eggs to needy folks. Meyers gives these free on request called Meyer Meal Maker. You CAN choose the sex but breed is " close" to what you get (layers for layers meat for meat) it's a way Meyers help you to help others. so 8 all together. My order is quite small so I PRAY they all make it. They all get their vacancies for Mareks for only .50 cents the free is is vaccinated for free if was told by Meyers because I paid for the others to get theres.There customers service has been incredible so far.They have even answered email questions quickly.I've been impressed so far. But I know shipping circumstances are out of there control. That's what I worry so much about!it would be such a blessing if they arrived next day!So I completely understand your concern. I can hardly wait. I'm going to keep my son home from school on there arrival day. He's 16 almost 17 and can help me out a lot! keep us posted on how things go and post lots of pictures of your little ones when they arrive! I've never heard any negative things about My Pet Chicken so I'm sure you will be very happy.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Just got notification that my next order of chicks shipped! This time instead of arriving in a snowstorm, they should get here in time for the heat wave! Which is good, because it's a 10 chick order instead of 25.

(4) Crested Cream Legbars
(1) Splash Maran
(5) "Rainbow" egg assortment

Setting up the brooder tomorrow to try out MHP with this bunch.

 

[realsis]

congratulations!! hope you post pics

 

[Paganrose]

My chicks are supposed to come in the next couple of days!!!! They have been shipped! Brooder is all ready and waiting!

Now if the USPS just would update their tracking so I could know where they are!

 

[javaferret]

Realsis-
The chicks will be coming express mail, so I am hoooppping they will get here next day, but I guess it depends when everyone is all set and its actually sent off. I took the two days after hatch date so I will be available to run down to the post office and get them. Express is suppose to be 1-2day if shipped by 3pm. I figure it might take 2 just cause of distance and who knows when all the different breeds will be hatched out that day. Suppose the only down side of ordering many different breeds...sigh, kinda wish I ordered one more Egyptian, but too late now see chicken math happens even before the chicks even arrive!!!

 

[Jensownzoo]

Pacing back and forth impatiently...was expecting to get the wake-up call from the post office early this morning to come pick up the latest batch, but nothing so far...

 

[ShanandGem]

We had originally planned to get hatchery chicks through our local feed store, but I got tired of harassing the staff there about when catalogues would be out and what the earliest hatch dates might be. It wasn't their fault, I found out later this hatchery isn't a great one, terrible communication with their point of sale people and customers. Last year they had a huge salmonella outbreak and many buyers had to destroy their birds after 4 weeks of waiting for test kits to arrive from the hatchery.
Thankfullly I found a lovely breeder of heritage birds just an hour's drive from my house. We get to pick up our chicks and bring them home ourselves! I hope this maximizes our chances for a healthy brood as we're new to chicken keeping.
From here on out I think we will buy an incubator and work on hatching our own eggs and eggs from other small breeders.

 

[Paganrose]

Our chicks arrived this morning!

27 chicks in total

6 light brahmas (one a freebie)
5 buff Orps (one is a meal maker)
5 Sliver laced Wayndottes
2 austra whites
2 welsummers
2 cochins
2 easter eggers
one bared type pullet
one black pullet
one chipmunk pullet

(the last three were from an brown layer assortment)

 

[mamahmendez]

We had originally planned to get hatchery chicks through our local feed store, but I got tired of harassing the staff there about when catalogues would be out and what the earliest hatch dates might be. It wasn't their fault, I found out later this hatchery isn't a great one, terrible communication with their point of sale people and customers. Last year they had a huge salmonella outbreak and many buyers had to destroy their birds after 4 weeks of waiting for test kits to arrive from the hatchery.
Thankfullly I found a lovely breeder of heritage birds just an hour's drive from my house. We get to pick up our chicks and bring them home ourselves! I hope this maximizes our chances for a healthy brood as we're new to chicken keeping.
From here on out I think we will buy an incubator and work on hatching our own eggs and eggs from other small breeders.

So wonderful you found a breeder that is close to you that you like. So far I have tried many different routes for our purchases; I initially looked to rehoming chickens that were no longer wanted, but I couldn't find any (that is good for the chickens!). So, after much research selected breeds that fit our family, we have purchased 8 from a local feed store, 15 from a hatchery shipped direct, and I am on a list with 2 local breeder. I think finding the best method for you and your family is important. Best wishes!