Attention those who plan on ordering chicks from hatcheries!

[vickie2133]

I have chicks coming this Monday. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I ordered from Ideal NC gets cold in January and February. This year colder than most. I ordered the eggs from Ideal 2 weeks back. And at that I ordered pullets, but I'm sure they only set pullet eggs. Just kidding...LOL

 

[jimnjay]

It is a two hour ride in a truck from the airport to my post office at best. Yesteday it did not get above freezing. Sorry that is just not the way chicks should be handled. Yes you can loose some at any time of the year but when your order hits in sub freezing temperature you chicks will show the effects of that kind of exposure.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
A added note, far more male chicks are culled at the factory than chicks lost in shipment. If you order from a hatchery chicks will die, if you hatch at home you will either feed excess males and cull them or cull them as soon as you know there sex. The birds I lost on this recent order were probably too weak and would have needed to be culled. If they did perish from hypothermia then they would have fallen asleep. I have not heard of any chicks actually freezing to death. Tupperware tub in freezer is a common method of culling unwanted chicks.

I love my birds but some are going to get culled, I needed the chicks now for them to be breeding age in the summer. Chicks I ordered in the fall are now in the weather. These chicks will be set out when the weather is nice. There is a give and take for everything. Each person must make their own decision as to how and when they order chicks. But if orders are relegated to a few months out of the year, the expense of maintenance, unemployment, property taxes, among other expenses WILL be passed on to the consumer or they will go belly up. And that in my opinion would be a shame.

 

[sara]

Or if you can't wait, order a lot so they generate a lot of heat.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Not to get into a argument because I would not choose for you or try to convince you otherwise it is your choice. I have spoken with Ideal and the post office and each has assured me that while the chicks are in their care they will not be exposed to the cold. Air mail pickups are made in a US Postal vehicle and the passenger compartment on the box truck is not blocked from the package area. At least it was this way when my father was a postman. His job for most of his tenure was the pickup and handling of air mail. Live cargo was always loaded closest to the passenger compartment. Postal employees are union I don't think the union would allow any employees to suffer hypothermia.

I will continue to trust Ideal and the Post Office at least on this. I would suggest anyone contemplating a live shipment make a phone call to the shipper and visit your local post office to make arrangements. No matter what the weather.

Live shipment is made to Tyson, Purdue, and other chicken houses through out the whole year. If they lost 96 chicks out of 100 they would be out of business.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
Exactamundo

 

[Katy]

Quote:
hey WalkingWolf.....if you believe that about the chicks never being exposed to the cold, I've got some swamp land I'd like to sell you!!

 

[WalkingWolf]

Katy, I am sure that sometimes they may be but not on every shipment or Ideal would not ship them as they reimburse you for any losses no matter how they expire. I told you that I do not want to argue and I don't really think this should turn into a flame war. You do your thing I'll do mine.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
geez...did you not see the smiley face?

I saw enough posts on here last winter/early spring from people who lost large amounts of chicks because of the cold weather to feel like the hatcheries really don't care much. For the few they have to replace many more squeak though. I haven't ordered from hatcheries for years because I prefer to hatch my own.